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mSTORIC PROPERTIES SURVEY

of

WNGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA

Prepared for the Longboat Key Historical Society

Jaly, 1999

Prepared by: Historical ud Arcbitcctursl Rcsesn:b SeMc:es

3708 PI ...... AYCIluc Sarasota, FL 34239

(941) 9SHi028

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THE CARPENTER'S PRAYER

"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for

present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our

descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone that

a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands

have touched them and that men will say as they look upon the labor and

wrought substance of them, ""See! This our father didfor us. ""

JOHN RUSKIN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Survey Staff ....... . . . .. . ..... . ................... .. ..... •. .......... . .... ... ....... .......•.. ..... ... I

Acknowledgments .. .. .... . . . ..•.... .. •.... ..• ......•......•... , .. •...... •.....•.. ... • 0 •••••••• ,., ••• 2-3

Introduction ............. .. . .. ..... .. . " .. .. ..... .. ...... ...... .. .... ........ , . ........ . . ... .. ,' ...... 4-6

Population & L.ocation . ..................... ... . .....• ..... •• , .....• . .... .•. .. .. .•.. .. . ••. .. .. ••.. ..••.....••....... 7

Methodology and Survey Criteria ............ .......... .. . .. . .. . . . ...... . . ... . .. . .. .. .. . . .... . . . . .. ........................ ... . . 8-10

Overview of Longboat Keys Pre-1950 Buildings ........ .. ............. . ......... .......... .. 11 - 16

History and Historic COntext. . . .... . .. . . . . . . . .... . . . .. . . . ... .•. . . . . .• 0 • •• • • • •••••••••• • •••••• • ••• 17-29

General Description of the Island & Town of Longboat Key Development and Historic Plan .. . . .. ... ...... ........ . . . . .. . ..... . . .......... 30-32

Land's End ........... ............ .. ... . ... .. ... ............ ..... .... ...... ..... . .... . .. ............ 33-34

Early Hotels , Resorts , and Dining Facilities ...... ..... .. .... .. ............ . . .. .. .. . ......... .35-44

Local Architects and Builders .. " ..... " ..... . .. . . . .. .. ... . ...... ......... . .... . . . .... . ...... . . .... ......... . ... .. . . . . . ... 45-47

Historic Buildings ......... ....... .... ....... . . . .. . .... . .. . ... .......... ......... ............. . .... 48-56

Results of Survey ..................... .. ...................................... . .. ........ ....... .. .57-61 & Historic Properties Potentially Eligible for Historic Designation

Effect of National Register Listing ............ ..... . . ...... ...... ... . .... . . . .. .. . . . . .. . . . ....... 62

Current Issues and Recommendations ... . .... ... .... .......... ........ . .. . .. . ....... ........... 63-65

Benefits and Requirements of a Preservation Ordinance ........... .... . ....... . .. . . ......... ....... .. .. ............. ..... ....... 66-67

Architectural Design Review and Control. ... .. . . ..... .. .... . .. ... . .......... . .. . .... ... ...... 68-70

Potential Local Incentives for H.istoric Preservation .... ........ .... ....... . . .•.... .. •........... .. .....•.....•......•....... . 71

Collection and Preservation of Historic Records ........ . .. . ...... .............. .. .... .. . ..... . ............ ...... ....... .......... 72

Bibliography .... ... .............. ......... . .... ....... ....... . . ... .. . .. .......... ............ . ....... 73-74

Survey Site Inventory .................. ............................ . ....... . ..... . ................. 75-79

Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation ..... ........ ....... ........................... ...... . ...... .... ... .. .. 80

Endnotes .................. . .. ....... ... . .•...... .•..... •...... . ..... .•........... ................... 81-89

Base Map ............. •........... .. ..... ........ . ..... .•..... ........•..... .•.... .•.... .. •........... 90

I..ocation Map .... ... . .... .. ...... ........................... ... .... ....... .... . .................... .. 91

Plat Maps . .............. . ..... .•..... .•..... .•..... .•..... ........•..... .•.... ....... .•.... . .. .. .. ... 92-95

mSTORlCAL & ARCmTECTURAL RESEARCH SERVICES SURVEY STAFF

Administrator/Coordinator & Survey Report Organization and Preparation:

Historical Research & Historic Photograph and Document Assembly:

Specific Site Identification

Florida Site File Forms:

Photography:

Mikki Hartig

Mikki Hartig Ralph Hunter & April Johnson, Longboat Key Historical Society

Ralph Hunter, Pat Cobb, April Johnson, & Charlotte Hewitt

Mikki Hartig Norman Lupino

Mikki Hartig

Funding for the survey was provided by the Longboat Key Historical Society and the Florida Department of State and Division of Historical Resources.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This publication has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Historic Preservation Advisory Council. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Florida Department of State, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendations by the Florida Department of State.

Several factors contributed to the success of the Longboat Key Historical and Architectural Survey. The cooperation and contributions of various individuals warrant acknowledgment.

The survey team's gratitude is expressed for the combined efforts and support of the Longboat Key Historical Society and the Florida Division of Historical Resources in providing matching funds and services to make the project economically feasible.

Once the financial requirements were realized, involvement of the community in the project was determined to be a desirable goal. The purpose of soliciting community participation was to heighten the community's awareness of Longboat Key's history and architectural resources. Early on in the survey project, communication was established with the Town of Longboat Key. The Town of Longboat Key expressed support for the project by authorizing the assistance of and coordination with the Town of Longboat Key Planning Board and by providing encouragement as to the potential for incorporating the survey report into future municipal land use and planning issues, and possible revisions to the Town of Longboat Key's Comprehensive Plan to afford protection for the town's historic resources.

In 1980, the Longboat Key Historical Society was established. Local volunteers had begun assembling historical photographs, documents, archival material, and items for display for several years. Over time, the organization amassed a large volume of materials. No amount of gratitude can begin to express that which is due Ralph Hunter, President of the Longboat Key Historical Society, who gave untiringly of himself from the first discussions regarding the project and in his assistance in the completion of the Survey and National Register Nomination Project. Although not a native of Longboat Key, Mr. Hunter possesses a tremendous knowledge of the history of his present day home, Longboat Key. His desire to see that his adopted home is provided with a permanent and accurate written record of its history, architecture, and development was a significant influence on the success of the project. Longboat Key Historical Society members, as well as all of Longboat's citizens, should commend him for his commitment to the permanent documentation of Longboat's history. Without his assistance, this survey project would have been difficult and produced a much less comprehensive historic summary and study of the local historic building stock. The consulting firm would like to thank the Manatee and Sarasota County Property Appraisers' Offices for providing tax roll records and parcel and subdivision information for use in completing the historic summary and site file forms.

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Additional thanks is also due Pat Cobb, Helen Holt, Bob & Gordon Whitney, Jr. , Charlotte Hewitt, Arthur Ferguson, Charles and Mary Wickersham, Allen Corbett, Rae Ferguson Reasoner, Lloyd Kannenberg, Jeanene Nicol , George Yerkes, and Mevy Jayne Garman Jerkins, for sharing their memories of early Longboat.

The survey team must also express its gratitude to the membership of the Longboat Key Historical Society and the residents of Longboat for allowing us to survey their properties and for sharing with us their knowledge of the history of Longboat, its historic resources, and personal historical knowledge about their homes and alterations to them. It is the consultant firm's hope that the survey will provide an important historical and architectural reference source for current and future Longboat Key residents for many years to come and will serve tQ promote and preserve Longboat's unique history and architectural heritage.

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INTRODUCTION

In August, 1998, Historical and Architectural Research Services was retained by the Longboat Key Historical Society to complete an intensive architectural survey of the island of Longboat Key, Florida. An architectural survey is a method of identifying and gathering data on a community's historic resources. This and all other completed survey projects included a field survey where the survey team actually walked or drove the entire length of the island to inspect each property, photograph it, and record its location on a pase map. It also involved a field search for and recording of historic resources on the ground. Planning and background research must take place before the survey begins. The scope of work also includes organizing and presenting survey data as the project proceeds, the development of an inventory, and an organized compiling of information. Surveys are carefully planned to take into account the community's needs, legal obligations, funding availability, and nature of its historic resources. The intent of this survey was to record all remaining structures built prior to 1950, with particular regard to those constructed during Longboat's earliest years, and to subsequently offer recommendations as to their future protection.

The survey was also intended to identify any potential historic properties eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NR) or the potential for a National Register Historic District or Districts. The consulting firm was given the responsibility of researching and preparing the background history of the island, assembly of a bibliography on the survey area and coordinating additional historic preservation projects with the city on behalf of the client, the Longboat Key Historical Society , and local historic property owners. The consultant also undertook the preparation of and completion of Florida Master Site File Forms and the final survey report for presentation to the Longboat Key Historical Society, the community, and the Florida Division of Historical Resources. Distribution of copies of the report within the community will serve as an educational tool so that residents may realize that there is a system for recognizing historic resources.

Some materials were avaiJable from the files of the Longboat Key Historical Society. Regrettably, Longboat Key did not have its own newspaper. The Gulf Gale, a one page paper periodically published by some young boys on the island for a brief time in the 1930s. The first regular multi-page newspaper for the island was the Loneboat Look Out, beginning until 1956. Prior to that time, newspaper coverage of the island by nearby Sarasota and Bradenton

newspapers was minimal. A comprehensive review of early issues of the Sarasota Times, devoted to the West Coast of Manatee County had previously been undertaken by the Longboat Key Historical Society and was incorporated into the survey report. Lora Colvin Whitney, a prominent early resident of Longboat Key, published a book, Hail This Feisty Villaee, 1885-.l.255., which proved invaluable in recording both the history of the island, its physical development, and general information about early residents. The Sarasota County Genealogical Society over a period of time did a comprehensive review and cataloguing of obituaries from early Sarasota newspapers, including, The Sarasota Times, The Sarasota Herald, and 1J:Ie Sarasota HeraJd-Tribune. The index and related obituary files proved invaluable in providing biographical information on a number of Longboat Key property owners and residents.

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Information taken from History Supplements of the Lon~boat Observer, dating from 1982, 1983 , and 1985 were also incorporated. Another valuable publication was Lo0eboat. Yesterday. Today & Tomorrow. 1ncludin~ SI, Armands and Lido, published by the Lindsay Curtis Publishing Company, Sarasota, Florida in 1984. Additional historical information was taken from artic1es written on early Florida, maps of the area, and copies of miscellaneous printed materials on file with the Longboat Key Historical Society in addition to data collected from various sources by the consultant.

Compared to other communities, other important research materials normally used for reference used in other historic property surveys were available. City directories were not published which covered the survey area until recent years. An attempt was also made to locate and secure any Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps of the area dating from the early part of the century but such mapping was never undertaken covering Longboat Key. Telephone service did not come to the island until the 19305 and early telephone directories were also not available as a reference source. Available historic photographs or copies of photos were located and used for historical reference, whenever possible.

Several oral history interviews with longtime residents and descendants of early residents were conducted by the consultant during the course of the survey project. Personal or telephone interviews were also conducted with a number of historic property owners.

Longboat Key did not undergo significant development or have any substantial population until quite late compared to many other areas of Florida. This was due to the lack of any railroad link and its remoteness as an island, until bridges linked the island to more urban areas by vehicle or pedestrian travel to the north and south in 1926 and 1929, respectively. Although Florida experienced a period of unparalleled growth during the I 920s, by the time the two bridges, one at either end of the island, were completed, the Florida Land Boom was essentially over, having effected the island little in growth or physical development although a few new Boom Time subdivisions were platted and promoted without success. The Great Depression followed within a few years bringing about a virtual halt in construction, other than the completion of some resort cottage developments built to attract tourists to the island. A recognizable growth in construction would not take place until the end of World War II, mirroring development in the rest of the country and state.

Research during the survey also revealed that, except for the earliest homesteaders on Longboat, the majority of newcomers to the island up until the present, came in the later part of their lives. Beginning in the 19305, there were a few young families who did come to make their home on Longboat but barely enough to justify the authorization for the construction of a short-lived school on the north end of the island by 1936.

