WHO BURNED DOWN ELDORA BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT?

Published December 07 Florida Outdoor Adventures Magazine

In the year 1877 the indian wars in Florida had ended. Two families started a settlement near Turtle Mound, a state archeological historical indian site. It lays just South of New Smyrna Beach. The two families brought in building supplies by a paddle wheel ferry to the area called Oak Grove. They built two large two-story houses complete with widow's walks. They also built a boathouse for a 20-foot boat or more. The homestead was called Eldora after the two sisters, Ellen and Dora Pitzer. They were pictured in long black dresses and high button shoes in the family album that was mysteriously left behind.
Sometime prior to the late 1950's the old boathouse had been turned into a small restaurant. The plinki-tinki sounds of the old upright piano played by 'Curly' was fun to hear. Eldora lived again! Clientele came from all over Florida and South Georgia. Many prominent sportsmen, women and politicians flocked to the little restaurant. The restaurant served buckets of tasty oysters on the half shell. Positioned over the water, the patrons would toss the oyster shells out of the open windows into the river. Causal dining at it's best. Crab cake, shrimp, and oyster sanwiches were also served. Eating an drinking beer at El Dora was just plain fun.
In the late 1970's the boathouse restaurant burned down. The old family album was lost in the fire. Gone were the pictures of Ellen and Dora posing with their men-folk in front of one of the houses. Pictures of the women raking the neat, but barren dirt yard were also lost. Rebuilt of concrete, the restaurant was reborn, but was never the same. Later the original boathouse iron door latch was recovered from the Indian River waters and presented to Judge Lon cornelius (a longime patron) on a plaque which graces a wall in the Cornelius home. It is a reminder of past generations and the good times at El Dora.
In the late 1980's one of the houses was also destroyed by fire. The state has re-built the remaining house as an historical site. it is known as the State House at El Dora. Now you can restore the famous El Dora crab cake, like the ones served at the once famous Eldora boathouse restaurant.