BAYFRONT Preview

1260 12th St:, Sarasota, FL

This is the BAYFRONT Tour that starts at the Bidwell-Wood House & Crocker Church: 1260 12th St. Sarasota: (parking available)

Alfred Bidwell built the house in 1882 at the NE corner of Tamiami Trail and Wood St. (where McDonalds is now located). In 1896, the house was then occupied for the next 70 years by the Luke Wood family, for whom Wood Street was named. It was moved to this present location in the 1980s.

The Crocker Church was built on the corner of Bee Ridge and Tamiami Trail by Peter Crocker. In 1927 it was dismantled piece by piece and reassembled and used as the Bay Haven Baptist Church. It was again moved to Bradenton Rd, then to Florida Avenue. The Historical Society of Sarasota County, fearing demolition of this building, received approval from the City of Sarasota to move it to its present location here at 12th St.

Daughters of the American Revolution (white building next to grave yard): William H and Mary Janet Wyatt Whitaker were the first permanent settlers in this area. When members of pioneer families died, it was the custom to bury them near their home and the Whitaker Cemetery is one of those cemeteries. Three lots were deeded to the Sara DeSoto Chapter in return for providing perpetual maintenance of the Pioneer Whitaker Cemetery. In 1959, the chapter established a new club house and they continue to maintain the cemetery today.

Pioneer Park is also attached to this location. It is dog friendly, offers basketball, tennis courts, a playground, walking path and much more.

Rosemary Cemetery is located between 6th & 10th Streets, we are not going to drive there, but it has an interesting history. The name “Rosemary” was attributed to Mrs. E. W. Morrill. The pioneer cemetery is associated with the most prominent founding families of the Sarasota area, such as Browning, Burns, Gillespie, Halton, Higel, Whitaker, Wilson, Morrill, as well as burials marked “charity” and “county” with only lot numbers. Irene and Lewis Colson, who helped John Hamilton Gillespie lay out the first golf course in Sarasota, were the only two black people buried in this cemetery.

Overtown-First African American Community: was at corner Central & 6th St by the mid 1920s, Overtown was a thriving residential and business district. Along today's Central Avenue were lunch rooms, a movie theater, meat and fish markets, grocery and general merchandise stores, and a variety of other businesses that provided goods and services to the African American community. There were also pressing clubs where for a small fee members could have their good clothes cleaned, pressed and repaired regularly insuring a well-groomed appearance. Residential architecture varied in size, but most houses were modest, one-story wood-frame structures incorporating front porches. In 1925, the Sarasota Grammar School was built at Thirteenth Street (today's Seventh Street), east of Central Avenue.

There is so much more to learn about this area and for a more in depth look into the History and Cultural Heritage of Newtown, you might want to schedule a tour with “newtownalive.org”. There is a cost for these tours. It is an extremely interesting tour and will give you many details of African American communities.

Directions Bidwell/Crocker to Municipal Auditorium: Exit Right on 12th St, immediate right at stop sign on Cocoanut Ave....

immediate Right at stop sign on Cocoanut Ave, ​

Go 3/10 mile,

Right on 10th St.

Go 1/10 mile, be in left lane at roundabout, be careful cars will be entering roundabout,

At roundabout, be careful cars will be entering roundabout,

Take 3rd exit on Tamiami Trail and immediate Right into the Municipal parking lot, park in front of auditorium to listen to first part of audio.

THIS TOUR STOP MAY BE INACCESSABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.

You can try to park elsewhere, listen to the historical narrative and view the pictures in the app.

MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM / HAZZARD FOUNTAIN

Directions Bidwell/Crocker to Municipal Auditorium: Exit Right on 12th St, immediate Right at stop sign on Cocoanut Ave, go .3 miles, right on 10th St .1 mile, be in left lane at roundabout, be careful cars will be entering roundabout, take 3rd exit on Tamiami Trail and immediate Right into the Municipal parking lot, park in front of auditorium to listen to first part of audio.

Municipal Auditorium/Exhibition Hall: (801 N Tamiami Trail) (parking) the city purchased approximately 40 acres of land for $15,000 during the Great Depression. Money was obtained from the federal government for this Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, the city and several prominent Sarasota businessmen. Thomas Reed Martin and his son, Clarence, designed the building using elements of Art Deco and Moderne architectural styles. The $100,000 Auditorium opened in 1938. Multi term mayor, E. A. Smith is given credit for the idea of this Bayfront Park and called it a “dream come true”. John and Ida Chidsey donated funding for the construction of a second floor for the Recreation Club at the western end of the Auditorium. The facility contained a lounge area, a recreation room, and a men's card room.

In 1992, an extensive rehabilitation of the Exhibition Hall was made to the interior, the original glass blocks were replaced and the original name restored. The Auditorium also hosted dances, graduations, banquets, seminars, conventions, and continues to be used for a variety of events today.

In addition to the auditorium, the area included tennis courts, basketball courts, shuffleboard courts, as well as lawn bowling. Lawn bowling was first played in this area in 1927at Mira Mar Park, in front of the Mira Mar Hotel and Apartments on Palm Avenue. It is thought that lawn bowling was brought here by visiting Scots. At the end of the 1930’s, lawn bowling was moved to this location next to the Municipal Auditorium. This area is now part of the Sarasota Bay project and lawn bowling will be relocating to the Bobby Jones Golf Course at 1000 Circus Blvd.

Hazzard Fountain: In 1940, Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Hazzard presented to the City of Sarasota the electrically lit Art Deco style fountain that was built in front of the Auditorium. It was designed by architect Frank Martin, the son of Thomas Reed Martin. The fountain had been removed for several decades and was reconditioned and brought back in 1992.