The age of the majority of those that came and continue to come to the island to reside were and are retired, arriving without children. Further, it appears that any second generation who did come to reside on the island with their parents in the earliest years and into the 1940s did not elect to make the island their home upon adulthood. As a result, the consultant had only

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access to only a few second generation residents to confer with , much fewer than normally found in other early small communities in order to obtain information regarding the history of the built environment on the island and assistance in associating particular historic structures with early occupants or owners. Interestingly, a search for and review of the obituaries of a number of known early Longboat residents revealed that many did not have any surviving descendents. This is perhaps indicative that many residents who came to reside on Longboat Key in the first half of this century were not bound or drawn to remain close to their offspring in their native states or cities which allowed them to freely depart for a new home on Longboat in their later years. ]n addition, a large number of property owners have also historically made the island only their winter home. The lack of any substantial population of permanent or part time residents accounts for the very minimal amount of service companies and businesses established on the island through the years up until about the 1970s. This also accounts for the fact that Longboat has not had any school on the island since the early 1940s and that the first and second schools that did exist prior to that time had very small student enrollment. To date, the general age of the population has not justified the establishment of another school on the island, other than a nursery school established in the 1970s, since the closing of the second school in 1943.

Although the survey team had somewhat scarce reference resources available, specific properties were named or identified with their original or early owner whenever possible if there was a general consensus or historic documentation as to the accuracy of their early association with the property or historical references, such as tax rolls, documented, specific sites as so associated.

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POPULATION AND LOCATION

Longboat Key has a year round population of about 8,000 residents. Seasonal residents add an additional 4,000 and in the peak: winter season the island's inhabitants swell to a approximately 22,<XX>. I Longboat Key is located sixty miles south of Tampa and 225 miles northwest of Miami. It is an offshore barrier island running roughly north to south and closing the western boundary of Sarasota Bay in southwest Florida. The island's eastern shoreline has dense mangroves, except where canals have been dredged and marinas built. The western shoreline consists of a white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico. On both the north and south ends of the island, Longboat Key is separated from neighboring islands by deep water passes from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay.

Just off the west coast of Sarasota, Florida, the island is 10.8 miles long. one mile wide at its widest place, and an average of 5 feet above mean high water. The hi-county island is divided between Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Up until 1921 , when Sarasota County was formed, the entire island rested in Manatee County. The Town of Longboat Key , which encompasses the historic Village of Longboat, the core area from which the island essentially developed, was not incorporated until 1955 . The island's primary transportation element is Gulf of Mexico Drive (State Road 789) which runs along the near center of the island, north to south. Longboat Key's major economic activities are tied to tourism and leisure with many northern residents maintaining winter homes or part time condominium homes on the island.

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METHODOLOGY AND SURVEY CRITERIA

A survey is comprised of a thorough and systematic examination of historic propenies based on a theme or geographical area. The purpose of the survey is to ascertain the character, number and nature of historic properties which are defined as buildings, structures, sites, objects or districts that have played a significant role in national , state, or local history. Before significant properties can be protected and enhanced on any level , they must be located, identified, and preliminarily evaluated.

The survey of Longboat Key was an easily directed project. Settlement began in 1882 and development as a permanent community slowly continued up until great hurricanes in 1921 and 1926. The 1921 hurricane virtually destroyed all early settlement on the south end of the island and minimal development took place for the next 4-6 years afterward on any part of Longboat Key. Subsequently, the bulk of future development for many years would take place on the north end of Longboat. Beginning in the early 19305, the major focus for future development shifted to the establishment of the island as a resort community. which has continued to impact and play an important role in the growth and development of the island up to the present. Thus, Longboat began to actually thrive during the mid 1930., based on its growing establishment as a tourist and resort destination. The 1930s saw the construction of a few collections of resort cottages. Following World War 11, the island's resort environment further developed and impacted its physical development. As a result, during the second half of the 1940s, a number of more modest, but attractive beach and gulf front vacation or seasonal cottages and lodging facilities, as well as several new residential dwellings within the island's primary historic core, Long Beach or Longbeach were completed and a few new subdivisions were platted. During the 19505, the island saw the construction of a number of waterfront residences and a few more vacation resort facilities.

Beginning in the mid 1960s through the mid 1970s, the island underwent its first major building boom, both major redevelopment and new development began to take place in most areas . Waterfront property values escalated greatly and the construction of numerous multi-unit mid and highrise condominiums began. This growth pattern easily established the criteria for selection in the survey which would include all buildings, structures and objects pre-dating 1950 and all were included in the survey. Historic buildings as they relate to this survey are 50 years of age or older whereas, significant buildings identified within the survey appear to be eligible for listing in the National Register. A total of 82 buildings and 2 sites were identified and recorded. During the course of survey research, it was determined that the site of the Broadway dock, Long Beach's historic boat landing area on the northern part of the island, and the site of the island's earlier dock on the south end, Corey's Landing, merited recording and reference. Although neither landing's dock has survived, both sites remain historically significant because they provided the primary points of arrival and the delivery of supplies for early visitors and residents up until the first bridge to the island was completed in 1926. The Broadway dock's importance to the island residents extended even longer following severe damage and the closure of the north bridge from 1932 until a new bridge was completed at this end of the island in 1958.

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Survey work involved field work in which a11 pre-1950 buildings, structures, and objects were photographed and an architectural description was developed and prepared. Their location was recorded on a base map. In the case of the two recorded historic sites, a site description was prepared. Architectural style and details, plan, condition, use, and setting were noted. Legal descriptions and addresses were recorded. An attempt was made to document the construction date and history of each building and their original use(s) and owner(s). This was accomplished using information compiled from all available reference material. Several year's tax rolls were cross-referenced. Lora Colvin Whitney 'S book, Hail This Feisty Yilla~e provided some information as to original and subsequent owners of historic properties. Interviews with homeowners and a review of some abstracts of title for some properties that were in their possession also provided information. Historic photographs and documentation was offered by Ralph Hunter of the Longboat Key Historical Society and solicited from other sources to provide additional historical data. Hunter was invaluable to the consultant in the location and collection of research material. An attempt to specifically identify as many buildings and sites and link original use and owners and later owners to sites was made.

The majority of the information necessary for the preparation of the Florida Master Site File Forms was provided by the field survey, although additional historical information and documentation was recorded on relevant forms when available. An explanation of evaluation statement was prepared for each property and a site map and a topographical location map were included with each form.

The survey team examined all extant buildings on the island, that regardless of integrity, appeared to be at least fifty years old or older. Some buildings and structures could not be specifically dated from available archival materials. In such cases, dates were established on a value judgment based on a number of factors, such as the date of platting for the area, and a comparison with buildings similar in size and design. Property appraiser records were also used but were in some cases found to be inaccurate according to historic documentation. The survey team has found this to be a quite common occurrence when conducting surveys of other areas as well . In the case of the records of the Manatee County Property Appraiser. it appears that original recorded construction dates were frequently altered to reflect the dates that building permits were issued for permitted renovations or the substantial improvement of structures.

The consultant made a committed effort to undertake a complete search for any and all available historic documentation in order to prepare and provide the most comprehensive background possible for the specified time span for use in compiling the survey. During the course of attempting to historically associate each property with its original owner or early owners, it became evident that, without time restrains, many additional properties could be specifically associated with early Longboat Key residents. The consultant relayed to members of the Longboat Key Historical Society that an ongoing attempt to further specifically identify unnamed surveyed properties should be undertaken.

Once the survey and Site File Forms were completed, a copy of all the forms were forwarded to the Florida Master Site File Office for entering into the Florida Master Site File

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Data Base and a copy of each form, including duplicates of original photographs, was provided along with all of the historical materials loaned to or collected by the survey firm , to the Longboat Key Historical Society for safekeeping.

It should be pointed out that the Florida Master Site File is not a state historic register, but an inventory which is intended for use as a planning tool and as a central repository of archival data on the physical remains of Florida's history. Each individual file in the Florida Master Site File could become a permanent record upon the loss of, or irreversible damage to, that particular property.

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OVERVIEW OF LONGBOAT KEY'S HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Longboat Key was first established as an early fishing and truck farming community. The island began to experience a minimal amount of settlement and building construction beginning in the early and mid 1880s following the award of homestead grants. Growth continued slowly through the early part of the twentieth century and into the 19 lOs. The earliest population of Longboat Key consistently remained heavily dependent on vegetable farming and citrus production. This factor, combined with the islands waterfront location and its potential attraction for future development as a resort community, the primary source of income of many of its early residents remained fairly consistent up until a major hurricane in 1921 when most of the island became covered with water. All crops were wiped out and the island's dependence upon truck farming virtually ceased. During the Depression years, Longboat' s attraction as a tourist resort began to have a considerably stronger influence on its residents and newcomers who began to see tourism as an attractive potential means of their support. This change in focus for the island ' s residents' took place during a period that most other areas of the state were experiencing a virtual standstill in growth and new construction projects subsequent to the failure of the Florida Real Estate Boom.

Prior to 1926 & 1929, when the first bridges to the island were completed, all supplies, including building materials, had to be brought in by boat. Thus, the island was dependent upon obtaining most services, supplies, and construction materials from Sarasota or Bradenton, the nearest largest settlements, until the bridges were completed. The completion of the north bridge in 1926 allowed access to the settlement of Bradenton via Anna Maria Island and Cortez for only a few years because that bridge was carried away by a high tide in 1932 and not replaced until 1958, thus cutting off land access to the north again. The concept of the development of the island as a vacation destination during the second half of the 19305 and into the t940s spurred the construction of a number of resort facilities, although adequate support services were still not available on the island until a number of years later.

Following World War II and the subsequent years of national prosperity, a number of visitors to the fairly remote island decided to make the island their home. They were drawn to Longboat by its climate and the promise of a simple unhurried lifestyle in a tropical environment. Although a number of visitors became permanent residents, many others adopted the island only as a winter home. Nevertheless, the number of full-time residents slowly grew following the war and some additional residential platting and construction took place, along with the eventual construction of a few commercial buildings, and the completion of some civic improvements in the mid and late 1950s and I 960s.

Evidence of the island ' s earlier historic character can still be seen in a number of simple Masonry and Frame Vernacular residential buildings throughout the island 's surviving historic core on the north end of the island, historic Long Beach, later renamed Longbeach Subdivision, but today ' s Longboat Village. This part of the island lies in Manatee County. Other than the south end of the island, minimal early settlement took place anywhere else on the island until the 1960s. A 192 t hurricane wiped out all previously built buildings and structures on the south

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end, except for one house which has not survived .1 Subsequently, up until the 1960s. it appears that almost all development on the island focused on the north end of the island and along the waterfront on the central part of the island. It appears that any buildings or structures constructed on the south end of the island after the 1921 hurricane, which are believed to have been few in number, excepting one large waterfront residence with a guest house, the c.1935 Kohl Estate, have been lost due to new development within the last 30 years. Therefore. with the exception of two buildings on the Kohl Estate property at 2551 Gulf of Mexico Drive, there are no pre-1950 buildings on the south end of the island which lies in Sarasota County. In addition , most post World War n buildings, built as part of waterfront resorts in the late 1940s and early 1950s in the mid section of the island, have been lost in recent years. Their mostly waterfront sites have undergone modem development including the construction of numerous multi-story and high rise condominium projects, modem resort development, and contemporary residences elevated to meet existing FEMA regulations, beginning in the 1970s to date.

The majority of construction on the island over the last fifty years has taken place on land that had historically always remained undeveloped or vacant. From a physical examination, but lacking Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to substantiate so, it does not appear that a significant number of buildings were lost on the island after either the 1921 or 1926 hurricanes, but, nevertheless, none of the homes of the earliest (pre- 1912) homesteaders andlor settlers have survived. Those structures would have been of frame construction and all were most likely easily swept away by high winds and inundating water. Approximately II somewhat later Masonry Vernacular structures, dating from the 191Os, did survive the two hurricanes. These structures, almost all of wttich are or were single family residential buildings, were built of rusticated concrete block and were able to withstand the forces of the hurricanes. A subsequent hurricane in 1935 may have also caused the loss of some early frame structures on the island but their number, if any, is not known.

Because the most significant development of the island did not take place until the mid to late 1950s or later, no concentration of historic buildings exists on the island with the exception of within the island's surviving historic core on the north end, today's Village of Longboat. Within this, the most concentrated area of historic structures on the island, a moderate amount of non-historic infill construction has taken place, but many early residential structures that are older than 50 years have survived in this area. In recent years, the majority of new construction on the island has taken place along the waterfront which at no period in earlier history was any where near fully built out. A few historic structtJres have been demolished in recent years to make way for contemporary frame homes elevated above the flood plain.

A group of 9 Frame Vernacular vacation dwellings on Longboat Drive E. and Fox Street, the Robinson/Long Beach Cottages, were built in c.1933 in close proximity to each other, within the island 's sale surviving historic core, today 's Village of Longboat, on the north end of the island. All except one of this collection, four of which occupy waterfront sites, have survived. All of these former resort cottages are presently in individually owned and in private residential use and all but two have been considerably altered in recent years .

