Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the “Birthplace of Speed”
Did you identify this weekend's Mystery Foto?
Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:
Identify:
- The building and its location
Hotel Ormond which was located on Ormond Beach "Birthplace of Speed" in Florida. Hotel Ormond, named for Volusia County pioneer James Ormond, was built in 1887 by John Anderson and Joseph Price. The large frame building was bought and enlarged by Henry M. Flagler in the 1890's. Operated by Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway, it was one of the first Flagler hotels in Florida. After 1890, the hotel and adjoining Ormond Beach Golf Club became major Florida tourist centers. John D. Rockefeller, a nearby resident, was a patron of both
- Its role in automotive history
The hotel was the primary destination for participants and spectators for the Ormond Beach Daytona Automobile Races (1903-1910).
- The status of the building
The hotel was demolished in1992 for the Ormond Heritage Condominiums. A comprehensive record of the building in 1992 can be found in the Library of Congress archives.
Comments (7)
Congrats to Robert Greenhaus, Art Kleiner, Greg O., Dick & Mary Gorman, Dee O., and Steve Lucas for identifying the Ormond Hotel.
Kudos to Art Kleiner and Steve Lucas for the jpeg documentation.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Comments
- The Hotel Ormand, Ormand Beach, FL.
- Lodging, frequented by the Vanderbilts and others, convenient to racing at nearby Daytona Beach.
- The building was demolished in 1992 to construct a condominium.
The Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Headquarters for the road races that took place on the beach in the early 1900s, of which Willie K. participated. The managers of the hotel in 1902, John Anderson and Joseph Price, organized the races with William J. Morgan of “Automobile” Magazine. The Ormond Garage was built near the hotel in 1904 to service the racers and their mechanics and was known as “Gasoline Alley”.
Currently the Ormond Hertiage Condominium occupies the site where the hotel was. Throughout its existence the hotel was a lifetime residence for the elderly and a retirement hotel, finally being demolished in 1992. The only remaining part of the hotel is its cupola which sits in Fortunato Park across from the condominium.
Close up of the cupola.
-The building and its location
Ormond Hotel. Ormond Beach, Florida
-Its role in automotive history
Owner Henry Flagler in 1904 also owned the Ormond Garage, the first gasoline alley before Indianapolis Speedway. The hotel accommodated participating race cars during the beach races. The Ormond Garage would house the drivers and mechanics during the speed time trials. Owners and manufacturers stayed at the Ormond Hotel.
-The status of the building
Despite being added to the National Register of Historic places in 1980, in 1992 it was razed for condominiums.
Mystery Foto #10… The building is the Ormand Hotel in Ormand Beach, Florida. It was also known as The Flagler Hotel. Street address was 15 East Granada Boulevard.
In 1904 visitors and officials of the Ormand Datona Beach Automobile Tournament stayed at the hotel. At that event in January ‘04 Willy K set a land speed record of 92.3 mph. The building was razed in 1992 and a Condo is now on the property. To give credit where credit is due my wife, Marlyn Gorman solved this Mystery Foto even before I had a clue as to what building that was.
The Ormond Beach Hotel. Own by Henry Flagler. 1992 torn down. It’s now condos.
That’s the Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida. In the early years of the 20th. century, the beach located a short distance from the hotel was the site of several automobile and race related events. Participants and spectators for these events would stay at the hotel. Probably the most famous event took place on January 27, 1904 when Willie K. set the one mile land speed record at 92.3 MPH during the Ormond-Daytona Beach Automobile Tournament. Sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1992 and is now the site of the Ormond Heritage Condominiums. However, the hotel’s rooftop cupola was saved and restored. It now resides across the street in Fortunato Park. (see attached photo)
Glad the cupola was saved.