Desert Inn and Restaurant
Desert Inn and Restaurant | |
Location | Osceola County, Florida, USA |
---|---|
Nearest city | Yeehaw Junction, Florida |
Coordinates | 27°42′0″N 80°54′18″W / 27.70000°N 80.90500°W |
NRHP reference No. | 93001158[1] |
Added to NRHP | January 3, 1994 |
The Desert Inn and Restaurant (also known as Wilson's Corner) is a historic site in
History
In the 1930s, the spot was originally named "Jackass Crossing," a reference to the burros that ranchers rode to Desert Inn.[2]
As early as 1889, the Desert Inn was a bar room and brothel for cowboys and lumber workers. The Desert Inn did not have full-service water and electricity until 1978.[2]
Throughout the years, the Desert Inn was used as a trading post, gas station, and dance hall. In 1994, after being added to the National Register of Historic Places, the unused rooms above the restaurant were converted into a modest museum that featured a bordello suite with red carpet, lace pillows and a swing.[2]
The Desert Inn closed in June 2018.[3]
In the early morning hours of December 22, 2019, a tractor trailer crashed into the side of the inn. The trailer jackknifed and photos show the roof of the inn collapsed onto the roof of the tractor trailer.[4][5][6] The president of the Osceola County Historical Society, which owns and operated the Desert Inn, stated that a determination will be made if any part of the building can be saved pending a survey by a structural engineer. Fortunately, a few weeks prior, valuable artifacts from inside the Desert Inn were removed and put in their archives as part of a clean up day and restoration efforts.[7]
Gallery
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Yeehaw Junction makes historic halfway point on scenic Florida travel road trips". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
- ^ Rob Rushin (February 23, 2019). "My Florida: Yeehaw Junction. The extinction of Florida's most beloved brothel (and its burgers)". Flamingo.
- ^ "Tractor trailer crashes into Desert Inn and Restaurant in Yeehaw Junction". West Palm Beach: WPTV. December 22, 2019.
- ^ Marino, Sara (22 December 2019). "Part of historic Desert Inn Bar and Restaurant collapses after semi-trailer truck hits building, FHP reports". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Gannett. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Marino, Sara (22 December 2019). "Part of historic Desert Inn near Orlando collapses after semitrailer hits building". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Gannett. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Owners say historic inn at Yeehaw Junction may be demolished". West Palm Beach: CBS12. December 23, 2019.
External links
- Osceola County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Archive of business's website