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Another cottage colony, the Whitney Beach Resort Cottages, a collection of 11 Frame Vernacular resort cottages, were built in 1935 and 1936 on Gulf of Mexico beach front property just south of the Longbeach historic core. At the time of the 1935 hurricane, the first four were under construction but were minimally damaged and they were completed shortly thereafter while others and assorted accessory structures were completed with the next year. Subsequently, in the early to mid 19505, they became progressively severely threatened by beach erosion. Most were saved by relocating them onto various sites within or nearby historic Longbeach, today's Village of Longboat, where they still stand. The first two cottages were moved to their new sites in 1952, whereas, the remainder of the resort buildings were moved to different lots in the historic core in 1956 and sold to various buyers. Again, most of these cottages and the surviving Whitney Beach Resort's accessory buildings have also undergone a number of alterations and received a variety of additions over time.

Still a third much smaller collection of resort cottages have survived, Cannon's Beach Cottages at 6051 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Three of the four structures in this grouping are of Frame Vernacular construction and were completed in 1949-1950. The collection includes the original Cannon House, now in use as a rental unit, two historic cottages that were and continue to available for guests , and a single Masonry Vernacular guest cottage, completed in 1955. The three historic structures have received little alteration, excepting the enclosure of the guest cottage's original screened porches in 1955. Since that time, the original windows that were installed to enclose these porches have been replaced with modem aluminum units.

The Cannon House and the two historic resort cottages were built for Ernie Cannon. Cannon also established a boat marina, Cannon Marina, opposite the property on the east side of Gulf of Mexico Drive. In 1955, Cannon sold his former home, the resort cottages, and the marina to the Miller family who have retained the Cannon name in the operation of the resort and marina to date. The Millers occupied the former Cannon House for a number of years and oversaw the construction of an additional guest cottage and the enclosure of the former screen porches of the two historic guest cottages. J

The majority of the island's other surviving historic structures have been modified over time to varying degrees , often without regard to the original architectural design of the structure. Regrettably, due these extensive and often inappropriate alterations to many of the historic resources documented in the survey, only a few individual properties appear to be potentially eligible for individual listing in the National Register. These structures are notable for continuing to relay their original plans, details, and historic character enough to be potentially eligible for individual listing and most warrant consideration for local protection. No contiguous concentration of historic structures that collectively overall retain enough of their original architectural integrity appears to exist to warrant the nomination or listing of a National Register Historic District but two areas within the survey area should be considered potential districts should a local historic preservation ordinance and designation program be established in the future.

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Only three historic (older than 50 years) originally non-residential buildings have survived on Longboat Key. These include the Jordan Hotel/Longbeach Inn, c.1913, the Longbeach Elementary School, 1938, and Darcey's Store, c .1946. All of these structures have been converted to residential use within the last 20-50 years. Research has revealed that other than two early stores, one of which may have been Darcey's Store, these may have been the only commercial buildings constructed on the island prior to the late 1950s or early 1960s. Early businesses were usually conducted in the owners ' homes or residents traveled to Sarasota to the south or Bradenton or Cortez to the north for their needs.

The use of Frame Vernacular construction dominated architecture on Longboat Key during its earliest settlement in the later part of the nineteenth cent~ry and the first few years of this century. Because building materials could only be obtained by water transport, locally available or easily attainable building materials were utilized in the construction of the earliest buildings. Frame Vernacular construction responded. to the local environment, local accessibility to milled lumber, and was not based on technical or academic training. The buildings were executed by local builders without the use of an architect.

Apparently, at least one concrete block making machine was being used on the island by the 1910s. Rufus Jordan used. one in building a number of early residences beginning in about 19)2 because a number of buildings were soon thereafter constructed utilizing rusticated stone blocks made on or near the construction site. As mentioned previously, several of these early buildings remain standing today. In Lora Whitney 's book, Hail This Feisty Yilla2e, she refers to one of the block houses as a Jordan house. Tax rolls confirm the land on which these structures were built belonged to Jordan and his wife, Annie, thus , attesting to the fact that Jordan had access to a block machine and oversaw the construction these early rusticated concrete block structures, as weU as his personal residence, within his Long Beach development. Jordan remained a major landowner up until 1923 but it appears that he undertook little construction other than his own home beyond 1919. Manatee County Deeds of Record indicate that Jordan sold the largest number of lots, many of which had these concrete block homes on them, during the years 1912-1915, although at least one rusticated concrete block house at 671 Broadway has a confirmed. construction date of 1919. John Walters, an early Longbeach homeowner, also had access to a block machine, although it is possible that it was the same machine that Jordan was using and that Walters simply used a different or larger block mold for the construction of his house at 631 Broadway.

The existing historic architecture on Longboat was constructed between 1912 and 1949 and all except three of the structures, were constructed for residential use and for the most are one-story, although a few two-story houses exist. A survey bearing an August, 1913 date and a January, 1914 revision of the original Long Beach plat, indicates that 16 residences were completed by that time. The earliest surviving residential building with a verifiable construction date is the Risley House at 701 Linley Street, built in 1912. The Walters/Holt House was completed between May, 1912 and August, 1913, but most likely no sooner thaD August , 1912. Five more of the 16 residences mapped on the 1913 survey and 1914 plat survive. The oldest

14

of the three surviving originally non-residential buildings is the Jordan HotellLongbeach Inn, completed in late 1912 or 1913.

Excepting mostly masonry modem mid and high rise multi-unit waterfront condominium buildings that align the island 's canals, Sarasota Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, the remaining residential structures on the island are post World War II infill residential buildings that do not warrant inclusion in this survey. These are either of frame construction with modem contemporary themes with one or two stories or stuccoed concrete block one-story structures, most designed in the Ranch Style or , if constructed later, frame or masonry structures elevated above flood level to meet FEMA regulations.

With minimal commercial construction having taken place on Longboat Key, except in recent years within very few restricted areas of the island along Gulf of Mexico Drive, most commercial activity is some distance away from the surviving historic core. None of these commercial or non-residential structures are historic but were all built within the last 35 years within specially locally zoned sections along Gulf of Mexico Drive that have become commercial centers. These non-residential buildings are virtually all contemporary structures that embody tourism and leisure activities through their design and use, although some certainly also serve the needs of the island's full time residents.

With the exception of two structures, no other style or type of residential or non­residential architecture except Frame or Masonry Vernacular or examples of early Ranch Style homes exists on the island. One 1949 residential structure at 6526 Bayou Hammock Drive, the Colvin/Nicol House, is strongly suggestive of the Monterey style architecture. The other sole exception to Frame or Masonry Vernacular architecture or the Ranch Style on the island is another single family residence at 6685 Gulf of Mexico Drive, the Seibert House, the home and design work of prominent Sarasota School of Architecture, Tim Seibert, was also completed in 1949. This structure could best be classified as an early California Contemporary residence, although it is was substantially modified by being elevated above the flood plane in 1995.

Fenestration in all of the historic structures is usually regular and symmetrical. Original windows are wood frame double hung sash and doors are wood. lnterior plans vary but many include three rooms from front to back and a side hall accessing two bedrooms and a central bath . Some historic residential building sites contain small original or historic accessory buildings such as garages, outbuildings, or storage sheds.

With few exceptions, all of Longboat Key historic buildings have minimal or shallow street setback and are within ten or twelve feet of the front sidewalk or street and a number have historic service alleys to the rear. Of note is that the siting of almost all infill and new construction within the historic core has continued to maintain this shallow setback. This sustains an earlier small community ambiance, the concept of a house's connection to the street, and the feel of early American middle class neighborhoods. The siting of a few older buildings and a large portion of new residential construction elsewhere on the island has capitalized on waterfront

15

views and buildings are set back as far from the street towards the water as required setbacks, the size of the site, and FEMA regulations allowed at their time of construction.

Of the 77 historic buildings and 15 associated secondary structures surveyed, the most prevalent architectural style was Frame Vernacular, approximately twice the number of the second most prevalent style, Masonry Vernacular. Four Frame Vernacular structures, part of the former Whitney Beach Resort, had previously been recorded, three in 1998 and the another in 1999, prior when the field work for this survey was undertaken. All of these forms were updated with corrections to previously recorded information, including the the fact that one of the structures was relocated in 1998. AH four were found and continue to be in excellent condition.

In general, Longboat Key's historic building stock is currently in good to excellent condition with _ being classified as in excellent condition, _ in good condition, 30 in fair condition, and 1 in poor condition. Only 1 individually recorded structure, a Frame Vernacular secondary structure completed in 1948 or 1949, located at 771 Longboat Court, which was built as a workshop,· was classified as deteriorated. No ruinous structures, other than the remains of secondary structure, a rusticated concrete block garage at 789 Broadway, were found .

16

LONGBOAT KEY mSTORIC CONTEXT AND mSTORY

Historic Context

In earlier years, before any notable settlement took place on Longboat Key , Timucan and Catoosa Indians lived on the island. In 1946, Karl H. Grismer, in his book, The StolY of Sarasota, suggested three different theories as to where the earliest Indians came from. One theory was that the Indians either migrated to Longboat from Mexico to escape the Aztecs, another that they came from the West Indies. The third possible theory was that they had their origins in Siberia, migrating first to the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, before arriving in Florida. In 1971, in corroboration with former Sarasota County historian; John McCarthy , professor Charles Trebeau in his book, A History of Florida, asserted that "The Indians were a part of the great migration from Northeastern Asia, across the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska, when the depth of the oceans were lower. "

In 1979, three shell middens were found on the island during a dredging and development project. Archaeologists concluded that the majority of the remains dated from the Manasota Period from about 500 B.C. to 800 A.D and some may have dated from as early as 1,000 B.C. An examination of the middens led the archaeologists to conclude that Indians on Longboat were dependent on fishing and shellfish gathering. It appears that the Indians vacationed on the Key from time to time, or seasonally, based upon the distance to mainland villages. Arriving by canoe, they searched for food and other supplies. They ate fish , deer, and other animals which they hunted and bagged. A supply of fresh water was obtained in interior areas of the southern end of the island, in lowlands between beach ridges.s

Karl Bickel, founder of the United Press Service, and well known to Longboat Key residents during his years in Florida, also wrote in his 1942 book, The Man~rove Coast, that following the arrival of the Spaniards in the area in the 1500s, the Timucans moved from the area north to the Tampa area. Other reports indicate that the Indians were wiped out by disease or a plague or that the Indians emigrated to Cuba while others hid in outlying areas south and east of Ft. Myers.

In the fall of 1538, Hernando de Soto of Spain, an enemy to the Indians, sent Juan Anasco, his comptroller and chief scout, to explore the Gulf Coast of Florida. Anasco spent two months exploring the area around Tampa Bay and is believed to the first European to explore the upper waters of Sarasota Bay, the Manatee River, and Boca Ciega Bay. The fonowing year, De Soto is believed to have come ashore on Longboat, his first time on North American soil. Unable to locate fresh water at the Longboat landing, DeSoto and his men sailed north on the island, crossing the inside channel and proceeded on to Tampa Bay by way of Upper Sarasota Bay. They then proceeded to explore other nearby areas such as Palma Sola Point and Shaw's Point, supposedly destroying an Indian camp on Terra Ceia Island.6

During the following centuries, Spanish and Cuban fisherman, some squatters, made Longboat Key their own for fishing prior to 1842 . They established a fishing camp and Indian

17

trading post near the site of what would later become Long Beach, today 's Longboat Village. Early charts of the area denote the camp as "Saraxola" and Zarazote.' At about the same time, William Whitaker, the first white settler in what would become Sarasota, just south of Longboat Key, set out a number of fishing nets on one of Longboat's beaches. But, when a tremendous hurricane that struck the island in 1848 it not only destroyed vegetation, plants, shrubbery, fruit trees but any sign of earlier settlement.

Little is known of activity on the island following the 1848 hurricane. It is known that one of Sarasota's first white settlers and its first postmaster, Charles Abbe, raised citrus crops and started a pineapple plantation somewhere on the island with his son-in-law aforementioned William Whitaker during this period.'

