ENGLEWOOD Preview

Start your tour at the parking lot for the Buchan Airport Park 1390-1398 Old Englewood Rd, Englewood, FL 34223

Welcome to Englewood, the most southern community in Sarasota County!

You should be in the parking lot for the Buchan Airport Park, 1390 Old Englewood Rd. My name is Don Bayley. My hope is you will say to yourself, “Gee, I didn’t know that!” several times during this tour. And I hope you will gain a great appreciation of the rich history of Englewood and the Lemon Bay area.

This tour is sponsored by the Englewood Museum and the Lemon Bay Historical Society. It is produced by the Sarasota County Centennial Committee, celebrating 100 years in 2021!

A few pointers: Make sure you don’t go over the speed limit, so the app doesn’t miss a stop. The app uses your location to play sound automatically at the right time and place. Don’t worry if I am silent for a while. I will catch up with you at the next stop. If you ever feel lost, there is a map on your screen. And you can always pause the tour at any time and come back to where you left off.

OK, let’s get started! Our first stop is right here…

Next to the parking lot you will see four 10-sided buildings. They are energy-efficient and hurricane-proof and are called Deltec buildings. They have been compared to spaceships, Chinese hats and oversize pies.

The 10-sided, decagon structures once served as real estate offices at Englewood Beach.

In the middle of the night in June, 2009, the buildings were picked up and moved from Beach Road to here with a police escort and a person standing on top of the buildings to lift up the wires along the way.

The area was improved with decking, rest rooms, a walking path, a new playground and a cistern system to catch rain water for use at a new Community Garden which you can see behind the fence just past the buildings.

Our next stop is very close by. To get there

Turn right out of the parking lot and head south on Old Englewood Road. Take the very next right. It is a dirt road and just past a green historic marker,

On the R there is the remains of marker that was blown down by Hurricane Ian. If you look closely you'll see just the post remains. Turn R on the dirt road and pull over by the blue Welcome sign. and stop along the road. There are photos to view in your app.

From Movie Stars to Mosquitoes

Turn right out of the parking lot and head south on Old Englewood Road. You will pass a green historic marker. Take the next right onto the gravel airport entrance and park along the road. If you want to view the marker you will need to walk over to it.

BUCHAN AIRPORT

Just before you made the right turn, there is a green historical marker. One side of the marker is about Tamiami Trail (we’ll talk about that shortly). The other side is about where we are right now: Buchan Airport.

From Movie Stars to Mosquitoes

During the heyday of land speculation in the 1920s, a development of 98 acres was planned here. Designed as a Mecca for vacationing stars and the wealthy, it was to be called Hygeia. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford planned to build their 30-room home here. (while listening, feel free to drive slowly along the dirt road to see more of the airport. There is a turnaround at the end.)

When the Great Florida Land Boom suddenly ended, Hygeia was all but forgotten; the land sat unused for many years. But in 1949 a new development came to the area due to a very influential player in Florida’s history: the mosquito.

Once the link between malaria and the mosquito was discovered Sarasota County Commissioner Peter E. Buchan helped the County acquire the land here in 1949 for just $100 to build an airport to facilitate aerial spraying. Later the County Commissioners named the airport to honor Mr. Buchan.

In the 1960s, homes with hangers were built along the only remaining street from Hygeia, Osceola Road.

The name Pete Buchan will come up again in our tour when we get to the center of Englewood.

Go back to Old Englewood Road and turn right and I will talk to you along what used to be the Tamiami Trail .

From Tampa to Miami

In the 1920s the opening of “The Tamiami Trail” was announced. It was a new highway connecting Tampa to Miami (thus the name “Ta-Miami”). It was to pass through Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, Ft Myers, Naples and the Everglades and on to Miami.

State officials pledged that the new road will never, ever, bypass Englewood.

As a result, the route through Englewood to be renamed “Tamiami Boulevard.” Three locations along the way would be marked with twin stone pillars inscribed with features and attractions to be found in the new Englewood City!

Little Englewood became a city, they actually elected a mayor. There were plans to build a city hall, a National Memorial University and a luxurious country club & casino.

