Chamberlin, C.O., Proprietor

The Palmetto House’ Hotel, Daytona, Florida — Travel Brochure (c.1905)

Stapled Wraps. A scarce early promotional booklet for The Palmetto House—one of Daytona’s earliest destination hotels and later the Colony Hotel. Its imagery and text capture the marketing strategies of Florida resort towns in the years immediately before automobile tourism exploded.

Daytona, Florida: c.1905. Stapled wraps, [12] pages including self-wrappers, with six halftone photographic views (five credited to Harris, Daytona). Oblong 4.25 x 6 inches. A touch of foxing to wrappers; slight staple rust; very well preserved.

Highlighting the hotel’s location along the wide Halifax River, broad piazzas, and reputation for comfort, it offers a valuable glimpse into pre-boom Daytona hospitality culture. No copies recorded in OCLC/WorldCat, underscoring its rarity and research value. [Checked Nov 25]

Historical Background
The Palmetto House—originally known as the Colony House—was one of Daytona’s earliest and most significant hotels. Built around 1871 by town founder Mathias Day as lodging for incoming settlers, the structure gained its enduring name when a shipment of roofing shingles failed to arrive, forcing Day to thatch the building with palmetto fronds. The improvised roof quickly became its defining feature, and ‘Palmetto House’ entered local usage.

Situated prominently on Beach Street overlooking the wide Halifax River, the hotel served as a social and residential hub for early winter visitors, land seekers, and new residents. Period accounts describe its broad piazzas, airy river views, and role as one of the town’s principal public spaces. In subsequent years it also circulated under the name Colony Hotel, reflecting changes in management and local convention.

A landmark of Daytona’s formative resort era, the building stood for nearly fifty years before burning in 1922, marking the end of one of the city’s foundational structures.

Item #21334

Price: $525.00