It appears that the earliest white settlers on Longboat Key were Colin and Rolin W. Witt . Tbey were awarded the first land grants on tbe island in late 1882. Colin Witt laid claim to 7.15 acres on the north end of the island, whereas , Rolin W. Witt, no doubt his relation , claimed 57 acres on the south end. Subsequently, 144.5 acres on the north end were granted to Thomas Mann in 1885. Other early land grants were given on the south end of the island. They included: two tracts of 168.5 and 124.7 acres to William J. Parrott in 1884; 121.09 acres to Henry J. Richards in 1892; an additional 57 .16 acres to Rolin M. Wilt in 1893; and 161.58 acres to John J. Ferguson in 1893. 9 Another early grant included 143.5 acres farther south, given to Thomas Mann's son, James W. Mann, in 1891 . Homesteader Joseph W. Spang received a grant for 139.45 acres in 1892.

When Thomas Mann arrived on the island in 1888, near what would become one of the two historic cores for Longboat Key, the island had already been identified by several names in deeds, on plats, maps, and old letters, as Long Beach, Long Boat Beach, Longbeach, Long Boat Key, and Longboat Key. Mann was patented and became the first settler on government land on Longboat Key. In 1891, be was granted Homestead Certificate #8942, signed by President Benjamin Harrison . 10 It would be on Mann's homestead that one of the two significant areas of early settlement on the island would take place and the only core in which historic buildings would survive into modem times.

Thomas Mann was a native of Indiana and a carpenter by trade who had served with Co. I , 7th Regiment of the Minnesota Infantry in the Civil War. When he first came to Florida, he went to Bradenton with his wife and family before they fled a yellow fever epidemic and ventured onto Longboat Key. After receiving his island land deed, the Manns built a home and began farming their homestead. II Their farm would be on a portion of Mann's land that the earliest significant white settlement on the island would take place. On April 6, 1898, Thomas Mann sold his land holdings for $500.00 to May E. Pointevant. Mrs. Pointevants and her husband, June, were residents of Ocean Springs, Jackson County, Mississippi. The Pointevants bad started buying land in Florida in the 1880.. "

Early transportation to the island was by boat only. Nearly every early Long Beacb settler whose homestead fronted the water owned a schooner or boat to travel to or from Cortez

18

or Sarasota from the island . In 1895, a water channel was cut southeast of Longboat Pass in Sarasota Bay. Subsequently. steamers could ply the inland waterway from Tampa Bay to Sarasota. Mail for Longboat residents was delivered to Bradenton from Tampa by paddle wheelers and later steamers. The mail wasthentakentoCortez byridersonhorseback. by drivers of carriages and buggies, mule or horse drawn, and to the island by individual owners of various kinds of boats. Longboat homesteader Harry White also brought mail weekly from Sarasota. A number of mail carriers also brought the mail from Bradenton to Cortez where it was transported by boat to the island. For a fee, the mail carriers would also bring groceries from Bradenton to customers. Although against regulations, it endeared the mail carriers to residents . Il Life on the island was rugged but fish were plentiful. Supplies had to be brought in by boat from Bradenton via Cortez.

Some of the homesteaders who came to the island to stake their claims in the 1890s and in the early part of the century were Herman Helviston, Elizabeth and William Harper, Jose Maria Rodriguez, William Abel , Daniel and David Gibbs, Leonidas T. Olive, and Charles M. Carr . '4 When they arrived the island still remained essentially virgin jungle inhabited by large and small animals, reptiles. and an immense mOSQuito popUlation. U

The excellent fishing on Longboat drew visitors from Tampa. John Savarese of that city, who would become a prominent early Longboat Key landowner and resident, owned the first steamer that regularly traveled to the island, The Mistletoe. Beginning in about 1897, his boat made the run from Tampa to the Long Beach Pier on the north end of the key at the east of end of Main Street, today 's Broadway. It also stopped at Corey 's Pier at what was known as Corey's Landing, the island's landing point farther south. Corey's dock was completed in the first years of the 1900s.' 6 The arriving steamers transported fruit and fish and brought the first vacationers to Longboat Key. In 1911 , Savarese's steamer, The Mistlewe, sank, but was soon rebuilt , rechristened the City of Sarasota, and placed back in service.'7

In September, 1907, Byron W. Corey, a homesteader and farmer, on the south end of the island, became the first postmaster when Longboat's first post office was established. Corey was one of the earliest homesteaders coming to Longboat in the late I 89Os. He received a land grant for 154.3 acres in 1903. " Just a few years later, at the time the post office was established on Corey's pier, there were about 25 residents on the south end of the island .19

From about 1901 until 1921, Corey grew tomatoes, guavas, limes and other produce. His boat the !tilas. brought mail from Sarasota to his dock and landing. The long wooden dock was about five or six miles south of the Longboat Beach settlement and jutted out into Sarasota Bay. Corey was also the local agent for the Tampa-Sarasota Tram;portation Co. and he oversaw the shipment of fruit and vegetables from the Key. In July of 1912, Joseph A. Bishop took up a homestead near Corey's place and was placed in charge of the mail between Longboat and Sarasota succeeding Corey. 20

Thomas Mann's former homestead on the north end of the island was sold by the Pointevants to Rufus Perry Jordan and Annie Jordan of Georgia and St. Petersburg on May 24, 1911. By August of 1911 , Jordan was having a town plan for the north end of Longboat laid

19

out by Godding & Manning.2! The plat, J.P. Jordan 's Subdivision, was filed on Novemher 16, 1911 and recorded on March 15, 1912. His original plat depicted four rows of lots from bay to gulf north of Main Street and four rows of lots south of Main Street, with a dock on the east end of the street for the dockage of steamers. 22 During the remainder of the tlrst decade of the Twentieth Century, many Longboat Beach lots were sold for winter homes, homes were built, and a good well was dug. Another section of the island further south, Island Beach, was also platted that year. n

A period newspaper article from the first part of the century expounded upon the beauty of the island and how it had grown from a desolate island to a truck farming and citrus producing center. The article described how a high bluff of five to ten feet extended for miles along the Gulf of Mexico and other areas of the island were lined with excellent beaches. The newspaper depicted the island as having rubber trees growing wild in large groups and sisal hemp flourishing naturally and abundantly. For years , limes and guavas had grown without care or cultivation. Local residents soon discovered them to a be a plentiful source of income.

The streets in the settlement on the north end of the island remained unpaved and were still but footpaths when announcement of the construction of the island 's first hotel was made in the Sarasota Times in August, 1912 and August of 1913.:N The Jordan Hotel was completed for the accommodation of visitors Shortly thereafter . It was named for its owner Rufus Jordan, the island's major landowner and developer in the first part of the century.

Rufus Jordan began to handle most mail delivery for island residents and guests. He traveled to Cortez in his own boat, retrieved the mail and, upon his return, distributed it from his hotel. Sometime..Ii, arriving steamers also brought mail and distributed it on the dock where early settlers often gathered to watch the arriving visitors.

Jordan raised mules but citrus production, truck farming, and fishing provided the most prevalent form of livelihood for what for the most part were homesteaders on the island from the 18908-1920. Artesian wells were dug and by mid 1911 , four hundred acres were in truck farms and about eighteen families lived on the island.25 These included Messrs. Corey, J. W. Spang, W.J. Eason," D.N. Gibbs, W.P. Mays, C.B. Carr, and Olive, who had truck gardens and guava groves. Eason also set up a small guava jelly plant and his product was shipped to St. Petersburg and Clearwater. W.J. Cason also produced jelly.27 Papaya groves were on the south end of the island. 28 Other than citrus, crops of the island homesteaders included tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, snap beans and Irish potatoes, among others and a considerable amount of vegetables were shipped to other areas. Within a few years, strawberry crops would also be harvested. Some homesteaders, such as Byron Corey, also raised hogs. Harry White raised poultry and pigeons on his farm on the extreme north end of the island.29 Others such as Jackson Bispham raised horses. JO

Mrs. Potter Palmer, a wealthy Chicago socialite who came to Sarasota and became a major landowner during the first part of the century, was also attracted to Longboat. Her island landholdings included 400 acres on the southern part of the island with two miles of beach front

20

property on the Gulf, Bay, and Pass. She purchased the property in 1912.31 Her land was cleared and she had a well dug. Captain W. F. Purdy, a wealthy Sarasota resident, purchased thirty five acres in the spring of 1911 , also on the south end of the island, where he set out tomato plants and over 500 avocado trees on 12 acres. Lime trees, already yielding on Purdy's land, produced a heavy crop supplying limes to Sarasota and Tampa. Purdy's farm grew to be the largest avocado orchard on the we."it coast of Florida.31 In 1913, the United States Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry dispatched F. W. Popenoe, from Washington to Longboat to make an inspection of Purdy'S orchard.))

In 1911, an article in the Sarasota Times, had a headline describing activity on the island. The headline read;

"Fertile and Beautiful [sland, From a Lonely Key, It is Now a Center of Trucking and Fruit Growing, Promotors Laying Out Town Site, Hotel to Be Built. "

The newspaper heralded the beauty of the island its picturesque scenery) tropical surroundings, and fertile soil.

"rapidly coming into prominence as a superb location for pleasure resorts, winter homes, truck farms, and especially for the raising of fruit" "3.

A great number of rubber trees grew wild on the island some being as tall as seventy~five feet. Hemp was also found growing wild. Abundant limes, guavas and avocado trees grew naturally .3s

Tampa investors made investments in land on the south end of the island. In 1912, the area spurred the interest of prominent Sarasota resident, Owen Bums, a businessman, developer. and investor. Bums had just recently come to Sarasota for a visit and liked it so well he decided to make it his permanent home. His Sarasota land purchases made him the largest land owner in the young town.36 Bums was well diversified in his business ventures in the area almost immediately from the time of his arrival. Burns owned the Burns Realty Company and the Bums Development Company. His development company was not only responsible for constructing Sarasota's first seawalls on the mainland but for many Boom Time construction and building projects in Sarasota such as Bums Court, a group of Mediterranean Revival 1920s bungalows (NR listed) , the EI Vemona Hotel (John Ringling Towers), (NR listed but demolished 1998, and the development of Washington Park, an exclusive 1920s subdivision just north of downtown Sarasota. 37 Bums was active in Sarasota civic affairs. 1I

Burns would eventually play an active role with John Ringling in the acqumng a tremendous amount of property on St. Armands and Longboat Keys and in the development of John Ringling Estates on St. Armands, just south of Longboat. In February of 1912, Bums

21

purchased 124 acres on Longboat on the southern end of the island from John J. Mundo of Boston. ]9

In about 1913, Mr. Martine of Chicago, and Mr. Huntoon, of the Bay View Hotel on the nearby island of Siesta Key, laid out a seven acre "pleasure" park near the midpoint or southern section of Longboat Key to provide a resort facility for Mr. Huntoon 's Mango Avenue Hotel in downtown Sarasota. Huntoon saw that a 20 feet channel was dredged on the bay side of the property for the easy landing of a ferry making daily trips from the Sarasota mainland. A street was graded across Longboat from Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. A park was laid out with trees and flowering plants. The site offered a setting for picnics, docking facilities . along with a bath house, bathrooms, showers, and an area for swimming with a 100 foot toboggan slide and diving boards .40

By the time Martine was laying out and completing his park on Longboat in 1913, 16 houses were identified in a survey of the north end of the island. The survey, dated August, 1913, was commissioned and undertaken in preparation for the filing of a revised plat for Long Beach. They survey also mapped the hotel, a dock, and a bathhouse. By this time, a steamer, The Mistletoe , was regularly bringing visitors to and from the settlement from Tampa by way of the Long Beach dock .~l

Continued efforts were made to spur development on the island and to lure new residents. In 1913, a new development effort and associated activity took place. Some of the area 's and Longboat's leading citizens formed a development company for the purpose of developing a portion of Harry A. White's homestead, located about midway on the island. In October, 1913, an application was made for a charter for the Shore-Acres Co. Those involved in the development plan included Messrs. Yarborough, Highsmith, Browning, White, Pearce and Watrous. One of the developers, Browning, already had a summer cottage on the gulf side of the island . Stockholder White served as the manager and superintendent for the new development company. He oversaw the surveyors who laid out the entire tract which was cut into large lots of approximately one acre, each with water frontage . Plans called for a hotel and winter home sub-division.42

The planned development, Shore Acres, encompassed 170 acres on the narrowest part of the island and the highest frontage on the Gulf. All of the Gulf of Mexico frontage occupied a bluff 12 to 14 feet above sea level with a bathing beach along the shore. Shore-Acres also had a mile of frontage on Sarasota Bay and several small adjacent islands. Cabbage Palms Cocoa, Bay, Cedar, Water oaks, Sea Grapes and other trees and plants grew on the property. Wide boulevards were planned. The bay side lots offered harbors for the mooring of small boats. Streets were cleared and a dock to accommodate both the Tampa and Sarasota steamers was planned. H.K. Browning was given the contract to construct the dock into the steamer channel. Other initial grandiose plans were for the construction of a hotel , bath houses, the digging of artesian wells, and other improvements.43

22

Within a few months, Shore Acres streets were graded running from high bluffs overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay.« The new dock was under construction and one of the developers himself, majority stockholder, W. T. Watrous, had a personal winter home built within the development (non-extant). He maintained his summer home in the British Hondurds. ~5

Shore-Acres was intended to appeal to upper end buyers and building restrictions were established. Land Broker Baxter Co. served as sales agent.~ By 1914, a long Shore Acres dock for steamers was completed on the bay side as well as a smaller one for smaller boats and a hotel had been constructed. The hotel was two-stories in height with a wide piazzas on three sides of both floors. A home for the use of any of the development partners for a few days during their visits was built.

