Rest Awhile is the name given to a 2-acre parcel of land on the Mandeville Lakefront that previously served as a hotel in the 1880s and then donated to the International Order of the King’s Daughters and Sons (IOKDS) where it was used as a retreat.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged Rest Awhile, leaving it to decay. It remained a ghostly structure on the city’s picturesque lakefront for nearly a decade. When Barrett McGuire purchased the property in 2014, the only structures remaining on the property were the Frapart Hotel (1880s), the Sophie Wright Cottage (1916) and the Hadden Cottage (1850s). Previous cottages on the property had either been moved offsite or demolished, damaging the historic integrity of the site.
Upon purchasing Rest Awhile, Barrett moved into the Adaptive Reuse stage to determine viable options to retain the historic fabric of the site and put the property back into commerce. Initial thoughts of creating a retirement village were soon disbanded and he moved forward with a restaurant and bar concept. After almost one year of public hearings, Barrett received the required permits to move forward with their concept.
Prior to restoring the existing buildings an engineering plan was developed to ensure the buildings would withstand future hurricanes and flooding. The Frapart Hotel was raised 2 feet, the Sophie Cottage was raised 4 feet to meet the Frapart Hotel height, the Hadden Cottage was moved from the rear of the site and raised to match the height of the Frapart Hotel and Sophie Cottage. A steel cradle was built underneath each building and subsurface concrete footings and pilings were put in place to ensure structural integrity. A new cottage was constructed to serve as restrooms and a new kitchen addition was constructed behind the Frapart Hotel. An elevated concrete deck connects all the buildings together.
The next phase of the project focused on restoration of the three historic buildings. Barrett practices the “Do only what is required.. maintain the historic integrity of the original building” in his restoration philosophy.
As renovation and construction was nearing completion, Barrett formed a partnership with Pat Gallagher. After seven years of painstaking restoration and construction, Pats Rest Awhile opened its doors in late 2020. It was said, “Just as Rest Awhile is an iconic historic property, Pat is an icon in the restaurant industry. The marriage of the property and the proprietor will surely make for a great place to eat, drink and relax.”
Frapart Hotel (1880s)
The Frapart Hotel, built in the 1880s, still retained much of its original construction. The hotel originally had five guestrooms facing the front and five guestrooms facing the rear. A wraparound porch provided access to each individual room as there were no interior common spaces. Transforming this space into an open dining area for the restaurant while still displaying the original interior layout was a challenge. Barrett choose a silhouette approach which outlined the original hotel rooms on both the ceilings and the floors, which provided a visually correct example of the layout while providing the needed functionality of a restaurant dining room. All the original hardware, woodwork and floors were painstakingly restored or refurbished. The subtle lighting design compliments the simple, but elegant, construction of the building. The walls are adorned with dozens of enlarged post cards of Mandeville scenes and buildings from the early 1900s, including several of Rest Awhile. Hanging on the wall is the last known wooden sled from the multi-story Shoot-to-Shoot water slide that was previously located in the lake. As one patron stated, “You have turned a dilapidated building into a restaurant and then into a great local museum.”
Sophie Wright Cottage (1916)
The Sophie Cottage was primarily used to house IOKDS guests while on retreat. The original building had four bedrooms, a bathroom area and eight-foot ceiling heights throughout. Constructed of simple materials and designed to capture lake breezes, the structure was devastated during Hurricane Katrina. After raising the structure 4 feet, a full interior and exterior renovation commenced. The exterior retains the exact proportions and material, with a roof dormer reconstructed to match the design found in a 1920s postcard of the building. The interior renovation focused on adapting the existing layout to provide a functional neighborhood tavern. Original walls, made of beadboard, remain with previous door spaces enlarged to provide a more open feel. The original eight-foot ceiling was raised to the roof peak, approximately 25 feet to enhance the open feel of the building. The original ceiling remains around the interior of the building as well as the center hall, which retains the perspective of the original ceiling height. The subtle lighting design compliments the simple, but elegant, construction of the building. The walls are adorned with Mandeville Seafood festival posters, graciously donated by long-time resident Bill Dobson.
Hadden Cottage (1850s)
The Hadden Cottage started life as a vacation rental and was then used to house IOKDS guests while on retreat. The original structure was only slightly elevated above grade, so it was completely devastated during Hurricane Katrina. As part of the master plan, the cottage was moved to the center of the property, between the Frapart Hotel and Sophie Cottage and elevated to meet their height. Barrett and his two boys scoured the property and neighboring woods, finding original shutters and wood flooring that was lost to Hurricane Katrina. The exterior and interior of the cottage was carefully restored to its original form, salvaging doors, windows, shutters, and flooring. Walter Anderson prints hang on the wall and guests are treated to a private dining experience.
