HOMES OF THE TREASURE COAST
The front entrance of the Lost River home is surrounded by natural, lush, mature Florida plants.
Western St. Lucie homestead provides great
place to raise children and flocks of fowl
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Suzanne Varn’s four children led a charmed life
growing up at the end of the St. Lucie River surrounded
by water and wildlife.
“We were like the Swiss Family Robinson,” says
son David. “It was always an adventure. It was a really
great time and we could explore the forest on our own
little island. We loved having fish fries and cookouts on
the deck.”
Built in 1978, the rustic Old Florida home known as
Lost River sits on 8 acres just west of the spillway that
marks the end of 10 Mile Creek waterway for boaters.
A rickety wooden bridge spans the creek west of I-95 in
Fort Pierce.
ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO
“It was what we wanted it to be, a wonderful place to
raise kids,” says Susanne Varn, who drew up the plans
for the house on a piece of graph paper. “We never took
it for granted. The kids could go barefoot, paddle up
the river in canoes with the dog paddling behind them,
camp out in tents, catch minnows or shoot a raccoon that
attacked one of their dad’s ducks.”
Varn says her three sons loved to build fires, often
burning yard waste and Brazilian pepper trees. One day
she heard some loud explosions and saw smoke. The
boys had started the fire and it caught some bamboo
stalks on fire, causing the loud blasts. It was the one and >>