With increased island population and the promise of continued growth, a school was opened on the south end of the island for the children of local workers in 1913. M iss Sallie Harrison wa'i the first teacher.47 Nevertheless, settlement of the island was slow. It would be late March of 1929 before a bridge connecting the island with St. Armands and Sarasota beyond would be completed.~ The Long Beach community was 14 miles from Sarasota where supplies not brought by ship were required to be purchased. The trip was along a shell road.

Commercial fishing continually remained a principal means of livelihood for many Long Beach residents. A number of docks and boat houses lined the bayshore side of the island. ~9 One early visitor, later an island resident, recalled in later years that fishing was so good in waters around the key. that kingfish could be caught on a hook baited with a piece of white c1oth .~

There were about 14 families living on the south end of the Key by 1915. Prospective settlers came to the island from all parts of the United States and the tourist season began to be highly successful. 51 By 1915, newspaper accounts noted that a number of Chicago and Illinois residents purchased lots for the construction of winter homes in the Island Beach section of the island, south of Long Beach. They included: Charles R. Woodward. Western Manager of the Womans Home Companion; Mr. A.W. Smith, with Marshall Field for twenty years; Frank S. Spofford, manager of the Hardman Piano Co.; Mr. Joy, a "well known" milliner of Marshall Field for eight years; and Dr. Dewin, well known surgical dentist. A number of Ohio people also purchased property in Island Beach. 52

A second post office had been established on the north end of the island, nearer to Cortez, in the spring of 1914. Mrs. Henrietta Tallman was appointed the facility's first postmaster.)] Mrs. Tallman' s husband, Denver, and their daughter, Mary, operated the only store in Long Beach which was also where Mrs. Tallman maintained her post office. George Tate brought the mail by boat to the store twice daily from Cortez where Mrs. Tallman placed it in boxes. ~~

A second plat, the tirst .. Longbeach" plat, a revision of Jordan's original Longboat Beach! J.P. Jordan's Subdivision plat, was recorded on January 23 , 1914 by Rufus Jordan, Lorenro

23

Willig, and Street Lightfoot. Lightfoot had owned property on the upper end of the key for at least a year but his financial interest in Longbeach would last just over five months. He and his wife, ,Jessie , executed a quit claim deed for their share of Longbeach property on December 30, 1913" The new Longbeach plat showed the lots fully developed, canals, an anchor basin, a park and hotel site on the Gulf of Mexico. A Jarge bathhouse is shown on the gulf just north of Main Street. ~ Streets remained unpavedS7 and although improvements were indicated on the plat, they were not realized. Besides this revision of the plat in 1914, a portion of the earlier plat involving only Blocks 22-26 would he revised by Rufus Jordan's in 1915 and the entire plat again in 1921, both under the auspices of his corporation, The Longbeach Company of Sarasota. the entire Plat would again be revised twice still later by subsequent owners who had acquired Jordan's corporation and most of his Longbeach land holdingS .SI

By 1919, fishing and building were the main industries on the still sparsely populated island" In July, 1921 , Sarasota County was formed from part of Manatee County. Henceforth, Longboat Key would lie within two counties, although mOTe than half of the island would rest in Manatee.

On October 22, 1921, a tremendous hurricane struck Longboat Key and destroyed the Jordan 's c.1911 Longbeach town dock, Corey's dock on the south end of the island, the island's first school . and most of the island's dwellings . Fonowing the hurricane, suffering the loss of their homes and crops, many of the island 's residents moved away. As a result, the Longboat Key post office at Corey ' s landing on the south end of the island was closed in 1922. Mrs. Katherine Bispham, the third postmaster of Longboat Key, served as its last postmaster.60

The hurricane of 1921 brought to an end the island's existence as a thriving and promising location for numerous truck farms and the production of numerous crops. No doubt following heavy financial losses after the hurricane and discouraged by the departure of many residents. Rufus Jordan and his wife , Annie, sold their interest in Longbeach to Lorenz Willig on May 17, 1923. The Jordan's held a mortgage on the property for Willig which, by December, 1924, Willig had satisfied.

In January of 1925, Willig and his associates of Albany, New York, sold their entire land hOldings which included all of "Long Beach" on the northern end of Longboat Key to a syndicate of New York and Cleveland capitalists for $225,000. The purchasers including; Ralph R. Payne, who, with his associates Fox Smith, A.S. Skinner, A.M. Martine, William Lindley, Russell Holderman, Jack Rittaleata and L.M. O'Connor, entered into a trust agreement with First National Company. The transfer of property to these parties included the hotel building on Lots 12 and 14 in Block 14 and several dwellings, a waterworks, and a store. The new group announced plans to further develop "Long Beach" and make it a community center. They immediately began building a road from the Manatee County line to the Longboat Inlet in order to bring workers and needed supplies to Longbeach. Stockholder Rittaleata operated a hydroplane that took prospective purchasers to view property on Longbeach. Canals were dredged by a crew from New Orleans. The dirt from the dredging was hauled away with mules.

24

The company also rebuilt the hurricane destroyed Longbeach dock and dredged the area around it to add greater depth for fishing off the dock.61

Later that year, the Longbeach plat was again revised and titled "LONGBEACH on Longboat Key". by the newly fonned Longbeach Company of Sarasota, Florida. The new plat reflected the interests and influence of the new owners within the syndicate when some of their names appeared on streets on the plat such as Russell, Fox, Lin(d)ley, and Lois, for the wife of A.S. Skinner. Main Street was renamed Broadway . The plat was completed by Kirby & Webb, engineers from Bradenton and signed by A.S. Skinner, as sales agent. In October, 1926, Ralph Payne and his wife , Dorothy, sold their entire interest to the Longbeach Company .62 Another revised plat for a portion of the development would be filed by .the Longbeach Company in 1927. M

Brothers, John and Charles Ringling, of Ringling Brothers Circus fame, came to the nearby Sarasota area in 1919, and began making inv~'lments in local real estate. John Ringling purchased a large part of Longboat Key in 1923. His land acquisitions included the former Corey property, the Shore Acres development, and 65 acres from a Mrs. Edmonson. Ringling 's property extended from New Pass northward . COt

Besides acquiring his Longboat property, John Ringling purchased Bird Key, St. Armands Key, Coon Key, Otter Key, Wolfe Key, and several other unnamed mangrove islands. This made him the owner of most of the land on the islands between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico off the city of Sarasota. M

By 1925, John Ringling had financed and overseen major changes to the appearance of S1. Armands Key, Lido Key, and the southern end of Longboat Key. Millions of cubic yards of fill were made, thousands of coconut palms and Australian pines were planted along the boulevards and roads were resurfaced and canals were dredged. Work on a causeway to connect Lido & St. Armands Key with the city of Sarasota was begun in January, 1925 and was opened to the public in February, 1926.

Ringling established a nursery of at least 150 acres on a portion of his property on Longboat in about 1926 on the site oftoday's Longboat Key Club. The operation was managed by George Betts. It was not set up as a commercial enterprise but as a means of propagating plants, especially coconut palms to be used on Ringling's various land holdings, including Ringling 's Sarasota home and art museum, and S1. Armands Key . Besides the groves of palm trees, there were greenhouses and "slat houses" for smaller plants. Ringling and his wife often shipped exotic plants back from their travels which Betts, who was a successful horticulturist, was greatly successful at propagating and producing thousands of cuttings. The nursery eventually did a successful wholesale business selling to other nurseries between Sarasota and Tampa.66

Ringling 's Longboat plans included the construction of a Ritz Carlton Hotel on the south end of the island. He pledged $5,000 a year to Ritz Carlton for the use of the hotel name. The

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hotel was to be situated on 20 acres with another IO acres to be laid out as the hotel's private vegetable and !lower garden. The Longboat Key Golf Course, with an estimated value of $130,000 at the time, would occupy the 130 adjacent acres. Project construction began on March 15 , 1926.

Ringling was also in the process of laying a 100 foot boulevard , that would extend from the southern end of Longboat Key, near his Ritz Carlton hotel , to a planned new bridge connecting Longboat to SI. Armands Key and the new Ringling Causeway beyond, leading to Sarasota. He also extended the road eight miles out on the key to provide access to his plant nurseries .61 The foundation for the hotel was laid , framing went up, window and door casings were installed, and "tons" of brass fittings, doorknobs, and bathroom fixtures were delivered to the site .6I The 18 hole golf course, designed by prominent national golf course designer. Donald Ross, was completed at the end of 1925 or early 1926 and put in use. ~ Although work continued on the hotel from 1926 until 1929," and Ringling spent over $650,000 on the pf(:~ject.l 1 he was unable to bring the it to completion due to the failure of the Florida Land Boom of the 19205 and resulting financial difficulties and losses that Ringling experienced. The hotel's shell was eventually demolished in 1964.

In early 1926, a Manatee County bond issue was approved to finance the construction of a $435 ,000 wood bridge, extending 700 feet with a 20 foot roadway, to link Longboat Key to Anna Maria Island. By April , the Manatee County engineer had almost completed the plans.l1

The bridge was finished in August. At about the same time, a mile long hard-surfaced road extending down Anna Maria Island to the Manatee mainland was compteted.ll Use of the bridge was short, because it was soon closed after the October 1926 hurricane due to erosion, although it was repaired by 1927. A few years later, on March 6, 1932, the bridge was completely swept away by high tides. A replacement bridge would not be completed until 1957."

In October of 1925, Ennis and White, subdividers and developers, announced that they had sold $140,250 worth of lots on the south end of the island; formerly belonging to ex­congressman Jacob Ruppert, millionaire owner of the Yankee baseball club and builder of Yankee Stadium. All lots were 60 feet wide. Gulf front lots sold for $6,000 and bayfrontlots brought $4,800." Ennis and White also began marketing other lots for $1,900 to $6,000 in another area identified as Summerset Beach. 16

Mirroring the great land speculation that took place during the Florida Land Boom, a period of unparalleled growth in the state in the early and mid I92Os, a Chicago syndicate of northern and New York capitalists purchased a 315 acre tract from John Ringling Estates for $2,047.500 in November, 1925. The property consisted of 2 112 miles of waterfront acreage bordering both the gulf and bay . The site was 1/2 mile from the site of the Ringling' s planned Ritz Carlton Hotel , on the south end of Longboat and the sale was handled by John Ringling Estates through his business associate, Owen Bum's company, the Bums Co.

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The high financed syndicate included New Yorker Jacob Ruppert; Fred French. president of the Building and Security Company of New York City and builder of upscale palatial apartment houses in New York; Major White , connected by marriage with the well-known Jermyn family of Scranton, Pennsylvania, large anthracite coal mine owners and operators; and Lyman B. Betts and John J. Mulkern of Chicago. The group announced plans to spend several million dollars to develop the tract including the construction of boulevards, parks and the construction of homes to be sold on terms of ten years.n They also heralded that the development would be a "New Miami " to be named Longboat Shores. The Sarasota Sunday I.iml::i announced on November 8, 1925 that a Longboat Shore dock had been completed. A.S. Skinner, prominent Sarasota real estate man, announced in December of 1925, the promising plans for the development. 71 When the plat was filed on March 26, 1926 in was signed by Fox Smith, A.S. Skinner, and, curiously. Mr. Martine who had built a pleasure park on the island in 1913.19 But, apparently like so many other Boom Time plans, the rest of the group's grandiose plans never came to fruition. By 1928, the Longboat Shores property had reverted back to the ownership by John Ringling Estates, Inc . On August 17, 1928, Ringling's Corpof'dtion revised the plat modifying the subdivision's layout and renaming the streets to reflect the names of former U.S. Presidents such as Van Buren, Polk, Adams, Washington, Madison, and Monroe, names which the streets continue to bear today although no historic structures are located within the subdivision. II(l Interestingly, Ringling also used many of the same names of past presidents in the naming of streets on nearby 5t. Armands Key which they also retain to date.

