Guesthouse was in Brickwharf Rd

Next door to the recently demolished home of Adin Sonter, at Brickwharf Rd, Woy Woy, was for many years The White Sails guesthouse.

It was a two-storey weatherboard building, built in the Colonial period with fenced verandas around both storeys.

The building was built about 1900, was called Louisville, and it was built as a private boarding establishment.

There were many of these guesthouses on the Peninsula to cater for the tourist, particularly those who wished to stay overnight.

At that time, most of Woy Woy was owned by James Cox.

He built Roma and the Woy Woy Hotel, 1890 and 1897, respectively.

Both buildings are still with us.

There were three boarding houses at Blackwall and one at Booker Bay and demand was growing, so Louisville was built.

Albert and Clara Aggett were the first proprietors and operated it for over 30 years.

They bought the property for 561 pounds.

Louisville had panoramic views with nine upstairs bedrooms.

Separate bathrooms were provided for ladies and gentlemen, as were separate outdoor conveniences.

Louisville, later The White Sails, survived as a guesthouse until the 1980s.

Its last use was as a hostel.

Keith Whitfield, May 11