Studio portrait, 1960
Item
Title
Studio portrait, 1960
Subject
Description
Possibly a studio portrait of Edward Gordon Brewer (1891-1981). According to a Historical Vignette article by Alice and Greg Luckhardt published in TC Palm (11 May 2017): Gordon Brewer built a winter home in the area of Eden and in the late 1920s, he bought up a large piece of river to ocean land on Hutchinson Island from the Jensen bathing beach to the northern boundary with St. Lucie County. Brewer partnered with George Wien (a friend of his from New Jersey) to build the Kensington Club, named for the area of London where Brewer was born. The Kensington Beach Club opened in February 1930 to great success as it offered the only restaurant in the area. The Kensington Beach Club later became the Sandpiper Snack Shop.
In 1941, Brewer leased some of his land to the U. S. Coast Guard to build lodging for those enlisted to secure the coastline. Brewer also served as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. After the war, Brewer converted the Coast Guard building into a resort, called the Island Inn (renamed Sand Club Inn). Brewer sold the Sandpiper Snack Shop and Sand Club Inn to Eric Anderson and Edward Berg in 1956. Brewer also gave Martin County the right-of-way to construct a road on his property to the St. Lucie County line.
After Gordon's death in 1981, his brother Allen F. Brewer sold some of the property to the county as part of the "Save Our Beaches" campaign. Allen's son and Edward Gordon's nephew, Arthur Gordon Brewer, inherited the remaining property in 1986 after his father’s passing. The land was eventually sold off to Keyes Realty for an office building by 1997.
In 1941, Brewer leased some of his land to the U. S. Coast Guard to build lodging for those enlisted to secure the coastline. Brewer also served as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. After the war, Brewer converted the Coast Guard building into a resort, called the Island Inn (renamed Sand Club Inn). Brewer sold the Sandpiper Snack Shop and Sand Club Inn to Eric Anderson and Edward Berg in 1956. Brewer also gave Martin County the right-of-way to construct a road on his property to the St. Lucie County line.
After Gordon's death in 1981, his brother Allen F. Brewer sold some of the property to the county as part of the "Save Our Beaches" campaign. Allen's son and Edward Gordon's nephew, Arthur Gordon Brewer, inherited the remaining property in 1986 after his father’s passing. The land was eventually sold off to Keyes Realty for an office building by 1997.
Source
Scan gift of Sandra Thurlow.
Contributor
Rights
In Copyright - Rights-holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable The Martin County Library System believes this Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For more information, visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/
Format
Black and white negative; 4x5 inches
Language
English
Type
Still Image
Identifier
Thurlow-2025-030-gas-148
2025.030
Coverage
Original Format
Negatives
Collection
Citation
“Studio portrait, 1960,” Martin Digital History, accessed October 5, 2026, https://www.martindigitalhistory.org/items/show/16068.