In 1926. advertising campaigns in the Sarasota Herald offered acreage on Longboat in anticipation of the completion of the new bridge from Longboat to St. Armands Key. Small and large parcels were offered some with frontage on the Bay or Gulf. I.I . Casabona Co., Inc. of Sarasota, ran regular newspaper promotions for land sales on the island. 81

Beginning in the mid 19305, several groups of resort cottage developments along the beach and bayfront were built and as a result Longboat began to be firmly established as a busy winter resort area. Visitors from all over the country, including renowned artists and writers seeking a place of beauty and solitude were drawn to the remoteness and tranquility of the island.

With the arrival of a few new families with young children in need of schooling as full­time residents. Manatee County established the second school on the island in 1936, the first having been destroyed in the 1921 hurricane and not rebuilt or re-established. The tirst teacher was Mrs. Edna Libert, whose four children attended the school. The school house (extant) was completed in 1938 on Broadway, next to Mrs. Libert' s house. Original enrollment was 8 student~. 82 More visitors with families began to spend the winter on the island, once the school was established. The school incorporated art classes and continued to educate island students until the spring of 1943, after which they were required to travel to Sarasota for classes until 1957 when a new bridge which provided closer access to Manatee County schools was completed.13

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Telephone service was established on the south end of the island in 1936 but it would be 1939 or 1940 before those on the north end enjoyed the same convenience. The island still had no newspaper. From 1941 to 1944, three young island residents, Charles and Colvin Whitney and James Libert, published the Key's ftrst paper, the Gulf Gale, more or less a one page dispatch of local affairs . It was quite popular with resident 'i.

When World War II broke out, Longboat beeame one of the oftshore islands designated as a practice bombing range. Personnel from Sarasota, Venice and other Army Air Force Bases practiced on targets set up AAF personnel as the pilots would fly low across Sarasota Bay with their guns shooting. Some of the targets were silhouettes of German tanks and armored personnel carriers. The range was located near the County line. Access was denied through the range from eight to five each day making access to shopping facilities to the south, where the only bridge from the island was located; difficult. Local women organized the Village War Relief Commission and met twice weekly in the Longbeach Inn. The women sewed and knitted items for the armed services. S4 The Whitney Beach Cottages were almost entirely occupied by the wives of servicemen and their families during the war years.

In 1946, following the end of the War, Longbeach Village was a quaint seashore community with a number of houses grouped among Australian Pine and Palm trees. By that time, the island had two small grocery stores to serve residents ' needs." The island began to attract an increase both tourists and newcomers. Many social and community organizations and centers began to be established. These included the Longboat Key Civic Club and the Junior Civic Club .lI6

By the late 1940s, only about 40 to 50 permanent residents lived on the island.1'7 Gradually more permanent residents began to arrive and construction after World War II would begin to launch the island into a spiral of development as an upscale resort community and winter home for many northerners .

Gulf Shore Trailer City mobile park opened on the island in October of 1948 with 144 homes. Partners, Tommy Jerkins, Louis Garman, and Nelson O. Webber fmanced and ran the park. There was no settlement to the north for a distance of over 3 miles and only a few cottages, a single large winter residence, the Kohl Estate, and the private Longboat Cabana Club (non-extant) to the south." In general, the south end of the island still remained in the hands of John Ringling's estate.

The island 's fIrst zoning ordinance was adopted for the north end of the island in 1950 after it became clear that there was a need for some control over future development. The number of families who resided full-time on the island increased after the war and local women established a nursery school. No church was established or constructed on the island until the Longboat Island Chapel was completed in the 1960s. Nevertheless, Sunday School for children was conducted. Both the island's nursery and Sunday schools were set up on Linley Street in the old school house, beginning in about 1952. For most other purposes, the island remained relatively dependent on the Sarasota mainland for other facilities and services such as a library,

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banking needs , and medical care, well into the 1950s or 1960s. In 1951 , etfons began to establish the Longboat Key Art Center which has remained one of the most important community organizations to date based upon the long time attraction the island has had for both visiting and full-time persons in the art tield.

It was not until 1953 that the island established its first fire department, manned by volunteer island residents . Previously fires had to be responded to by the Sarasota Fire Department, a distance of 15 miles.

In 1955, the Town· of Longboat Key was incorporated. Up until that time, all decisions affecting Longboat were made by Sarasota and Manatee County governments. In 1956, the island got its first newspaper . the Loneboat Look-Qut.

A number of new resort facilities were completed along the gulf side of the island during the 1950s. These were mainly motels with a low profile; generally one to three stories. Post war single family residential construction also took place, escalating in the 1950s and 1960s. The 1960's brought the advent of much more intense construction of high-rise condominiums along the gulf shoreline on Longboat which again accelerated rapidly by the 1970s and continues to date with construction along the shorelines of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico having generally reached saturation.

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND AND TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY DEVELOPMENT

AND mSTORIC PLAN

Only small sections of the island of Longboat Key were platted until recent years . Up until the 19408, a large part of the south end of the island remained under the ownership of John Ringling and, subsequently , his estate. Thus, any development attempts in that area were not attempted subsequent to the mid to late 1920s when Ringling' s efforts ceased.

In general , early settlement of the island was late by national standards and involved land grants of which the first dated from as recently as the 1880s. Subsequently, the lack of access to the island other than by water up until the 1920s, was not encouraging towards the platting of subdivisions or an expectation of major growth and development.

Historical research indicates that only a few subdivisions were platted on the island prior to the 1950s. The first area of Longboat to platted and filed appears to be for Westview, a subdivision on the Gulf of Mexico at the northern tip of the island. The subdivision was platted by T.!. Baty and D.W. Everett and filed in the Manatee County records on April?, 1905. The land area that encompassed Westview is now underwater, most likely due to beach erosion or as a result of early hurricanes."

Other early plats were limited to J . P. Jordan's Long Beach plat which was later revised several times; Shore Acres, midwayan the island; Longboat Shores; and Somerset Beach, both on the southern end of the island. It appears that other than Jordan's development, none of the other later platted subdivisions ever saw the construction of more than a. few buildings or structures, These subdivisions were not finally developed or substantially developed until the 19605 or later. With one exception, the Kohl Estate, any buildings near the south end of the island that were buiJt prior to the 1950s have not survived. All of the later structures on the island are of contemporary construction within subdivisions either developed or platted within the last 40 years . Thus, only the area in and around J.P. Jordan's original Long Beach subdivision, retains historic structures.

What appears to be only the island's second recorded plat, subsequent only to the 1905 Westview plat, was Rufus P. Jordan's plat of Long Boat Beach, R.P. Jordan 's Subdivision indicated as being on "Long Boat" Key and as being a portion of Land Lots Numbers 3 & 5 of fractional section of Numbers Fifteen, Township No. 35 S, Range No. 16 E, Manatee County, Florida. This plat was filed November 16, 1911 and filed March I, 1912." This first plat included a total of 10 blocks, 8 of which are essentially rectangular in shape. Block 6 is curved on the west end to accommodate the shoreline of a bayou and Block I is much smaller than all the other blocks in response to the curve of the shoreline of Sarasota Bay on the easternmost section of the plat. Main Street (today 's Broadway) is shown running west to east from Gulf Beach Street (today's Gulf of Mexico Drive) to Sarasota Bay. Main Street bisects the ten platted blocks with five blocks to the north and five blocks to the south. Running parallel to Main Street

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to the north is Myrtle Street, whereas, Oak Street runs parallel with Main to the south. Main Street is first intersected by Long Beach Avenue, then by Bayou Avenue and a bayou, part of which is named Stone Crab Bayou where the plat map also indicates that there is a designated "inside harbor for small boats." The next north to south intersecting streets are West View Avenue and Cedar Avenue. Bay View Avenue winds along the bayfront on the eastern section of the plat. Although there is no dock indicated, a deep water boat landing is shown on the Sarasota Bay waterfront in the. western section.

All waterfront areas on the bayou and Sarasota Bay on this first plat were marked "Reserved" , indicating land area owned by Jordan and perhaps set aside for his future use or the establishment of parks for public use. In addition, platted land fronting Gulf Beach Street on the east is also marked reserved, perhaps for future commercial use although the plat does not indicate the specific use of any of the reserved areas. AU lots in the subdivision were laid out to be 50 x 120 feet, unless otherwise noted.

rn August, 1913, R.P. Jordan, and his partners and the subdivision's co-owners, Lorenz Willig of Albany, New York, and Street Lightfoot of Tampa, Florida, had a larger land area surveyed by H. M. Longstreth for the purpose substantially enlarging the development and for revising the original plat. This amended plat was recorded on January 23, 1914.91 The new plat shows a much more extensive and complete development. The land area encompassed in the revised plat has been expanded to 44 blocks, a considerable increase from the 10 blocks shown on the earlier (1911) plat. The new plat shows the subdivision divided into lots and denotes a canal, an anchor basin, and a large bayfront triangular-shaped park. Just north of Main Street, east of the canal, a dock and large bathhouse on the bay are shown.

Two additional but smaller park sites, triangular in shape, are noted west of Canal Street on the map. Canal Street, which runs parallel with the canal, is in the area where the previous plat indicated as the path of a bayou near the center of the subdivision, if it were divided into east and west sections. The new plat denotes this dredged canal as extending a greater length and having a more regular and linear shape than the bayou that was depicted on the earlier map. This new plat shows a vacant hotel site on the gulf in the section of the subdivision west of the canal. The street running in front of the hotel site is shown as Hotel Place. West of the canal, a main boulevard, Central Avenue, is shown running east to west.

The previously reserved waterfront areas of the earlier plat are no longer indicated. Platted lots now align the dredged canal on both sides. All of the streets, excepting Main Street, have been renamed utilizing a numbering system with E and W indicators to distinguish different sections of the street, depending if they are east or west of the canal. Sixteen residences were shown on the 1914 plat. 92

Another plat, encompassing only Blocks 22, 23, 24 25, & 26 of Longbeach was filed on August 20, 1915 and recorded on September I, 1915.fl Revisions on this plat appear to be limited to the platting of additional lots in Block 26 and the reconfiguring of lots in Block 24.

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The plat was revised twice more by the Longbeacb Company in July and September of 1925. 901 These two very similar plats no longer show the yacht basin which indicates that it was never completed, although the canal is still shown. A notable change from the previous plat is the shape of the previously shown canal. The new plats depict the canal as more curvilinear in shape. Blocks and lots have been reconfigured differently than previously to provide waterfront views of the new course of the canal .

The 1925 plat indicates that Main Street has been renamed Broadway and a number of new streets appear , most noticeably two waterfront streets, a long curvilinear street, Longboat Drive, and another waterfront drive, Bayside Drive, that winding along the shore of Sarasota Bay in the eastern section of the subdivision. Whereas, the earlier plats _reflected a somewhat regular grid pattern, this plat generally displays a more curvilinear shape to many streets and blocks. The earlier street names are again changed with many reflecting the names of the partners in the Longbeach Company such as Linley, Payne, and Russell, whereas, a number of other streets reflect tropical and horticultural references such as Seabreeze, Gulfside, Coral, Shell , Oak, Cedar, Pine, Magnolia, and Hibiscus. Most of these street names have been retained to date. For the first time, the main central boulevard running the length of the island, south to north , is denoted as Ringling Boulevard. The plat depicts center landscaped medians at center of the boulevard in the area of the Longbeacb subdivision. The area on the east side of this road that was reserved in the previous plat is no longer noted as such.

The earlier depicted hotel site on the Gulf of Mexico in the western section is no longer shown. Block and lot configurations in this section have also been altered first and foremost to allow for the path and construction of the major south to north island corridor, Ringling Boulevard, and in other instances lot sizes have been reduced to allow for a greater number of lots to have gulf and bay frontage. Several more new streets appear and several areas, which appear to be set aside for park areas, are marked as reserved. A note appears on the mapping where the north end of the island is mapped, that denotes the approximate location of the anticipated new bridge that would connect Longboat to Anna Maria, although no connecting roads to the bridge access point are shown.

