Island Hotel & Restaurant

The structure that is now the Island Hotel was built sometime between 1859 and 1860. Records indicate that Major John Parsons bought the property in 1859. It is likely that construction was finished the following year.

The Florida pioneers who settled Cedar Key made the building to last. They mixed oyster shell, limestone and sand to pour tabby walls 10 inches thick. Massive 12-inch oak beams were framed in the basement to support the wooden structure.

Their workmanship has withstood the ravages of time for more than 140 years. The building has survived innumerable hurricanes, floods, storms and other disasters. The floors are uneven. The building contracts and expands with the seasons and has all the “aches and pains” of an elderly lady.