Moody House

City/Town: • Flagler Beach

Location Class: • Residential

Built: • N/A | Abandoned: • N/A

Status: • Abandoned

Photojournalist: • David Bulit

Table of Contents

History of the Moody House in Bunnell, Fla.

George Moody, Co-Founder of Bunnell

The Moody House, located in Bunnell, Florida, is named not for its owner but after one of the town’s founders, who built it. It was one of the first houses in Bunnell. George Moody came to Florida from Baxley, Georgia, in 1904 to join his brother Issac I. Moody Jr. in the turpentine business. He resided in Indian Springs in Volusia County before moving to Flagler County, where his brother established the Bunnell Development Company, along with two other businessmen.

In 1913, he applied to homestead 169 acres of land with one mile of ocean frontage extended out towards the marshlands in what would become known as Ocean City, the precursor to Flagler Beach. Moody was responsible for the first homes in that city and for the construction of the Ocean Beach Casino in 1916.

His brother Issac died in December 1918 while serving as Flagler County’s first state representative. Following his death, his long-time business partner, Major James Frank Lambert, was elected president of the Bunnell Development Company in January 1919, and George Moody was elected secretary and treasurer. That same month, George was elected vice president of the Bunnell State Bank, president of the Alma, Georgia State Bank, and president of the Baxley, Georgia State Bank.

moody george — George Moody, center in the white shirt, relaxes on a porch along with other businessmen in Bunnel, c. mid-1910s. *Courtesy of the Flagler County Historical Society*

George Moody was named president of the Ocean City Improvement Company in 1921. According to the Flagler County Historical Society, the company’s charter called for it to “develop Ocean City Beach by building streets and sidewalks, cottage and other dwellings (and) hotel; to install light and water plants, construct parks, causeways, lakes and other things for the beautification of one of the finest townsites along the east coast of Florida.”

When Ocean City became Flagler Beach in 1925, Moody was elected mayor with Charles Parker, Harry Wallace Sessions, Robert W. Raulerson, Dewey D. Moody, and Luther O. Upson serving as councilmen. That same year, the Flagler Beach Hotel had its grand opening on the Fourth of July. The Flagler City development, a planned community north of Bunnell, also aimed to capitalize on the boom, though it ultimately failed due to the bust of the land boom.

He was also a member of the first Flagler County Commission, having been appointed to the post in 1917 by Governor Sidney J. Catts, and held that office until 1921. He would serve four additional terms on the County Commission until 1943. He was active as chairman of the East Florida Mosquito Control District and as chairman of the Flagler County Democratic Executive Committee at the time of his death. Moody died on Oct. 23, 1967, and is buried in Espanola Cemetery in Espanola, Florida.