[n 1926, the bridge to Anna Maria was completed and the last revision to the Longbeach Plat was recorded on March 10, 1927. This plat was commissibned by the First Trust Company of Sarasota, as Trustee, and completed by F.K. Webb & Associates, Inc. , Civil Engineers of Bradenton, Florida in December, 1926." Of note on this plat is the location of the new bridge to Anna Maria Island which is accessed via Palm Drive. Several adjacent small triangular land areas at the approach of the bridge are marked "Reserved. II The most extensive change displayed in this plat is the renumbering of almost all block and lot numbers. The renumbering is so extensive that a conversion chart is necessary and incorporated on the plat for cross-referencing the old lot and block numbers with the new. In all other regards the layout of the subdivision appears to be unchanged from the 1925 plat. Copies of the various plat maps can be found herein beginning on Page 92.

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LAND'S END

Two historic structures , albeit considerably modified, are located at the north tip of the island on what has been historically identified as Land's End. These two structures with a single street address of 7300 Gulf of Mexico Drive, are Frame Vernacular structures that were constructed in 1936 and c.1942. The structure closest to the water , The Mayers House, was originally built in 1936 as a simple vacation home but has been modified and enlarged over time. This one-story wood frame rectangular-shaped structure is sited just at the water's edge. The structure has a wood frame covered by board and batten siding and is supported on wood piers. Originally a gable roof covered the building but the roof plane was altered to a flat roof on the main block in c.1958. At about the same time, the house was enlarged to include an east and west room addition. An original full-width porch on the north, facing the waterfront, was enclosed c.1958. Total windows replacement was undertaken in c.1970. Existing windows are 3 and 4 light aluminum awning windows replacing original wood sash.

Two outbuildings are located on the property, a c.1955 masonry structure, which originally served as a garage and workshop, and a 1940s two-story former apartment building that was incorporated into the site in about 1951 and is now in single family use. The garage/workshop and the apartment building have received considerable modifications over time.

Although of note for the age of the original Mayers House and for its location on the site of an earlier Saverese house destroyed in a 1921 hurricane, modifications over time appear to disqualify either historic structure, the house or the former apartment building, from listing in the National Register.

John Savarese

With the advent of rail transportation in 1884, between Tampa and northern points, the fishing region in the bay area experienced significant growth. One of a number of large fishing companies that came to Tampa was owned by John Savarese. Savarese, a native of Naples , Italy, came to America in 1872 where he attended private schools and McCardy's Business College. He later joined his brother in the fishing business in Savannah, Georgia.90S Savarese married Neily Risley of Michigan . He became one of the first prominent industrialists of Tampa and became influential in that city's economic and social affairs. He served a number of years as Italian consul in the city; two terms on the Tampa City Council; member of the Tampa Board of Trade; director of the Citizens Bank and Trust Co.; and vice president of the Florida Fish Dealers Association. Saverese served in a number of additional posts and capacities in business and his building and real estate holdings were extensive, including ownership of property on Longboat and Manasota Keys. He would playa significant role in the growth and development of Longboat.

Savarese and his wife established a fishing business in Tampa in t 885. The operation saw great success, employing as many as 550 men after ten years. Their fishing fleet grew to 15 sailing vessels, 150 small boats, and a large steamer, The Mistletoe. In 1897, Savarese placed

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the steamer in use bringing early vacationers to Longboat Key from Tampa twice weekly. The boat docked at Rufus Jordan 's Longbeach Pier on the north end of the island and Corey's Pier to the south where early homesteader Byron Corey also maintained a warehouse on his dock and a bungalow nearby. The Mistletoe sank at a dock in Tampa in 191 I but was rebuilt slightly larger and renamed the City of Sarasota and placed back in service in 1912 with a passenger capacity of 200.97

Near the end of John Savarese's life, he was honored by King Victor Emmanuel III who decorated him with the Cross of a Cavalier of the Crown of Italy for his service to the Italian government. John Savarese and his wife were childless. During the 1930s, believing that his Longboat Key land holdings were of little value, Savarese had failed to pay taxes on those properties, In the mid 1930s, he suggested that Frances Fitzgerald Mayers, his great-niece, consider settling on one of his Longboat parcels. Savarese had previously built a house on a waterfront property on the northern tip of the island in late 1913 or early 1914 but the vacation house was destroyed in the 1921 hurricane as well as Savarese's fish house and warehouse in Sarasota. 98 Frances Mayers had visited there when she was a young girl. After laying claim to the same spot and paying the back taxes, she and her husband, Frank, began construction of a vacation cottage on the same spot in the late 1930s, calling the house nLand's End." It was completed in 1937. Although considerably altered, the structure still stands. From 1940 until 1959, the cottage remained a vacation home for the Mayers and their three children. In 1959. the Mayers moved to Longboat permanently, built a dock out into New Pass for the establishment of their new business, Land's End Marina, which opened in 1960. At approximately the same time, the Mayers made an addition to the house. Besides selHng fishing supplies and renting boats, the marina served food for take-out to customers. The business continued in operation until the death of Frank. Mayers in 1968.99 The property remains under the ownership of Mayer descendants.

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EARLY ISLAND HOTELS, RESORTS & DINING ESTABLISHMENTS

JordaD Hotel/LoDgbeach Hotelllnn

This c .1913 simple two-story wood frame Frame Vernacular structure, located at 601 Broadway . was constructed as the island's first hotel and is unusual for being one of only a few historic two-story buildings on Longboat Key. The frame building has a modified square plan. It is covered by pyramidal roofs , surfaced in asphalt shingle. Exterior walls are wood siding over a wood frame. The house rests on original brick and contemporary concrete block piers. What was originally an open full -width front porch with a roof deck above, extends across the first floor of the main facade. The porch was modified in 1950 or 1951 with the removal of the second floor deck and construction of contemporary brick knee walls below square openings that are presently filled with aluminum awning windows.

On the rear (north) elevation there appears to be an early (c.1919) second floor addition, that most likely was constructed to add an indoor bathroom or second floor bath to the building. The bouse retains most of its original wood 111 and 6/6 wood double bung sash windows, hung independently and in pairs.

In 19 t I , Sarasota police officer, G. W . White announced plans for the construction of a 16 room hotel to accommodate fishing parties. Apparently , White never completed the hotel because the hotel opened under the ownership of Rufus Jordan bearing the name the Jordan Hotel. The frame structure was completed as early as mid or late 1912 but no later than August, 1913 when it appeared on a survey map completed at that time. The hotel, owned by Rufus and Annie Jordan, was operated by Mr. and Mrs. Dorrity from 1913 to 1919, and by Orena and George Frost from 1919 to 1925, In 1925, it was renamed the Longbeach Hotel when it was purchased from the Jordans by Elizabeth Haverfield, an island resident, and came under her management. In 1928 & 1929, Haverfield leased the hotel to O. Brownell , Doris Brownell and J.H. Hall. On April 12, 1933, Haverfield transferred ownership of the property to Jacob Earl Armstrong. Pat Rillma Hodson managed the hotel for Armstrong until Armstrong transferred title to her on March 23, 1935.'00

In 1936, Gordon Whitney leased the hotel from then owner Pat Hodson before purchasing it one year later. 101 After refurbishing it, he reopened its as the Longbeach Inn, under the management of Millie and Gene Johnson. The hotel's restaurant was known for its home cooked meals and provided meals for guests at the nearby Whitney's Beach Resort as well as for the general public. 1m The 10hnsons operated the Inn until 1947 when they opened their own restaurant (non-extant) near the Longboat Pass Bridge.

Up until 1938, when the Longbeach Elementary School was completed, the hotel served as the island 's primary community center for local meetings and gatherings.lOl Located on Main Street, today's Broadway, it remained in use as a hotel until 1950 at which time Mr. Williams, the then postmaster, converted it to single family use and it remains standing today as a private residence.

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Although the structure is no longer in use as a hotel and has undergone the alteration of its original front entrance porch, it is very likely the oldest or very near oldest surviving structure on the island. It was the island 's first hotel and not only played an important role in Longboat's beginnings as a resort community but it served as a place for local residents to receive collect their mail. It was also the primary and only large gathering place and social center for local residents up until the time that the Longbeach Elementary School was completed in 1938. The building continues to relay some of its original architectural integrity and could contribute to a potential National Register District, but does not appear eligible on an individual basis based upon the non-sympathetic alterations to the front entrance porch on the main facade .

The Robinson Beach Bungalows/Long Beach Cottages

A collection of 9 frame beach cottages were constructed for the use of visiting tourists was completed in c .1933 within Longbeach. First identified as the Robinson Beach Cottages, it appears that all but one have survived. In 1997, a single cottage located at 7091 Longboat Drive E, referenced as Cottage #5 for the purpose of the survey, was demolished in 1997 and a new residence was erected on its former site. Four cottages were built along the waterfront on Longboat Drive E. Each cottage was given a number for reference within the survey report and to distinguish them from each other on their individual Florida Master Site File Forms.

Four of the surviving 8 cottages align the waterfront. The location of the waterfront cottages are as follows:

71 JO Longboat Drive E, Cottage #1 7120 Longboat Drive E, Cottage #2 7130 Longboat Drive E, Cottage #3 7140 Longboat Drive E, Cottage #4

The location of the remaining 4 surviving cottages are:

7119 Longboat Drive E, Cottage #7 7fIJ Longboat Court, Cottage #6 761 Fox Street, Cottage #8 771 Fox Street, Cottage #9

These single family vacation or resort structures were built as simple one-story Frame Vernacular vacation cottages and all were originally similar in design with rectangular plans. Wood drop siding was used on exterior walls . Gable roofs covered the structures which rested on concrete foundation piers. Each cottage had a full-width screened porch. The porches of those cottages not on the water extended the full-width of the house facing the front entrance oriented towards the street or central greenspace, whereas, the waterfront dwellings were oriented towards the water with fuji -width screened porches that faced the waterfront as opposed to the street. Windows were 111 wood double bung sash, usually placed independently . All of the cottages had brick chimneys. Most, if not all, interior floor plans had a combina~on living/dining

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room, a kitchen, and one or two bedrooms and a single bath. The waterfront cottages were the two bedroom units.

Although historical or biographical information as to the exact year of construction or as to the original owners, assumably Robinson, could not be located, it is known that the collection of 9 cottages were built in about t 933 and in operation into the 1940s as the Robinson Beach Bungalows. '" The resort was purchased by Louis Garman in 1948 who renamed the resort the Long Beach Cottages at that time. Garman was the founder and owner of Garman Printing in E. Chicago, Indiana. 1M He came to Longboat in 1948 and, in conjunction with Nelson Webber and Thomas Jerkins, he built the Gulf Shore Trailer City on the island. Garman also built a large home for himself and his wife in 1948 or 1949. The house is located just north of the cottages at 7150 Longboat Drive E.IOI5 A c. 1948 promotional brochure for the resort provides illustrations displaying the appearance of the Long Beach Cottages and the grounds surrounding them at that time.

Louis and Madeline Garman retained ownership of the resort property and their Longboat home into the 1960s. Subsequently, the resort property was subdivided and the various cottages were sold to individual owners. Since that time, all except two of the former Robinson/Long Beach Cottages have been extensively modified as to compromise their original architectural integrity, thus jeopardizing their potential for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, collectively or as a small district. Based upon their simple common Frame Vernacular architecture, it appears that the individual nomination to the National Register of Historic Places of either of the two relatively unaltered cottages could not be justified but consideration should be given as to their listing on a local level in the event that a local landmark designation program is established.

The Whitney Beach Cottages

Scattered on various sites on the north end of the island, mainly in Longboat Village, are 11 frame cottages and 3 former outbuildings that were originally constructed in 1935 and 1936 for resort use on beach property fronting the Gulf of Mexico, just west of the Long Beach . The vacation colony or resort was known as the Whitney Beach Resort. The first group of beach cottages constructed were five two-bedroom units designed by Chicago architect Ralph Huzak: and built by local labor in 1935. Shortly thereafter, two more two-bedroom units were completed, again utilizing Huzak's plan. Subsequently, in about 1936, four larger three and 4 bedroom cottages, and a single one bedroom unit, referred to as the Honeymoon Cottage, were designed by Sarasota architect Werner Kannenberg and built by prominent Sarasota contractors, Logan and Currin. A total of 16 buildings, including a residence for the Whitney family , a superintendent' s house, and a linen storage building were also built for the resort. Beach erosion necessitated the relocation of the entire collection of buildings from the beach in the early and mid 1950s. All except one of Whitney'S 11 cottages have remained on the island not far from their original waterfront sites. At least two Whitney Resort buildings, including the superintendent' s house, were assembled at a new site to make a single family home. One cottage was moved to an unknown Sarasota location. The Honeymoon Cottage (not included in the

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count of 11) was also moved and is in use by the Palmetto Historical Society in Palmetto, Florida. The resort's former linen building is in use by the Longboat Art Center as a gift shop.

