THE OLD DUTCH RULES!

 New Yorker Frank Burghduff first came to Panama City in 1935 and fell in love with the place. The next year he returned and began construction of THE OLD DUTCH TAVERN. It took two years to build out of cypress logs and handmade shingles. 113 tons of stone were used in the construction of the fireplace. The OLD DUTCH operated every tourist season until 1976. Photographs of the interior and exterior of THE OLD DUTCH are desired for this research project. Burghduff advertised that over $10,000 dollars worth of curios were on display inside the tavern. From a 1942 ad,"Don't fail to bring your friends to see the $10,000 exhibit of curios from all over the world, free of charge." The western portion of Panama City Beach was so isolated that planes could land on the beach.
The Old Dutch was the original bar on Panama City Beach. Many musicians got their start in show business playing gigs at this tavern seven days and seven nights a week. Burghduff's wife Etta died in Dothan in September of 1939. By 1942, there was a new Mrs. Burghduff. Burghduff was accused of being a Nazi spy during World War II. This may have been a ploy to force government confiscation of his valuable property. By the early Fifties, Birmingham's C.F. "Cliff" Stiles owned the Old Dutch. He built an adjoining motel and eventually owned many other properties in the Panama City area including two Holiday Inns, the Dixie-Sherman Hotel and various cottages. Stiles routinely hosted conventions of the Alabama Hotel Owners Association in Panama City.
In 1963, Stiles announced that he was building the first Holiday Inn on the beach on property just west of THE OLD DUTCH. When the Holiday Inn opened for the 1964 tourist season, it was advertised as the tallest building on the Gulf of Mexico (four stories and 100 rooms). PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL ELROD~ This single un-air conditioned room was the free accommodations Stiles provided for bands that included five or more members. In 1970, rooms at THE OLD DUTCH ranged from $6 to $15 a night but this was far too expensive for musicians.
Cliff Stiles died in Las Vegas in June of 1975 and in September of the same year, Hurricane Eloise hit Panama City. This spelled the end of the 40 year run of THE OLD DUTCH.