Once a widely heralded destination, the Cottage by the Sea Tavern, located here, was part of a resort hotel complex built by Charles Boster in 1872. A sea captain and native of Germany, Boster served in the U.S. Navy during the Mexican War. Boster's Greek Revival hotel and tavern had spacious columned galleries overlooking the Mississippi Sound and was noted for its lavish furnishings, fine dining, and selection of spirits. The Cottage by the Sea was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.