History
15
The Vilano Beach Casino stood at this site after its construction in 1926-27 as an oceanfront center of social entertainment, hosting big-name bands from New York, vaudeville acts, theme parties, dances, fine dining, and a salt water swimming pool, without gambling. Built on property 300 feet wide and 250 feet deep, with a pool 150 feet long by 50 feet wide, it was reached by car over a palm log bridge across the North River. The casino served as the cornerstone of a major development platted as Vilano Beach by the St. Augustine & Atlantic Corporation, headed by New York philanthropist August Heckscher. Automobile and rail travel brought potential buyers during the 1920s Florida Land Boom, but the plan failed during the Great Depression, and storms in 1938-1939 washed the casino into the sea. Today, Heckscher’s dream is being revitalized through a public recreation area built in 2004 on the site and a sustainable town center master plan based on the 1920s-era layout.
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Vilano Beach, Florida · United States
