Misc "The Washaway" in Grayton Beach Renovation
- Thread starter Kurt
- Start date
-
Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
Looks like a complete rebuild to me with very little design effort to preserve its history and original scale. Should be a great rental house though, perfect for multiple families...
Is there an official source of history for the Washaway home? Would love to read more about it.
Edit
I found this info in the SoWal forum. This is from a previous CAA Valentine's Tour of Homes 2014.
A Grayton Tradition – “Washaway”
Located in the heart of Grayton Beach, this local treasure inspired many New Urbanism houses found along 30A today. Built in the late 1800's by Capt. Gray and later became the Coast Guard Headquarters for a cavalry unit during WWII, this home survived a major hurricane in 1926 but was almost washed away, as well as standing strong during Hurricane Eloise in the late 1970's and Opal in the fall of 1995. It is truly a Grayton treasure and centrally located in Old Grayton, ½ block west from the Red Bar restaurant.
sowal.com
Edit
I found this info in the SoWal forum. This is from a previous CAA Valentine's Tour of Homes 2014.
A Grayton Tradition – “Washaway”
Located in the heart of Grayton Beach, this local treasure inspired many New Urbanism houses found along 30A today. Built in the late 1800's by Capt. Gray and later became the Coast Guard Headquarters for a cavalry unit during WWII, this home survived a major hurricane in 1926 but was almost washed away, as well as standing strong during Hurricane Eloise in the late 1970's and Opal in the fall of 1995. It is truly a Grayton treasure and centrally located in Old Grayton, ½ block west from the Red Bar restaurant.
CAA's Valentine Tour of Homes FEB 15 & 16, 2014
Valentine’s weekend typically means romantic dinners and flowers for most, but for South Walton residents and visitors alike, it signals the highly anticipated annual Valentine Tour of Homes hosted by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA). The tour is known for showcasing stunning interiors...
sowal.com
Last edited:
From 2017:
This coastal beach town has always marched to the beat of its own drummer.
Nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and South Walton County’s unique coastal dune lakes, Grayton Beach was an isolated area when Army Maj. Charles T. Gray first homesteaded there around 1885. According to the Visit South Walton website, back then the U.S. government owned most of the land, which was considered pretty useless for farming or other practical purposes.
But Gray, for whom the community would later be named, already knew what millions of visitors would eventually discover: the beaches on his particular stretch of coastline were some of the most beautiful in the world. A man ahead of his time, he built a large home on his property that would later become an inn.
Built around 1890 or so (no one seems to know for sure), the two-story, 2,200-square-foot wood-frame building was at the heart of the early Grayton Beach community. The inn, located at 10 Hotz Ave., went by several names during its early years, including the Grayton Hotel and the Grayton Grand. But the name that still sticks in most people’s minds is the Wash-a-Way.
“We think the name goes back to around 1926 when a hurricane washed away the building’s foundation,” said Justin Knowles, the operations manager for Rivard of South Walton, a vacation rentals company that manages the property. “It survived that storm and it would go on to survive all of the hurricanes since then.”
In fact, the Wash-a-Way — now known as “A Grayton Tradition” — is the only surviving structure from the town’s earliest days. Maybe that’s because Maj. Gray had the good sense to build it about 100 yards from the Gulf of Mexico rather than right on top of it.
“It’s not directly on the beach, but it has amazing views from its porches,” Knowles said. “There’s a hammock in the corner of one deck that has incredible views.”
The building’s colorful history isn’t limited to tourism, however. According to the website GraytonBeach.com, during World War II the Coast Guard used the building as a headquarters for a 40-man cavalry unit that patrolled the beaches on horseback.
During those days, there were reports of German submarines being spotted in the Gulf, and the Coast Guard unit was on alert for any sightings. According to the Visit South Walton website, visitors to “A Grayton Tradition” can still spot a memento left by one of the Coast Guardsmen, who printed his name inside a closet that he used as a photography dark room.
The home’s current owner, Donna Florence, told Knowles she remembers visiting her grandparents at the house back in the 1950s when the funky little town of Grayton Beach was still a relatively undiscovered beach community. While she isn’t sure of the exact date, she remembers that her grandparents purchased the home from a family known as the Wickershams.
According to Knowles, those visits to the Wash-a-Way were idyllic times.
“She said they used to go to the beach and go fishing and have fish fries all the time,” Knowles said.
Florence told Knowles that when she was a child she and her friends used to hang out at the Butler family’s Grayton General Store, known to locals as simply “The Store.” Now the home of Grayton’s well-known Red Bar, The Store was a popular hot spot for teens.
“She said they would go there to play pinball and pool,” Knowles added. “The Store had a juke box, so they would get together there and dance.”