A realtor bought a 21-passenger Studebaker bus, named it “Miss Englewood.” As the passengers got off the bus in downtown Englewood, they were greeted by a band of musicians and a horde of unscrupulous real estate salesmen.

In 1929 it all came to a crashing halt. Roaring and rampant speculation and the Stock Market crash brought an end to it all. And to make matters worse, the city’s new bank folded when a cashier absconded with all the funds.

And another blow, also to Englewood, politicians moved the Tamiami Trail away from Englewood. It was redirected to go from Venice east.

Englewood was unable to pay for needed services like police and fire. The only way out was to become unincorporated just like we are today.

Don’t miss the right turn onto Yale Street it’s just past Harvard. Street signs are on the left. Turn right on Yale.

Travel Direction

Turn right onto Yale St., Don’t miss seeing the street signs, they are on the left .

Turn right onto Yale St.,

On Yale St. proceed slowly and pull over and stop just past Pineapple St.

Yale Street dead ends on Lemon Bay but turning around at the dead end is tricky. After the narrative you will be turning right on Oak St.

Where Englewood Began

It’s hard to believe, but the original center of Englewood was right near the end of this road. There was a store, post office, real estate office and a few other buildings.

Take a look at the photos included on the Yale Street page.

In one photo are members of the Lampp family (spelled LAMPP) a family very influential in the development of Englewood. You’ll hear more about them soon. In the other photo you can see more of the buildings. This was taken in 1923.

The little town here was built by the Nichols brothers from Illinois who saw an exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair extolling the beauties and benefits of living in Southwest Florida. A brochure read:

“Here is a land where lemons will thrive, where the bays teem with fish in countless millions, where the climate is second to none, and where game is more plentiful than anywhere on earth.”

The three brothers were hooked. They bought over a thousand acres on Lemon Bay

Their game plan was to sell residential acreage, on which to build homes, but the buyer had to agree to also buy another 10 acres of grove land on which to grow lemons. Everyone was to make money, the Nichols brothers on their real estate sales and the buyers on the lemons they would produce.

Why lemons?

Vitamin C was a hot commodity then, the only known cure for scurvy. Everyone agreed it is a grand scheme except Mother Nature.

During the winter of 1895 a severe frost killed all the citrus groves. Every last tree was killed. The Nichols brothers suffered large financial losses.

But the brothers didn’t give up. They changed their marketing plan. No mention of lemons was made; instead they listed the pleasures to be found here: “Tarpon fishing, surf bathing, quail shooting, duck hunting, etc.

And so it was that in 1897 the Nichols brothers opened a combination post office and general store called the Lemon Bay Trading Company right here on Yale Street!

Proceed now down Oak St, turn right on Harvard go back to Old Englewood Road and turn right.

Turn Right on Harvard . Proceed down Harvard and make a right on Old Englewood Road

Turn right on old Englewood Road, go 3 blocks then turn right on Perry St. Don’t miss seeing the street signs, they are on the left .

Travel Direction

Turn right onto Perry Street. Stop at #604. Be mindful of the swale (the large ditch along the side of the road to control flooding) pull into the driveway.

#604 W. Perry Street

Remember the Lampp family in the photo of Yale Street?

The first Lampp to arrive in Englewood was Sarah in 1896. Shortly, she was joined by her 4 sons: All four sons would go on to be significant contributors to the growth and development of Englewood.

One brother was a captain of a schooner. Boats were the only link to the outside world at the time since there were no roads.

Another sonwas one of the area’s earliest mail carriers. He delivered the mail by horseback.

Another Lampp brother had the first car in town (a Model T) and opened a hotel with the first electric lights in town.

The 4th brother, Pat, built the house you see here on Perry Street on 1928 for his family. It has 32 windows. The siding is local pine which has a natural resin which adds strength and life to the wood. The Lampps lived in this house from 1928 to 1995.

Today this house is listed on the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places and is home of the Englewood Museum.

At the end of this street the Nichols brothers built a beautiful 16-room upscale hotel complete with a 250-foot dock and a ballroom overlooking Lemon Bay.

Well, bad luck again hit the Nichols brothers: In 1909 their Englewood Inn burned to the ground.

