Pineapple Manor

Built in 1905 or 1910 depending upon whose records you chose to believe, Pineapple Manor was one of the first homes to be built on Ocean Avenue, during the early years of Melbourne Beach.  The home began as a single family residence, and was enlarged and remodeled over time, becoming a Four Unit Apartment Building in the 1970’s.  The building went through a major renovation in the 1990’s and was purchased by Mark and Kathy Emerson in 2004, with the intent of providing the traveling public with a refreshing alternative to crowded, noisy hotels.  After furnishing and decorating the apartments in a casual, relaxed, beachside theme, and converting the use to Vacation Rental Apartments, we believe we have done exactly that.

 

Where did we get our name?

 

After we purchased the building, we needed to give it a name.  We wanted that name to reflect a bit of the building itself, along with its ties to the local area, and the hospitality business we were about to enter.  This stately old home has been here since shortly after the Town of Melbourne Beach began.  While it may have begun as a modest home, it has slowly evolved and grown into its current unique form, in a style reminiscent of a Manor.

 

The Pineapple, and the early years of Melbourne Beach

 

The first settlers of the barrier island  came here to grow Pineapple, and in 1883 they began to arrive in Melbourne Beach. They cleared the land of thick stands of Palmetto, built homes, and planted small plots to huge plantations of Pineapple, ranging from Cape Canaveral to Vero Beach.

 

The Pineapple as a Symbol of Hospitality

 

The pineapple has been the universally recognized symbol  symbol of hospitality since the days of the early American colonies. The tradition began with the sea captains of New England, who sailed among the Caribbean Islands and returned to the colonies bearing their cargo of  spices, rum, and tropical fruit. The most exotic fruit was the Pineapple.  Upon his return the captain would hang a pineapple over his door, or spear a pineapple on a fence post outside his home to let his friends know of his safe return from sea.   The pineapple was an invitation for them to visit, share his food and drink, and listen to tales of his voyage.

 

 As the tradition grew, colonial innkeepers added the pineapple to their signs and advertisements.  Bedposts carved in the shape of a pineapple were a common sight at inns across New England. The tradition has continued to the present, and frequently one sees the pineapple symbol in hotels and restaurants to signal the presence of hospitality.