DOWNTOWN STUART
Each historical site that Vitale owns
has its own special personality and story
to tell.
The Old Colorado Inn is almost a
mini-museum. Vintage pictures of Martin
County are displayed throughout the hotel.
They were provided by local historian
Sandra Thurlow.
NOTORIOUS CONNECTION
The two-story brick building was originally
46
the Coventry Hotel, built more than
a century ago by John Coventry. His son,
Frank, made a name for himself when
he drove the getaway car for the Ashley
Gang after they robbed a Stuart bank.
While he was driving, John Ashley was
shot and lost his eye, and that’s how the
legendary outlaw acquired his trademark
patch. Frank Coventry was also said to be
a rum runner during Prohibition and was
later shot and killed in a pool hall.
Around the corner on Seminole Street
is the home of Ernie Lyons, the longtime
editor of The Stuart News. Author of My
Florida and The Last Cracker Barrel, Lyons
wrote about his love of fishing and protecting
local waterways while educating
readers on the importance of environmental
preservation. The home, built in
1890, is the oldest in Stuart. The building
was used as a community center during
those early days and witnessed many
firsts — the first schoolhouse, church service
and wedding. The home is registered
as a literary landmark.
Next door is the Clifton Guest and Fishing
Lodge. In 2018, Vitale bought and rescued
the building that was slated for demolition.
Jumping through many hoops,
he arranged to barge the 2,500-square-foot
home down the St. Lucie River in one
piece to its current location.
“It’s worth it to preserve some of these
gems that would have been knocked
down and our history erased,” Vitale says.
“In my mind, it’s worth every dime.”
The Clifton Lodge has special ties to
boating magnate Ralph Evinrude who
frequented it during the mid-1950s while
courting celebrity Frances Langford.
The couple later married and Evinrude
moved the Outboard Marine Corp.’s
testing center to Stuart, and they became
two of the area’s most significant philanthropists.
HISTORICAL HOMES
Guests can also make a connection
with Stuart’s pioneer past while staying
at the Blue House, which was a Sears,
Roebuck Co. kit house. Built in 1915,
the home was owned by Lyndon “Doc”
TOM WINTER
Ralph Evinrude, of outboard motor fame, frequented
the Clifton Guest and Fishing Lodge while
courting singer and actress Frances Langford,
popular during the Golden Age of radio and with
U.S. servicemen stationed around the world. Langford
had a home in nearby Jensen Beach.
RICK CRARY
The multi-gabled Owl House, built in 1904, provides
stunning views of the St. Lucie River.
RICK CRARY
Visitors can enjoy first-rate accommodations
at the historical Ernie Lyons home.
Vitale saved the Clifton Guest and Fishing
Lodge from demolition, moving it by barge to
its present location along the St. Lucie River.
Barnes who ran the drug store and soda fountain in the Post Office Arcade.
Additionally, the Owl House is named for its four-pointed gable roof that some
claim resembles the head of an owl. Built in 1904, the spacious two-story home was
designed by a sea captain who wanted to protect the roof from hurricane winds. It
offers stunning wide views of the St. Lucie River and has been recently renovated
and outfitted with new furnishings to have the comfy feel of a lakeside retreat.
As visitors stroll in the heart of downtown, they can see that Vitale is passionate
about historical preservation. He notes he has put his blood, sweat and tears
into renovating these century-old buildings. He knows they are worth preserving
because their ageless beauty teaches important lessons.
“Historic preservation gives members of a community a shared sense of pride in
their history and their heritage,” he explains. “Without the visual reality of historic
preservation, we couldn’t experience that sense of historic integrity except by reading
books. With historic preservation, we can actually see it with our own eyes.”
Looking back, Vitale never imagined he would renovate and create a vintage
boutique hotel and homes that are popular with tourists and appreciated by
locals. Perhaps, there was a silver lining to the recession because in the end, it
turned into a blessing.
“What happens in life is you take a chance at doing something,” he says. “Like
when my beautiful wife and I started having children and felt blessed by them,
and we wanted to continue to have more children.
“It’s the same thing with these homes. It seemed to work out and that we
enjoyed the process. It was fun being involved in the renovations, and it became
successful economically. As other historical properties became available, we said,
‘Why not? Let’s try another one.’”