From Perry make a left onto Harbor Lane, then left on Dearborn and pull into the parking lot.

Turn left into Veterans' Memorial Parking lot

From Perry make a left onto Harbor Lane, then left on Dearborn and pull into the Memorial parking lot.

This is Englewood's Veterans Memorial

The parking area has permeable pavers so rainwater goes right through and does not form puddles. There is a storm water retention vault underneath. The lighting is solar powered. There are bronze plaques for each branch of the military, benches and flag poles. The “Freedom Pavilion” features “a green roof” irrigated with a cistern and is in the form of a large star (see satellite photo).

We are on Lemon Bay…

which was named by an Englishman named John Cross. It was originally called "Mangrove Bay" but he was the one who originated the idea of growing lemons here and thus the name "Lemon Bay." John Cross founded Grove City. The Nichols brothers and Englewood were next and just to the north.

Cross bought the land from Hamilton Disston. You may know the Disston name if you have ever used a wood saw. After running his father’s renowned saw manufacturing company, Hamilton purchased four million acres of land from the State of Florida, at 25 cents per acre. The deal was he would drain the lands so they would become buildable. He received immediate attention nationwide and the Florida land boom began.

Our next stop, Buchan’s Landing, is very close by. Take a left out of the parking lot, at the stop sign turn right at the funeral home. Park at the end of the road.

At the Stop sign, Turn right

Remember the Lemon Bay Trading Company that was located on Yale Street?

In 1912 Pete Buchan, yes, the same Pete we learned about at the airport, was offered a deal to buy the Yale Street business and its entire inventory for $315. He would, however, have to pay the $10 per month rent.

Preferring to own rather than rent, Pete purchased land here at what later became known as “Buchan’s Landing.” In 1916 he and the Lampp brothers built the 2-story building you see here. The lower level was his new store and post office and the 2nd story, living quarters. He also built a 250-foot pier out into Lemon Bay. At the time, all supplies came into Englewood by boat, captained by the oldest Lampp brother “Hamp.”

The Funeral Home on the corner is where there used to be a gas station and general store run by Pete’s son-in-law J.D. “Jack” Tate.

More about Pete: Always active in the growing community, he served as a Trustee for the Englewood School District. And, as we mentioned, in 1921 he was appointed the first Sarasota County Commissioner from Englewood and was instrumental in constructing paved roads connecting Englewood with Sarasota. Peter E. Buchan died in 1968 at the age of 97.

Turn around and make a right on West Dearborn Street to #463: The Old Florida Outdoor Center, there is parking on Dearborn.

#463 W. Dearborn Street: Ziegler’s Hardware
[Proceed on West Dearborn Street to #463: The Old Florida Outdoor Center, there is parking on Dearborn]

[This is where state officials pledged that the new Tamiami Trail road would never bypass Englewood.]

Built by Floyd Ziegler in 1925, this was a pharmacy and grocery store. In 1928 the section to the right (west side) was added to accommodate a post office. Dr. Mary Green (who lived in a Sears Craftsman house on Green Street) became the Postmistress and her sister Euphemia opened a gift shop there. The best-selling items were sea shells made up to look like flowers.

When Ziegler died unexpectedly in 1934, the Ollie Tate family moved in upstairs and ran the store. Ollie worked for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department and got a new car every year. When Ollie died the store was taken over by Leo Kropp and it became more of a hardware store than a pharmacy. Mary Green continued to be the Postmistress, followed by Harry Green in 1943.

You may want to get out and walk around on Dearborn Street. The former old hardware store is now an interesting gift shop which has several Englewood history books on sale.

Use extra care backing out of the parking space if you parked on Dearborn. Proceed slowly on West Dearborn and take the next right onto Magnolia

Take the next right onto Magnolia, then take the 2nd right onto W. Fray.

Turn right onto Fray Street.

Turn left onto Winson. You will soon see a sign for Indian Mound Park on your right. Enter the park and proceed to the dirt parking lot at the end.

From Dearborn, Take the next right onto Magnolia, then take the 2nd right onto W. Fray, Turn left onto Winson. You will soon see a sign for Indian Mound Park on your right. Enter the park and proceed to the dirt parking lot at the end.

