COURTHOUSE AREA Preview

THIS TOUR STARTS AT: Payne Park on corner of Adams Lane & East Ave (just south of County Parking Garage) at 2010 Adams Lane

We suggest tour be taken in the morning because of traffic and parking, especially during tourist season.

Be aware there is a Farmers Market on Lemon Ave between 7am & 2pm on Saturday.

To get the full benefit of this stop, we recommend you walk around the park.

Calvin and Martha Payne sold this 60 acre tract of land to the City of Sarasota for $18,000 in 1923. Terms of the sale required that it be developed as a public park. Space was available for a baseball diamond if a major league team would agree to hold Spring Training here. The New York Giants, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox took advantage of that offer and crowds watched great players, including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson, just to name a few. You can see a white wall that represents a baseball diamond and to pay tribute to the stadium that was previously on this property.

At one point it was the home of the Sarasota Mobile Home Park and brought tourists to this area. In early days they were known as “tin can tourists” and began arriving in their trailers. Legend has it the name “tin can tourists” may have come from trailers looking like tin cans, tourists eating from tin cans or because travelers put tin cans over their car radiator caps to identify themselves as club members. These travelers were always willing to lend a helping hand and they loved the open road and the sunny climate of Florida.

Today this is a beautiful park with walking trails, tennis courts, a circus playground, skate park and a small café, if you want to pick up a bite to eat. Take the time to walk around the park, read the marker and enjoy this green space in the middle of downtown Sarasota.

Looking past the tennis courts, to the left of the Judicial Building is the former Sarasota Terrace Hotel. We will see a better view of the building as we drive to the next stop. It will on your right when we are at the corner of Ringling and Washington Blvd. The Sarasota Terrace Hotel was built in 1928 and at that time it was the city’s leading tourist and commercial hotel. There was a private bath in each room and the daily rate was $3 to $5 for a single room and $8 for a double. From the Roof Garden you could enjoy a view of the bay and glorious sunsets, while dining by the music of the Sarasota Terrace Orchestra.

In later years, baseball teams stayed at the hotel while in town for spring training. Even though the hotel closed its doors in 1972, we can be thankful the County purchased this historic building and saved it from the wrecking ball. It is currently offices for the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections.

John Hamilton Gillespie, who has been referred to as the “Father of Sarasota” and was the first Mayor of Sarasota, arrived here as a young man in 1886. Gillespie was influential in building the Episcopal Church in Sarasota. In 1905, he laid out first 9 hole golf course in this area to attract visitors with an activity other than hunting, fishing, swimming and use of the skating rink built on Main Street in 1913. The clubhouse burned, but was rebuilt in 1917. In the 1920’s, the course had the reputation of being one of the finest in the state of Florida. It is ironic that he died on the golf course and was buried in the Rosemary Cemetery.

Directions Payne Park to Courthouse:

Leaving Payne Park go 2 blocks to Washington Blvd & turn Right. The 10-story Terrace Building will be on your right. Go 2 blocks to Main Street & turn Right.

The Courthouse will be on the right. Park to listen to the audio.

The Terrace Building will be on your right. Go 2 blocks to Main Street and turn Right.

The Courthouse will be on the right. Park to listen to the audio.

Directions Payne Park to Courthouse:

Leaving Payne Park go 2 blocks to Washington Blvd & turn Right. The 10-story Terrace Building will be on your right. Go 2 blocks to Main Street & turn Right.

The Courthouse will be on the right. Park to listen to the audio.

Sarasota County Courthouse (parking) 2000 Main Street, Charles Ringling, donated the land for the courthouse, as well as land for the Ringling Building and the Sarasota Terrace Hotel. Charles and Edith Ringling came to Sarasota in 1911 and erected the Charles Ringling Mansion in 1925 on forty acres, which is now part of New College of Florida.

In 1921, Sarasota County separated from Manatee County because of lack of good roads, inadequate representation and isolation by other sections of the county. Dwight Baum was chosen as the architect and the Courthouse was completed in 1927. The “H-shaped” structure consisted of the two story rectangular buildings that were connected to a central arcade. The judicial portion of the building was on the east side and contained a courtroom, a jail and accommodations for the jailer and the sheriff. The west section included space for the county commissioners, tax collector, clerk, farm/ kitchen demonstrations, public health and public instruction, which is now referred to as the School Board.

In recent years, the Courthouse has been restored to retain the beauty of the original building.

Judy Pearson Amuso was the granddaughter of Clem Pearson and daughter of Byrd Douglas Pearson who both served as Sheriffs of Sarasota County. Byrd had a love of ranching and jointly owned a cattle ranch with Ben Handler and Cecil Ivey. Judy's maternal grandfather was a jeweler and had a shop in downtown Sarasota.

