Losley’s Saloon & Alpine Hotel

Losley’s Saloon and Alpine Hotel. , Fredrick A. Losley, an immigrant from Switzerland came to Titusville in 1882 by way of New Orleans and Cedar Key. After moving to Titusville he is credited with opening one of the city’s first saloons, which was located on East Main Street. In 1888 he began construction of a new two-story brick building on the west side of South Washington Avenue. At the time supply’s to build the saloon were shipped from Jacksonville by steamer to Sanford and then to Salt Lake Landing. From there ox-drawn wagons transported it to Pace’s Landing on the Indian River then to the building site. The first floor housed Losley’s Saloon and Billiard Hall, two additional stores, plus a nine foot alley. The second floor consisted of 10 rooms - 5 on each side of a center hall - which were used as boarding rooms. When the Brevard County Anti-Saloon League organized in 1906 and vowed to make Brevard "dry," Losley closed the saloon. He persuaded his sister-in-law, Kate Myers, to open a restaurant in its place. "The City Restaurant" became a popular eating spot because of Kate's established reputation as a good cook. He named the upstairs the "Alpine Hotel" some say because Losley came from Switzerland and others say because the stairs were so steep. After a lengthy bout with tuberculosis, Fredrick died in 1915 leaving the Losley building to his only surviving children, Leah and Leland. Leland later enclosed the nine foot alleyway and it was the location of Losley Electric from 1921 to 1928. The property remained in family ownership until it was sold in 1972. , Sponsored By: Lovie Pritchard Chapter #561 of The Questers