Vintage Postcards: Jungle Manor

The Jungle Manor was a boarding house for tourists that was built around 1919, five years before the Jungle Prada building went up across the street. It was located at the end of the Jungle trolley line on the east side of Park Street (at Elbow Lane). It overlooked the Jungle Pier and Boca Ciega Bay. The building is no longer standing ‒ the last newspaper reference I could find for Jungle Manor was in 1962. 

The 60-room Sunset Hotel (now the Crystal Bay Inn) was a little over a mile south on Park Street.

The Jungle Manor featured a restaurant and the Whip-Poor-Will tea room:

The postcard below was addressed to Mrs. Elmer F. Thayer, Farmington, New Hampshire:

"Dear Annie, this fine property "for sale" out on one of trolley lines about twenty minutes ride from the city with Boca Ciega Bay in view. F says "just the place for you and Elmer's winter home." It is also close by the golf links ‒ a very fine suburb. Wish you could be here to enjoy the wonderful climate. It will be my first hot summer tho' for me, but we plan to go north a bit in about two weeks. Kind regards to the family. Sincerely, JHE. Feb 12, 1921."

Another postcard of Jungle Manor:

Written on the side: This is about 2 blocks from where I am. 

It sounds like the author of the second postcard (date unknown) might be staying at the Jungle Villa which burned down in 1919.

This (colorized) photo was taken at Park Street and Elbow Lane looking south. The entrance to the Jungle Manor can be seen on the left. The Jungle sign is near where the Jungle Prada Site historical marker was placed in 2021.

Here is another vintage postcard of a "Jungle Home."