The Next Chapter of a Historical House
By Kevin Newhouse
New Years Eve is always an interesting day for me. While most people make resolutions and look forward to the upcoming year, I tend to focus on the year we are leaving behind. I can’t help it. I’m a historian. I’m inclined to focus more on the past than the present or future. However, every once in a while, what happens today can help keep yesterday’s history alive. This is exactly the case with Aptos’ newest restaurant, The Hideout.
Although the restaurant is brand new, its location (9051 Soquel Drive) has been a part of Aptos for almost 90 years. In 1927, Martin Jongeneel built his family a home on three acres of land. It was one of very few buildings along Soquel Drive in the 1920s. It had a circular driveway and a large basement. The home was called Beth-Mar. They had a rhododendron and azalea nursery on the property. There was a greenhouse and lath house to the east where the front office building stands today. To the west, there was an orchard and a fox farm where foxes were raised for furs.
Martin Jongeneel came to San Jose to prepare himself for a job with the California Fruit Canning Association. Martin’s wife, Elizabeth Van Kaathoven, was born in Leiden, Holland and came to America in 1889, with her mother and two brothers. One of the brothers, Kess (pronounced, “Case”) purchased the Aptos Cash Store (today’s Café Sparrow) and operated the business until his 90th birthday. Martin and Elizabeth were married in San Jose in 1895 and moved to Evergreen, where their two eldest children were born. Martin Jongeneel was a talented horticulturist who worked on the development of varieties of seeds suitable for canneries. They continued to move around before settling in Aptos in 1927.
Before his death in 1931, Martin had developed one of the most extensive rhododendron gardens in the county and his wife had gratified a long standing wish to have a house surrounded by trees and shrubs as in her native Holland. One pine tree, which they had planted when they first moved, now towers over the house.
In 1934, Elizabeth started a new career, giving piano lessons. She taught up to 20 lessons per week and even gave recitals at her home. She passed away in 1958 at the age of 83.
During WWII, Peter and Olaf Harken, along with their mother, stayed with Elizabeth Jongeneel in her Aptos home. The Harken family lived in Indonesia, which was invaded by the Japanese. They had escaped on an American freighter but their father stayed behind to destroy materials from his factory (either rubber or petroleum) in an effort to prevent the Japanese from using it. As a result, he became a prisoner of war. In 1967, the Harken brothers started Vanguard Sailboats and Harkens Yacht Equipment. They built medal winning Olympic Class boats and today remain the category leader in sailboat hardware. On August 1, 1996, Peter and Olaf Harken visited the Aptos History Museum to tell us their story. It was the first time they had been back to Aptos in 53 years! The town had changed so much that they weren’t even able to recognize the Jongeneel house in which they lived.
The Beth-Mar served as a home to the Jongeneel family for 31 years. Next, the building became a nursing home. It was sold to J.D. Jacobsen in 1965 and served as a church until 1969. It was then converted to commercial use. The most recent history of the building (the last 30 years or so) starts in 1983 when Jack and Renee Chyle opened Chez Renee, a restaurant featuring French cuisine. After 17 years of business, Chez Renee closed its doors in May 2000. It was then home to Southern Exposure, a catering business owned by Ann Confer. Just prior to The Hideout, the building was occupied by another French restaurant by the name of Ma Maison.
The Hideout is a dream come true for owners Pete Vomvolakis and Austin Welch. They have been friends for over 15 years and have been in the restaurant industry for most of their adult lives. Both are well known and respected members of the Aptos community. Pete and his wife Lisa have two daughters. Austin and his wife Rachel have two sons. Their goal is to make everyone who walks through the door at The Hideout to feel right at home. They believe in real food, quality drinks, and friendly service.
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For more information about The Hideout please visit: www.thehideoutaptos.com.
For more information about the Aptos History Museum, upcoming events, or becoming a member of the museum, please visit www.aptoshistory.org.