It all started with the sand from dredging the Intercoastal Waterway in the 1960s and placing it around a little island that was surrounded by muck and attaching it to what was then known as Paulson Point and connecting it all to the mainland.

Today it is almost 8 acres of park, with native plants and native beauty also with a picnic area with a shelter, boat ramp and sailboats with sailing lessons for all interested persons that love to sail on Lemon Bay.

Evidence of an early Indian village has been found here, An Indian midden was discovered that was 13 ft. high and 110 ft. in diameter. A burial pit below the mound was found to contain the bones of 300 persons, along with numerous conch shells and pottery that was buried with the dead. The mound has been dated by archeological experts to 1400 BC. Several pottery vessels were found to have holes punched in the bottom. It is said the Indians made the holes before burying the pottery with the dead to permit the spirit of the vessel to depart with that of the body’s.

The area was neglected until the 1970s when the Lemon Bay Garden Club cleaned debris and landscaped the area and convinced the county to create a park here. Sarasota County Parks and Recreationt supplied the picnic tables. A local civic club built the picnic shelter. The Garden Club also created nature trails featuring native plants and highlighting the beauty of this historic site.

Leave the Park going back out on Winson, pass Fray St and make the next right onto Green St.

Turn right onto Green Street.

Green Street, named for the Green family, is where the historic Green St Church was located. A few years ago, the owner of the land wanted to tear down the historic building to make room for a parking lot. The Lemon Bay Historical Society raised the funds to save it by moving it to a lot they owned. We are headed there now.

On Green St proceed about ¼ mile to S. McCall Road where you will be turning right.

At the stop sign, Turn right onto McCall

On McCall go about 4 tenths of a mile to Church Ave and turn left.

Turn left onto Church Ave.

On Church Ave take the 3rd right onto Alta Vista.

Turn right onto Alta Vista. In about 700ft., just past the cemetery on your left, turn left and park in the lot at the old church building.

Turn left just past cemetery, park in the lot at the old church building.

The Green Street Church Museum is located at 510 S. Indiana Ave., Englewood

Green Street Church

In 1928 on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Lampp. the very first church in Englewood was built on Green Street by volunteers and local ship builders.

In 1929 when the Florida Land Boom collapsed, Englewood was hard hit. The church struggled. Lottie Lampp (Stanley’s niece) held the small congregation together. She:

• cleaned the church
• provided flowers from her garden for services
• played the piano when needed
• sold flowers and baked goods to raise money to pay the minister

It is said that the minister played a cornet to announce to the fishermen in Lemon Bay that church services would soon be underway.

As the congregation grew over the years, the Methodists moved to a larger church and in 1979 the Green Street Church was sold. The Lemon Bay Historical Society became concerned that renovation work by the new owners might threaten the historical integrity of the building. After some negotiations, the building was given to the Historical Society but the land was not. It was leased.

In 2018 the land lease was not be renewed. The owner needed the space for parking. The Historical Society raised funds to move the iconic building from Green Street to a permanent home on land they owned here right next to the historic Lemon Bay Cemetery.

Historic Lemon Bay Cemetery

The cemetery is on the highest land area in Englewood. It is a unique natural habitat called a “Sand Pine Scrub.” Note the road we entered on is called Alta Vista (High View)

You may want to get out and explore the Lemon Bay Cemetery. See if you can find:

1. a grave in the shape of a boat
2. the grave of Emile Gauguin, son of the famous painter Paul Gauguin
3. Several Lampp headstones, including Lottie’s

The trees surrounding the church property are all sponsored by generous organizations and citizens of Englewood who contributed to saving the historic building. There are 2 historic markers in front of the church along Rt 776.

This completes your tour. You can retrace your route on Alta Vista, go left on Church, then right on McCall which will take you to Dearborn Street. You might want to enjoy some of the shops and restaurants there.

This tour was made possible by the sponsorship of the Englewood Museum and the Lemon Bay Historical Society. It was produced by the Sarasota County Centennial Committee, celebrating 100 years in 2021! Thank you for traveling along with me.