After listening to the information about Hazard Fountain, go to the south end of parking lot to listen to the rest of the audio.

THIS TOUR STOP MAY BE INACCESSABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.

You can try to park elsewhere, listen to the historical narrative and view the pictures in the app.

Art Center of Sarasota: The Sarasota Art Association was established in 1926 as the first Arts Organization in Sarasota. Art has continued to be an important part of Sarasota and the Art Center is still in operation today.

Chidsey Building: The library itself was begun by the Town Improvement Society (later named Sarasota Woman’s Club) and John and Ida Chidsey responded to the request for funds to pay for the structure. The original library was housed in space donated by the town's first mayor, John Hamilton Gillespie, and later by developer Owen Burns. This building was used as the town library for many years until its expansion and subsequent development of satellite libraries throughout the county.

Thomas Reed Martin had come to Sarasota in 1911 and designed the Chidsey Library as well as a winter home in Osprey for Bertha Palmer. He stayed on, contributing much to the Mediterranean Revival architecture in Sarasota during the 1920s.

The library is now Selby Library and relocated to a building downtown next to Five Points.

Blue Tiled Roof Pagoda Building: Businessman Karl Bickel asked architect Victor Lundy to paint a picture of his design for a Chamber of Commerce building. Lundy drew a vivid watercolor that was dominated by plants and other landscaping, with a blue-roofed pagoda-like structure. Since 1956, it has been a landmark in the city owned-plaza near the Municipal Auditorium. It has been described as “more roof than walls”. The curvy engineered wood beams are made of layers of thin boards that are glued into laminated timbers, which offer strength and architectural versatility at a cost-effective price. Lundy also designed St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sarasota, Herron House in Venice and Warm Mineral Springs motel in North Port.

Garden Club: (behind blue roof pagoda) Mabel Ringling, wife of John Ringling, was the first president of the Founders Circle, which was organized in 1927. Many more circles were formed and in 1947 the name was changed to the Sarasota Garden Club.

Belle Haven: is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the middle of the property being redeveloped along the bay. Dwight Baum was the architect for this building as well as other historic buildings, such as the John Ringling Towers and the Sarasota County Courthouse. This three story Mediterranean Revival apartment building, with 475 feet of frontage along a lagoon next to Sarasota Bay, opened in 1926 and was originally named the Broadway Apartments. Residents had maid service and janitorial services, a roof garden, kitchenettes with electric ranges, linens, silverware and dumbwaiters in each apartment. It was the considered very swanky for “modern day living” and a safe place for women.

Owen Burns purchased the building and renamed it El Verona in honor of his wife. After the real estate crash in the 1920’s Elmer Whittle took it over and renamed it Belle Haven. The doors, interior light well in the center of the building, pecky cypress ceiling beams on the first floor and the internal stairwells have been preserved. According to Tony Souza regarding the current development of the area, “The other buildings will be very modern, so it’ll be the rose among the thorns.”

Directions Municipal Auditorium to Island Park: Exit parking lot just past blue tiled roof pagoda building,

Turn right on Tamiami Trail Rt 41 S. Stay on 41 S as we direct you thru 2 roundabouts

at Fruitville roundabout, Take 2nd exit Rt 41 South, continue straight in R lane but DO NOT get in R turn lane

DO NOT get in R turn lane, carefully enter roundabout and exit on Rt 41 South

Turn Right at light at Marina Plaza, which is also the entrance to Marina Jack

Take immediate left to park and face the water to listen to the audio.

THIS TOUR STOP MAY BE INACCESSABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.

You can try to park elsewhere, listen to the historical narrative and view the pictures in the app.

THIS TOUR STOP MAY BE INACCESSABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.

You can try to park elsewhere, listen to the historical narrative and view the pictures in the app.

Sarasota Bayfront/Island Park, 2 Marina Plaza: (restrooms) the crystal clear waters were filled with tarpon, kingfish, trout and redfish made this an ideal fishing location, as well as a great spot for digging for clams, oysters or mussels. The land had an abundant supply of wild deer, hogs, turkeys and gators. The area was also ideal for growing citrus as well as other crops, allowing early settlers to eat well off of the land.

Looking across the bay is Golden Gate Point which was called Cedar Key in early Sarasota Village days. Stories are the village jail was located here, as well as later the largest structure was a retirement home for priests. John Ringling purchased the area with Owen Burns and changed the name. Across from Cedar Key, Sam Gumpertz, the owner of Coney Island and a circus partner with Ringling, built a home where the Sunset Towers is now located.

I encourage you to get out and walk around this beautiful park and look at the boats, take a tour on the LeBarge to see this area by water or get something to eat while enjoying the beautiful water view.

On another day you may want to go across the Ringling Bridge, while imagining the clacking sounds of early cars traveling over the bridge to go to Lido Beach or to Longboat Key. You can also see Bird Key, created by John Ringling, as he pumped in land to fill the area.

Visit St. Armands Circle on your own and learn facts such as, in 1893 Charles St Armand homesteaded the mangrove swamp, which we now know as St Armands. He claimed the 130 acres plus for $13 and in today’s market, that amount would buy less than one square foot on the circle. That land eventually found its way into the hands of circus magnate John Ringling in 1917. Ringling’s vision for the property extended well beyond the original owner’s trades of fishing and poultry production to a concept that encompassed residential lots, a circular shopping area, and a bridge and causeway to join it all with the mainland.

This ends our tour. I would like to thank Kim Patton Manning for research provided. I hope you have learned something about this area of Sarasota County and will return again to explore this area. Don’t forget there are other auto tours and you will want to take them all!