This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.


A CASTLE ON A HILL
The lavish furnishings of Pine Hills' magnificent lounge appealed to every eye. The top-quality furniture, floral arrangements, and sparkling brass light fixtures were often the main topic of conversation for guests and visitors. The visual appeal of the lounge, sun parlors, and Mediterranean-style terraces went a long way toward developing the hotel's positive image in the region.
between Pensacola and Corpus Christi, Texas." Apparently the old name for this site was "Shelly," so-named for a large mound of clam shells which tradition says were deposited there by Indians in ancient
times. Located on the north shore of the Bay of St. Louis,, between the mouths of the Wolf and Jourdan rivers, this scenic overlook had been cleared of all underbrush by 1926, and the newly established St. Augustine
lawn was handsomely manicured all the way to the beach.
During the Christmas holidays that year, Pine Hills formally opened to a receptive and impressed public. By January, tourists from all over the nation filled each of the 186 "artistically furnished" rooms. Advertised as being designed for "comfortable living," it surely must have been so, as all the furnishings— some $200,000 worth—were purchased from the prestigious Albert Pick and Company of New York. The majority of the tourists, were from New Orleans and smaller cities and towns to the west. With no bridge to span the bay, all automobile traffic driving east across the newly completed Lake Pontchartrain Bridge was routed along the "Old Spanish Trail," U.S. Highway 90, to the city of Bay St. Louis, then north around the top of the bay to the towns of Kiln and DeLisle. From there, the road turned south to Pass Christian, where it continued due east again. This famous highway, which actually
30 MAY/JUNE 2003


Pine Hills Document (045)
© 2008 - 2024
Hancock County Historical Society
All rights reserved