Much has changed in Grayton Beach since the 1930s, when wild hogs still ran through the streets. In 1994, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a coastal ecologist also known as “Dr. Beach,” named the area America’s most beautiful beach. Around that same time, the world was discovering the still relatively unspoiled beaches in South Walton and planned communities such as Seaside and Rosemary Beach were gaining national attention.
While Grayton Beach has avoided the construction of large condominiums and other symbols of the new Emerald Coast, the Wash-A-Way is no longer the only place to stay. Large vacation rentals have popped along the town’s streets, and restaurants and art galleries are popular attractions.
In the midst of all of this growth and change, the Wash-A-Way — A Grayton Tradition is a popular vacation rental. Florence has modernized the interior, which features four bedrooms and three baths. According to its website (rivardnet.com), the Wash-A-Way may be rented this summer for $722.33 per night or $4,334 per week.
“Our guests really love it,” Knowles said. “Most enjoy the fact that is has such an interesting history. It’s like an added bonus.”
This coastal beach town has always marched to the beat of its own drummer.
Nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and South Walton County’s unique coastal dune lakes, Grayton Beach was an isolated area when Army Maj. Charles T. Gray first homesteaded there around 1885. According to the Visit South Walton website, back then the U.S. government owned most of the land, which was considered pretty useless for farming or other practical purposes.
But Gray, for whom the community would later be named, already knew what millions of visitors would eventually discover: the beaches on his particular stretch of coastline were some of the most beautiful in the world. A man ahead of his time, he built a large home on his property that would later become an inn.
Built around 1890 or so (no one seems to know for sure), the two-story, 2,200-square-foot wood-frame building was at the heart of the early Grayton Beach community. The inn, located at 10 Hotz Ave., went by several names during its early years, including the Grayton Hotel and the Grayton Grand. But the name that still sticks in most people’s minds is the Wash-a-Way.
“We think the name goes back to around 1926 when a hurricane washed away the building’s foundation,” said Justin Knowles, the operations manager for Rivard of South Walton, a vacation rentals company that manages the property. “It survived that storm and it would go on to survive all of the hurricanes since then.”
In fact, the Wash-a-Way — now known as “A Grayton Tradition” — is the only surviving structure from the town’s earliest days. Maybe that’s because Maj. Gray had the good sense to build it about 100 yards from the Gulf of Mexico rather than right on top of it.
“It’s not directly on the beach, but it has amazing views from its porches,” Knowles said. “There’s a hammock in the corner of one deck that has incredible views.”
The building’s colorful history isn’t limited to tourism, however. According to the website GraytonBeach.com, during World War II the Coast Guard used the building as a headquarters for a 40-man cavalry unit that patrolled the beaches on horseback.
During those days, there were reports of German submarines being spotted in the Gulf, and the Coast Guard unit was on alert for any sightings. According to the Visit South Walton website, visitors to “A Grayton Tradition” can still spot a memento left by one of the Coast Guardsmen, who printed his name inside a closet that he used as a photography dark room.
The home’s current owner, Donna Florence, told Knowles she remembers visiting her grandparents at the house back in the 1950s when the funky little town of Grayton Beach was still a relatively undiscovered beach community. While she isn’t sure of the exact date, she remembers that her grandparents purchased the home from a family known as the Wickershams.
According to Knowles, those visits to the Wash-a-Way were idyllic times.
“She said they used to go to the beach and go fishing and have fish fries all the time,” Knowles said.
Florence told Knowles that when she was a child she and her friends used to hang out at the Butler family’s Grayton General Store, known to locals as simply “The Store.” Now the home of Grayton’s well-known Red Bar, The Store was a popular hot spot for teens.
“She said they would go there to play pinball and pool,” Knowles added. “The Store had a juke box, so they would get together there and dance.”
Much has changed in Grayton Beach since the 1930s, when wild hogs still ran through the streets. In 1994, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a coastal ecologist also known as “Dr. Beach,” named the area America’s most beautiful beach. Around that same time, the world was discovering the still relatively unspoiled beaches in South Walton and planned communities such as Seaside and Rosemary Beach were gaining national attention.
While Grayton Beach has avoided the construction of large condominiums and other symbols of the new Emerald Coast, the Wash-A-Way is no longer the only place to stay. Large vacation rentals have popped along the town’s streets, and restaurants and art galleries are popular attractions.
In the midst of all of this growth and change, the Wash-A-Way — A Grayton Tradition is a popular vacation rental. Florence has modernized the interior, which features four bedrooms and three baths. According to its website (rivardnet.com), the Wash-A-Way may be rented this summer for $722.33 per night or $4,334 per week.
“Our guests really love it,” Knowles said. “Most enjoy the fact that is has such an interesting history. It’s like an added bonus.”