Cypress Lodge - Port Mayaca, Florida, USA - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

Cypress Lodge is a three-and-half-story, 7600 square foot, Neoclassical style residence located near the north central shore on the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee in the rural unincorporated community of Port Mayaca, Martin County,Florida.

There are some interesting and unique features about this structure. Built in 1935 as an inn for overnight quests traveling through the area, it remained a lodge until 1991 when it changed to a private residence.

It is a simple rectangular design constructed almost entirely of local cypress wood, explaining its name. The structure sits on pilings that rest on floating bundled cypress wood platforms embedded in the muck substrata that moves with the fluctuating water levels of Lake Okeechobee. The front part of the house sits on the Okeechobee Ridge, a natural landform that has been identified as the original shoreline of the lake. This results in the front part of the house being 11 feet higher than the land at the back of the house. This difference results in the ability to have a "basement" which is unheard of in this area of Florida. (see photo gallery rendering graphic)

The exterior walls of the house are clad with cypress wood. The low pitched, side gable roof has two ventilation dormers ands two hooded fireplace chimneys. The interiors include Date County pine floors, cypress wood wall paneling, Christian style (Cross and Bible) paneled doors, and 10 foot ceilings throughout. (Source NRHP application.)

The "Then Photo" is from a post card that was published in 1936. (From Florida Memory)

Year photo was taken: 1936

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/22/2019 BoomersOTR visited it