ROSEMARY THYMES | 8
Rosemary Beach 4th of July Celebration. photo by Jimmy Farr
From the POA
Welcome to Rosemary Beach!
It has been 25 years since the founding of Rosemary Beach in 1995. In this season’s issue of the Rosemary Thymes, we are continuing to look back and share memories and stories about the people, events, and decisions that helped form the essence of this special community, and that we plan to continue to enjoy and add to for many more years to come.
THE PIONEERS The early settlers of any community are often revered, and rightly so. These pioneers have long tended to be people who created, or at least could recognize, visions of the future that others could not. Back when the building site that would become the south side of Rosemary Beach was a relatively unremarkable stretch along an admittedly alluring coastline, there were of course the talented designers and developers who were confident their ideas would soon take form. But these ideas were different than many of those nearby – these visionaries did not want simply to build rows of identical condos in bland, beige horizontal or vertical
walls of synthetic stucco. Instead, they envisioned that the individual owners of homes and businesses would each add unique and different buildings, over time, and according to a flexible Master Plan that focused on the resulting civic spaces that would emerge as a stage for an outdoorfocused life. Variety in materials and colors was not only encouraged, but required. Architects had to consider not just the conditions of their client’s lot, but also of their project’s impact on the surrounding lots and public spaces. No doubt as a result, many of the structures in Rosemary Beach are beautiful works of architecture, worthy of admiration in their own right. Our Town Hall and Post Office, for two examples among many, are wonderful icons that anchor our Town Center, and that provide the backdrop for countless visitors’ vacation portraits. Of course, the real goal of the designers and developers was to create streetscapes, parks and wonderful pedestrian walks that encouraged people to enjoy moving about the town on foot or bicycle, or even just to sit on a porch or park bench to take in a vista or to have a conversation. They knew that this is what would generate lasting value and excitement. As the stories we have to share in this issue will attest, the making of new and life-long friends in the early days of Rosemary Beach was such a galvanizing experience that many people can remember exactly what was said and where they were standing when they said it! Others can recall the day clearly when they realized that they wanted to become part of the town. It is important to realize that not every community, especially one as relatively young as Rosemary Beach, has the character to inspire this sort of affection and even passion. We are right to treasure this place, and to make the ongoing commitment to honor our town’s plan and architectural regulations, in order to preserve the delightful character of our wonderful streets and parks and to honor the hard work and dedication of those that came before us.
