St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Vilano Beach Casino
(1926-1939)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 21, 2011
1. Vilano Beach Casino Marker
Formerly at this site stood the Vilano Beach Casino, constructed in 1926-27. Casinos of the early 1900s were a source of social entertainment. Gambling was not provided. Big name bands from New York, vaudeville acts, theme parties and dances were hosted here. This unique oceanfront casino had monumental architecture on property 300 feet wide and 250 feet deep, a salt water swimming pool 150 feet long by 50 feet wide, and fine dining. A palm log bridge over the North River provided access to the island by car. The casino was 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, however, the plan failed during the Great Depression, and storms of 1938-1939 washed the casino into the sea. Today Mr. Heckscher’s dream is being revitalized. A public recreation area was built in 2004 on the casino site, and the 1920s era layout is the basis for a sustainable town center master plan by the Vilano Beach Main Street Waterfronts Group, a partnership between North Shores Improvement Association (est. 1939) and St. Johns County.
Sponsored by the St. Johns County
Board of County Commissioners
and
this page online
F-555 2005
Erected 2005 by St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-555.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 29° 54.98′ N, 81° 17.437′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. Marker is at the intersection of Vilano Road and Ferrol Road, on the left when traveling south on Vilano Road. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, overlooking the beach park and former site of the Vilano Beach Casino. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Augustine FL 32084, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Haley's Court Sign (approx. ¼ mile away); Surfside Dance Hall and Bathhouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); Nease House (approx. 0.8 miles away); a different marker also named Nease House (approx. 0.8 miles away); Allen D. Nease (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Francis and Mary Usina Bridge (approx. 1.2 miles away); Don Juan Ponce De Leon (approx. 1½ miles away); Sentinels of the Spanish Coast (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 21, 2011
2. Vilano Beach Casino Marker (tall view)
Vilano Beach is located two miles from St. Augustine in Northeast Florida's St. Johns County. The area lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Tolomato River. When Henry Flagler attracted northern tourists to his hotels in St. Augustine, the seaside community of Vilano Beach was their oceanfront playground. Ferries and horse drawn trolleys brought visitors to the beaches. In 1926, Florida developer August Heckscher built the Grand Vilano Casino, a Mediterranean Revival-style building on Vilano Beach. Big name bands from New York, vaudeville acts, theme parties and dances were hosted here. (Submitted on October 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 21, 2011
3. Vilano Beach Casino Marker (wide view; looking southeast from Vilano Road)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 9, 2013
4. Vilano Beach Pavilion (located across Vilano Road from marker)
Report from the Florida Zone, Unknown
5. Vilano Beach Casino Bathing Pool
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,193 times since then and 221 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on October 23, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