Judy and her brother Doug grew up living in the Courthouse for approximately 17 years and have numerous memories during that time. Their apartment in the East Wing was renamed the Law and Order Café. Glen Austin, his wife and three daughters lived in the basement and Glenda Austin was Judy's best friend. Judy remembers the basement as “big, dark and scary”. Wooden voting booths were stored in the basement and this made an ideal place to play “hide and seek”.

The courthouse lawn was the children's football and baseball field. They rode their bikes in the rotunda on rainy days.

It was an adventure to climb the stairs in the tower. One day they climbed over the railing and sat on the ledge playing “jacks”. Dad would whistle to get their attention and they knew they had to report immediately. Upon scurrying down, Dad greeted them with a paddling, as they should have known not to be up there.

The children would attach a safety pin with a dough ball to a string and try to catch the goldfish in the courthouse pond, while the prisoners watched from their cells. Another fun activity was to walk on their stilts in the two foot deep water in the pond.

The courthouse also served as a hurricane shelter, which is amazing because the basement has been known to flood, even in the slightest rain.

What wonderful memories Judy has of growing up in early Sarasota County!

Directions Courthouse to Atlantic Coastline Railroad Station: go straight on Main St, 3/10 mile to end of street which runs into School Ave, historic marker will be in front on the left of Kane Plaza Office Building.

Directions Courthouse to Atlantic Coastline Railroad Station:

Go straight on Main St, 3/10 mile to end of street which runs into School Ave, historic marker will be in front on the left of Kane Plaza Office Building.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station: 1 School Ave, stop in the cul-de-sac,

Please get out and read the marker and look at the picture of the depot built in 1925. This was another charming historic building that has been demolished. The Mission-style white stucco building anchored the east end of Main Street. Tracks were placed to serve the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus winter quarters in 1927 and Payne Terminal on Sarasota Bay in 1928.

Directions Railroad Station to Chamber of Commerce: continue on cul-de-sac in front of Kane Plaza, exit on School, Left at traffic light on Fruitville .4 miles.....

Go Left at traffic light on Fruitville for 4/10 mile,

Go past two traffic lights at East Ave and Washington Blvd, stay in middle lane crossing Washington Blvd.

Just past Washington Blvd. and after Walgreens, take an immediate right and then the very next right into the Chamber parking lot.

Go around the building and park in front of mural, listen to audio,

Directions Railroad Station to Chamber of Commerce: continue on cul-de-sac in front of Kane Plaza, exit on School, L at traffic light on Fruitville .4 miles, Go past two traffic lights at East Ave and Washington Blvd, stay in middle lane crossing Washington Blvd.Just past Washington Blvd. and after Walgreens, take an immediate right and then the very next right into the Chamber parking lot. Go around the building and park in front of mural, listen to audio, drive around the building to see the mural on the other side.

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce (1945 Fruitville Rd)

CVS Wilson, editor of Sarasota’s first newspaper, the Sarasota Times, said it best in 1901, when he wrote, “What Sarasota needs more than anything is a progressive Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce.” In 1911, Owen Burns promoted development and was one of the founders of a Board of Trade, which was the foundation of Sarasota’s modern-day Chamber of Commerce. The Board of Trade was instrumental in establishing the first locally owned bank, advocating for the creation of an independent Sarasota County and bringing new industry and business to this area.

The early Chamber realized the need to attract visitors and new residents through specialized marketing and business development.

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce continues to focus on making Sarasota the best place to live and work, while addressing the needs of the community.

In 1903, there was a blacksmith shop on Main Street. The occupation of blacksmith was one of the most important and respected trades in the community.

Drive around the building to see the mural on the opposite side.

You will be on Gillespie St and will make an immediate Right turn on Fruitville Rd

You will be on Gillespie St and will make an immediate Right turn on Fruitville Rd

on Fruitville Rd,

Continue to fourth light, turn Left on Orange Ave,

Turn Left on Orange Ave,

Right on 1st St, Toale Brothers Funeral Home will be on the left

Turn Right into the 3rd City Hall parking lot, just before the SCAT bus depot (we have permission to stop in this lot).

Chamber to Railroad Depot (Main & Lemon): Exit Left on Gillespie with immediate Right on Fruitville Rd, continue to fourth light, turn Left on Orange Ave, turn Right on 1st St, Toale Brothers Funeral Home will be on the left, turn Right into third City Hall parking lot, just before SCAT bus depot (we have permission to stop in this lot). The Railroad station was to the left on Lemon Ave between 1st and Main St where Mattison’s City Grille is now located. Listen to audio.

