Chimneys
Chimneys
The Queen Anne-style house located at 1640 East Beach Boulevard was built in the early 1900’s by lumberman T.G.B. Keller, using a variety of local timbers.
James McLauren purchased the property from the United States Government in 1830, and the land was event deeded to Margaret Soria, at which point the lot and surrounding neighborhoods became known as Soria City. From 1910 to 1952, several prominent Coast families including the Pooles, Bastons and Fowlers lived in this two-story beachfront house. The Edward Sternberg Family owned the home for over forty-five years, until 1999 when it was purchased by Peter and Dix Nord.
The Nords took special care to retain the architectural features of the original home and following a year-long renovation, they opened The Chimney’s, one of the Coast’s most beautiful and best-loved restaurants. Under a canopy of stately oaks, the elegant Coastal home offered a unique venue for fine dining, weddings, receptions, lawn parties and other special occasions.
Hurricane Katrina destroyed the century-old structure and its gardens on August 29, 2005, leaving only the magnificent oak trees to memorialize its brilliant history.