The Vinoy House, a notable piece of St. Petersburg history, is currently up for grabs.
Located at 532 Beach Dr. NE, the property was built in 1910 to serve as a winter home for wealthy Pennsylvania oil magnate Aymer Vinoy Laughner, whose middle name is now immortalized at the nearby Vinoy Resort & Golf Club.
According to the St. Pete Museum of History, it’s believed that the initial idea for the resort was born on the front porch of this house in 1924. Famed golfer Walter Hagen bet Laughner that if he could smack a few balls off the face of his prized pocket watch without breaking the glass, then the oil tycoon would have to build a golf course wherever the balls landed.
Obviously, Hagan won the bet.
“When Laughner and another guest went to retrieve the golf balls from the neighbor’s lawn, the guest commented on what a nice site the waterfront home would be for a hotel. Quickly a deal was struck with the landowner,” says the museum.
Construction of the Vinoy Hotel began a year later, and took a total of 10 months to be completed. Across the street, the historic Vinoy House changed throughout the years, and would eventually was converted into a bed and breakfast in 1999. Today, the house is known as the Beach Drive Inn.
In total, the 6,133-square-foot home features seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, as well as two suites, says the listing. The home has been on and off the market for years, and was last sold in 2022 for $2 million. The Vinoy House is currently asking $3 million, and the listing agent is Kimberly Royals of Yellowtail Realty.
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