(Listen after you are parked in lot next to SCAT Depot)

The Railroad station was to the left on Lemon Ave between 1st and Main St where Mattison’s City Grille is now located.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad Depot: (corner of Lemon and Main St)

This Depot was built as a result of the progress at the turn of the century. Trains brought passengers and manufactured goods and took back local products such as fish, citrus, lumber and vegetables to northern markets. Tracks were also built to Fruitville, Bee Ridge and Venice. The first trains were referred to as the “slow and wobbly”. An early passenger wrote of his experience on the train that the train only ran when the crew could get a paying load or a bribe of ten dollars cash. Along the way, the train had to stop to siphon water out of a pond, waited for men to chop wood for the engine and chase cows off the tracks before arriving at their destination.

Arthur and Clara Esthus arrived by train from Chicago in 1926 and soon realized the need for someone to handle the baggage. He bought a truck and established Esthus Transfer Service. In 1936 he was the co-owner of Sarasota Typewriter and Key shop and eventually owner of a bicycle shop. His son Pete, was known as a source of history until his death in 2012.

While we are parked here, we will talk about the Gator Club just across Main St from where the Railroad Depot was located, as well as the Kress Building. We will get a better view of both of them on the way to the next stop.

The Gator Club was one of the first brick buildings in an attempt to fireproof the business district because the earlier wooden buildings were frequent victims of fire. It was built as Worth’s grocery store on the ground floor and living quarters on the second floor. Over the years it had been a real estate office, cigar store, as well as, at the end of prohibition it became the Gator Bar & Grill. It is still a go to place in the downtown area and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Driving down the street on the left at 1442 Main St is the Kress Building. After the collapse of land prices and the national Depression this building is representative of the fourth phase of development in Sarasota. The architecture stood out like a magnificent temple extending a warm welcome to all. The store brought to the community a nationwide system of stores featuring merchandise in the lower price range. This building is still a prominent location with its massive interior including 20 foot tall ceilings. Another gem of the downtown area.

Directions Railroad Depot to Burns Court: Leaving the parking lot which is one way, exit Left onto 2nd St, immediate Left on Lemon short distance, go past stop sign.........

Turn right in 1 block on Main Street

Turn RIGHT on MAIN ST.

Pass the Kress Building on the left,

Go to Five Points roundabout,

Take fourth exit onto Pineapple,

On the right, First United Methodist Church was organized in 1891 and originally held services in a small school on Main St. In 1893, they purchased property in the “heart of the city” at Five Points for $40. In 1914, the impressive Greek Brick Temple style building and was erected at this location.

at next roundabout take 4th exit onto Ringling,

take 1st exit on roundabout at Ringling onto Orange Ave.

Go 2 blocks,

The Williams Parker Law Firm had been on the corner of Orange & Ringling, but recently moved back to the Plaza at 5 Points, which is the same location the firm was given birth by J. J. Williams back in 1925. In a sense they are coming back home after nearly 100 years in Sarasota.

Turn Right on Dolphin,

Park and Walk (or carefully drive) to Burns Court, the street between the orange and beige buildings (there is not a sign) ... It is a unique street with small quaint historic houses, Burns theater and shops.

Burns Court: Owen Burns, from Chicago, had purchased 75% of today’s city limits for the sum of $35,000 from John Hamilton Gillespie. He was an entrepreneur, banker, builder and land developer. He built the Ca d’Zan, which was the residence for John and Mable Ringling. In the 1920’s, the downtown began where he built the historic Burns Building forming a triangle where Orange and Pineapple Avenues diverge at what is referred to as “Little Five Points”. Burns also built the Herald (Sarasota newspaper) building that is now the “Exchange”. The historic Burns Court Square neighborhood is a quaint area with vintage shops, art galleries, theater and restaurants. This is a wonderful area to take a leisurely stroll & enjoy the area. Owen and Verona Burns, had five children and daughter, Lillian Burns Stieff, donated a large collection of historical material and artifacts related to her family to Sarasota County archives, so they could be preserved and kept open to the public.

This ends our tour and we would like to thank Kim Manning for research provided. This tour is sponsored by the Friends of the Sarasota County History Center. It was produced by the Sarasota County Centennial Committee.I hope you enjoyed this tour and will take advantage of our other free auto tours to learn more interesting facts about Sarasota County.
There is so much history in this area and if you would like to learn more of the local history, please consider taking tours with one of our Centennial partners, “Discover Sarasota Tours”. For more information go to discoversarasotatours.com website.