For nearly 50 years, the La Font Inn was an institution on Highway 90 in Pascagoula where people were married, held wedding receptions, bridal parties, anniversary dinners and where prom kings and queens were crowned. It was the first job for many young men and women and was a venue where campaigns were put in motion and celebrated.
Along with it being a family vacation destination and resort, it was also known for its extravagant holiday buffets and for its large outdoor pool where guests soaked up the Gulf Coast sun. But, in 2010 when the last meal was served and the final drinks were poured at The Red Lion Cocktail Lounge, it was the end of a half-century of hospitality and modern style relaxation.
The Inn was founded by Douglass “Doug” Latimer Fontaine, a third-generation hotel owner and former Holiday Inn developer. He had previously operated an Army-owned hotel in Germany and built a Holiday Inn in Pascagoula in 1957. His vision of the economic potential of Jackson County led to the construction of La Font Inn where Fontaine served as general manager for 36 years.
Jo Anne Colotta Fontaine married into the family in 1985 as the bride of the late Douglass Fontaine II. She recalls a rushed ceremony and reception due to an impending landfalling Hurricane Elena. She has fond memories of the resort where the family celebrated birthday parties, large family gatherings and so much more along with a few special items.
“A few of these items that I have from LaFont include dinner plates from the formal dining room, a copy of one of the original LaFont menus, the office telephone from my father-n-law’s desk and numerous photos of the early days at The LaFont Inn,” she said.
Today, some of the framed art from the LaFont glory days hangs in the Hilton Garden Inn that now encompasses the Highway 90 spot where the former resort operated. It also celebrates the past with an the LaFont banquet rooms.
The resort business was not foreign to the Fontaine family. For three quarters of a century, the family and two others owned and operated Allison’s Wells Resort in Way, Mississippi. It was an art colony and spa known for its food, hospitality and soothing sulfur waters.
“Guests would visit just to soak in that water in a time when disease was prevalent,” Ms. Fontaine said, displaying some of those water jugs that are nearly 150 years old.
The Wells Resort burned in 1963, and the Fontaine family moved south to the Gulf Coast along with some of the most memorable pieces from the Wells Resort. The former resort property is the current day Camp Bratten Green and the Gray Center.
“In January of 1963 when Allison’s burned to the ground after an employee tried to thaw the ice-covered pipes, Doug Fontaine Sr was already in Pascagoula working at the Holiday Inn,” she said. “They opened La Font in June of that year.”
Frequent guests may remember the fountain at La Font that was made from a sugar kettle. It was used outside the restaurant near the pool and later moved to the front of the resort. It was moved to the Fontaine family home after the closing of the resort, and now it is flowing with life again at the home of Joanne Fontaine.
“My son acquired the kettle and was going to move it to his new home in Meridian where he was to be employed by Lockheed Martin.” Ms. Fontaine said. “After my son’s passing, I decided to make the fountain part of my home landscape.”
Ms. Fontaine said fountain serves as a beautiful reminder and addition to her Moss Point lawn while offering a glimpse into the past. But the historic fountain display is more than a historical resemblance of the La Font Inn. Ms. Fontaine was able to secure bricks from the once-vibrant International Paper Company in Moss Point. These brings create a circle around the kettle and blooming foliage. Ms. Fontaine plans to add tiles to the front of the fountain explaining the history of the sugar kettle and its journey from Allison’s Wells to Moss Point.
“Family is one of the greatest gifts we are given on this journey through life,” she said. “Our family history is the thread that connects us to those who came before us and help shape the generations that follow. Preserving that history and passing it down is a way of honoring where we came from and ensuring that the legacy of our family continues for generations to come.”
With the renewed life of this fountain, the fond memories of the La Font Inn is remembered for its blend of mid-century resort charm, community ties, and the leadership of Douglass Fontaine. Its story reflects the rise and fall of a key Gulf Coast hospitality institution.
