It was Fritz Ludington who made several flights between the Bahamas and Puerto Rico in the early 1960s, en route spotting a special little gem in the waters below. He later returned by sea to discover this lovely piece of paradise. On the island, there were only a handful of residents "livin' the simple life", soaking up the sun, and "doin' a little fishin'."
In 1966, Fritz struck a deal with the British government and Provident Ltd. was formed. In return for the right to purchase 4,000 acres across the island of Providenciales in the form of lease payments, the company had to complete a number of improvements. It had to build an airport, a dock on the island's south side and cut the first roads. Provident also had to begin the development of Sellers Pond, including the creation of an inlet due to being landlocked.
Construction of a ten-bedroom inn began when Fritz decided he wanted this location to be something special. He owned The Two Turtles Inn on Great Exuma in the Bahamas. He hoped that by calling this The Third Turtle Inn, people would make a connection with the name and drop in to check it out. Many have asked, "Where is The First Turtle Inn?" But none such exists. Fritz had named the original after the two Turtle brothers who often dropped in during regatta time.
In February of 1967, construction began under the direction of Ray Ward. The inn was built before many of the roads were completed and dependable electric power was available. Captain Tommy Coleman brought everything in aboard the boat-The Seven Dwarves. Things were unloaded on the nearby beach and packed over to the site. The first three buildings were erected along the bluff, each with three rooms. Two more buildings were added along the pond's edge between 1968 and 1969. These included the kitchen, a bar and dining room on the ground floor, with four guest rooms above.
The Third Turtle Inn welcomed its first guests even before completion. Walter and Lise Thompson were two of the honored few. They fell in love with the island so completely that they made it their home and ended up developing Thompson's Cove. By the early 1970's the inn was regularly overbooked. Extra guests used roll away beds while the Wards and other early residents received the overflow.
The inn first changed hands in 1976. With the death of Fritz Ludington, Dick Dupont took ownership as one of Provident Ltd.'s shareholders. He ran the hotel for several years. Sadly, The Third Turtle Inn closed its doors in 1989 after changing hands twice again due to the untimely death of the Prince of Oman-the last owner prior to present time.
The Third Turtle Inn saw its share of weddings, regattas, and community get togethers being the first hotel, bar and restaurant on Provo. Many enjoyed their time there. Included in these is the legendary baseball player Ted Williams, the author of "Jaws" Peter Benchley, and supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. But the memories have been locked away inside; the laughter that once rang across the pond was no longer heard.
Once again, history will come alive with the Inn's rebirth as a vital part The Third Turtle Club.