The Whitney cottages are simple Frame Vernacular structures covered by gable and hip roofs. Cottage #s 1-7 have gable roofs and a rectangular plan, whereas, #s 8-11 have hip roofs and an L-shaped plan. Unfinished cypress siding and beveled cypress siding cover exterior walls except where the siding has been replaced on some units. Wide overhangs reveal exposed rafter tails. Large screened entrance porches were incorporated into all the cottages although a number of these porches have been enclosed in recent years. The structures were originally and are, for the most part, supported by coocrete block piers. All of the cottages had brick chimneys and coquina stone fireplaces . Interior walls were pecky cypress and floors were wood. Cottages #1 -7 had a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a single bath. Cottage #8 had an extra room which could be used as a third bedroom. The largest cottages #9-11 had four bedrooms and two bedrooms besides a much larger living room than the other smaUer units .107

Gordon and Lora Whitney

In 1935, Gordon Whitney, a former insurance agent from Chicago, anived in Longbeach, today's Town of Longboat Key. Whitney and his wife , Lora, had toured Florida extensively in search of the right property on the ocean or Gulf of Mexico. In the midst of the Depression , waterfront property could be purcbased for very liUle. Upon visiting Longboat Key, Gordon Whitney was impressed with the miles of soft, white sand, the abundance of shells on the heacbes, promises of good fishing, and tropical vegetation. The paved road that ran the full length of the Key was bordered on either side by tall Australian pines forming a tunnel . Whitney found the island to be primitive. There was no school , no telephone, and few people except for those living in the liUle village of Loogheacb on the north end. The south two-thirds of the key was owoed by John Ringling's estate and Jacob Ruppert in tracts too large for Whitney to handle fmancially . Whitney first bought 600 feet of gulf front property near the north eod of the island, by 1940, he owned 1,000 feet, extending across Ringling Boulevard, the main street running along the Key, to Bishop's Bayou'" Whitney had help purchasing the property from Stanley Longmire, a Sarasota real estate man. The plan was for the family to move to Longboat to live and have a number of heach rental housekeeping cottages constructed on the heach front property to provide an income for Whitney and his family .

In the summer of 1934, the Whitney family returned north. On a visit to the Wausaukee Club in Wisconsin, a friend of Gordon Whitney 's, a Chicago arcbitect named Ralph Huzak, designed several two-bedroom cottages. The houses had a basic plan that Whitney would continue to use as he built several cottages on his Longboat property over the next few years. Werner Kannenberg, a Sarasota architect who also built a home in Longbeach and wa'i active in its community development, designed some three and four bedroom cottages that were also built. 1011

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With his family still in Evanston , Illinois, Whitney drove from Sarasota to Longboat every day to oversee the construction of the complex. Carpenters, building the structures, were living in tents on the site and cooking their own meals.

Gordon Whitney had rented a house for himself and his family in Sarasota while the building of the cottages on what would become known as Whitney Beach was underway . A 1935 hurricane destroyed some of the work already slarted and delayed further work on the cottages. When the hurricane struck Longboat, it caused major destruction to virtually all that had been built up by Whitney until that time and the loss was not insured but as an advantage, Whitney gained an additional 75 feet of beach front property. The cottages had to he moved back from the beach. The movers were able to move a four-bedrO()m cottage a hundred feet or more without disturbing a glass or a dish or damaging the stone fireplace and chimney. 110 The first group of cottages completed were five two-bedroom units standing 100 feet apart on the beach. About that time, Whitney had a home for his family built, approximately 500 feet back from the beach front cottages. From that time on until about 1955, the Whitneys ran what would become a popular and successful beach resort .

In 1936, Whitney also had another house built at the south end of the property, slightly back from the first cottages, for the Carl Johnson family. III carl and his wife, Nina, would help in the operation of the cottage community. The rest of the property was cleared of undergrowth and two ditches were dug for drainage. Next, Whitney and Johnson built a wide gravel road from the entrance on Ringling Boulevard to a turnaround at the Johnson's cottage. They lined it with pink Oleanders. A boardwalk was replaced in the early years by a pink cement sidewalk. The flfSt cottages were rented for $50 a week. Business was good so it was practical to construct some additional cottages. At that time, two more two-bedroom cottages were added, one with three bedrooms, three with four bedrooms, and finally a one bedroom cottage, promptly called the honeymoon cottage. All of the cottages were on high concrete pilings.

Northern visitors whom came to Whitney Beach and stayed included a number of writers, such as Sinclair Lewis and Roy Chapman Andrews, who wrote An Explorer Comes Home, while ~1ayjng in one of the cottages. Novelist, playwright and poet, Edwin Granberry, also was a regular visitor. Other guests were Roy Mason, an important New York artist, and Larry Stultz, a well-known Chicago artist. He sketched pelicans from the back of a boat. Both his pelican sketches and watercolor landscapes were popular and sold readily while he was at the beach. Doris Lane Butler, Chicago artist and art critic spent the winter at Whitney Beach in one of the larger cottages in 1943. That summer, a group of Army officers and enlisted men with their wives and children occupied most of the beach cottages for an extended vacation. From that time until the fall of 1945, the cottages were almost entirely occupied by the wives of servicemen and their families .1I2

In 1938, Gordon Whitney was instrumental in bringing telephone service to the Manatee end of Longboat Key by underwater cable from Anna Maria Island. In 1940, Whitney dredged the area around Bayou Hammock with the permission of adjoining property owners and cleared

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the property by hand just north of the trap and skeet ranges at Whitney Beach. He also built a boat house and dock on Bishop's Bayou. 111 Although the boathouse no longer stands, the dock has survived.

Whitney had purchased a small nursery in Sarasota and all the plants and trees it contained. From this nursery. a lot of the planting at Whitney Beach was started. By 1940, there were 16 buildings at Whitney Beach, induding the Whitney house. The boat dock had lounge chairs and a double swinging bed. The skeet and trap ranges were behind a bathhouse. A ping pong court, basketball practice court, croquet ground, and children's swings were between the front cottages and the Whitney house. The tennis court was behind a small house that was built for the Whitney housekeeper, Mrs. Charles Lee and her son, Charles, in 1939.'''

In 1941, Gordon Whitney ' S twelve year old son, Charles, and his friend, James Libert, the local schoolteacher' s son, started the island' s first newspaper, first named The Loi: and shortly thereafter renamed the Gulf Gale. They used a mimeograph machine and typewriter and charged three cents a copy and had several regular advertisers including: The Longbeach Inn, the Robinson Beach Bungalows, and the Whitney Beach Cottages. II)

By 1951, considerable beach erosion had taken place at Whitney Beach which required Whitney to move the first two of the beach cottages into the nearby village of Longbeach on lots owned by Whitney after which the properties were placed for sale. In 1955, Longboat Key was incorporated and Gordon Whitney was unanimously elected ODe of the town 's first aldermen, as a repre.<entative of the Third District. By that time, Whitney Beach had lost 800 feet of property through continued erosion and storms necessitating the moving of the remainder of the cottages away from the shoreline. In 1956, the cottages were moved to various lots owned by Whitney within the village of Longboat Key. Once they were placed on new foundations at their new sites, Whitney offered each cottage and property for sale. Only two cottages were sold to buyers who moved them off Longboat Key. One cottage is at an unknown location in Sarasota and the Honeymoon Cottage is in use in Palmetto by the Palmetto Historical Society. Historical information from the Longboat Key Historical Society indicates that 13 of the Whitney Beach cottages survive, and it also appears that some of the resort' s other buildings also survive induding Whitney Beach Resort's superintendent's house and possibly the Whitney House which may have been combined with Cottage #4 at a new site to make one house at 6989 Longboat Drive South. Assuming this is one cottage and the superintendent's former house, there are 11 resort cottages still standing on the island today. The linen building also survives and is in use by the Longboat Key Art Center as their gift shop.

The former Whitney Beach Cottages and some known surviving Whitney Beach Resort support and accessory buildings and their present locations and first owners at their new sites, if known, are:

6841 Longboat Drive S., (Whitney Beach Cottage #2) 6851 Longboat Drive S. , (Whitney Beach Cottage #5) 6860 Longboat Drive S. , (Whitney Beach Linen Cottage) formerly recorded in the FMSF

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6871 Longboat Drive S. , (Whitney Beach Cottage #6) 6881 Longboat Drive S. , (Whitney Beach Cottage #7) 6909 Longboat Drive S., (Whitney Beach Cottage #8)/Byers House 6989 Longboat Drive S. (The Whitney Beach Superintendent's House and possibly the Whitney

House and possibly Cottage #4 assembled together) 6225 Gulf of Mexico Dr., (Whitney Beach Cottage #11) 6630 Gulf of Mexico Dr. , (Whitney Beach Cottage 3) 7030 Lois (Allegedly a Whitney Beach Cottage, if so, Cottage #4)

Two Whitney Beach cottages were originally relocated to Shell Street, which was vacated in 1998, and now, or will shortly, bear a Longboat Drive S. street address . These buildings are as foUows:

6800 Shell Streetl68_ Longboat Drive S. (Whitney Beach Cottage #9)/Cobb House (previously recorded in FMSF).

6850 Shell Street, 6850 Longboat Drive S. (Whitney Beach Cottage #IO)/Harold House (previously recorded in FMSF).

Whitney Beach Cottage # II Chamberlain House has been moved twice and it~ present location is :

6841 Pine Street as of 1998, formerly moved to 6824 Shell Street, was moved again tn Pine Street in 1998 (the structure was recorded in the FMSF prior to the move).

6821 Longboat Drive S. (Whitney Beach Honeymoon Cottage) was moved to Palmetto for use by the Palmetto Historical Commission

Although it was necessary to relocate the Whitney Beach Cottages from their original sites on the gulf (west) side of the island to various sites within the Longboat Village due to being threatened by severe beach erosion, some were relocated almost fifty years ago. Collectively, they provide a wonderful example of simple early island resort cottages specifically designed to provide lodging to tourists at the advent of the most significant period of development of the Longboat Key as a tourist destination . In addition, they provided much needed housing on their new sites for a large influx of full time residents who came to the island following World War II. Although most have been considerably modified from their original appearance and do not appear to qualify individually for listing in the National Register, they remain noteworthy for their association with early tourism on the island and with prominent island resident, Gordon Whitney and those that have retained sufficient Original architectural integrity should be considered for historic designation or protection on a local level.

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Several of the former Whitney Beach Resort cottages retain a great deal of their original architectural integrity and be indentified as such and include the following cottages:

Cottage #1 , 6841 Pine Street, formerly bearing an address of 6822 Shell Street but moved to Pine Street in 1998.

Cottage #2, 6841 Longboat Drive S. Cottage #8, 6909 Longboat Drive S. Cottage #9, 68?'! Longboat Drive S. , formerly bearing an address of 6800 Shell Street,

Shell Street having been vacated in 1998. Cottage #10, 6860 Longboat Drive S., formerly bearing an address of 6850 Shell Street,

Shell Street having been vacated in 1998.

Longboat Cabana Club

Karl A. Bickel , retired as president of the United Press Service in 1935 and came to Sarasota. He became captivated by the area, including Longboat Key . Shortly after his arrival, he founded the Longboat Cabana Club along with Samuel Gumpertz, owner of Coney Island and a part time Sarasota resident; Mrs. Charles Ringling, widow of the circus magnate and a full time Sarasota resident; wealthy Sarasota attorney, Harry Kelim; and Marie and William Selby. two other wealthy Sarasota residents. In mid 1936, prominent Sarasota builder, T .H. Crisp, was awarded the contract for the construction of the $20,000 club to be built three miles north of the south bridge. The "Spanish country style" club was built of heavy timbered cypress. It featured a clubhouse with a dining room and covered patio. A large central lounging room was its focal point. On the south were the ladies locker rooms. On the north were the kitchen and men's locker rooms. North and south of the main building, 40 cabana, 20 on each side were built. The club had a pier or dock that extended 800 feet into Buttonwood Harbor and there were bungalOWS nearby on the Gulf. 1!6

During World War II , the club was occupied by the Coast Guard.1l7 The Cabana Club provided a place for weekend escapes for many prominent Sarasota residents, beginning in the summer of 1938, until it was destroyed by fire in 1959. llA

The Cheeri-Ho Cottages and the Sleepy Lagoon Club

General Joe Harris moved to Longboat Key in ]939. He was a native of England who migrated to Canada in 1909 and became a constable in the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, after serving in World War I as a well decorated lieutenant colonel. He later moved to Detroit and became active in the construction business. By 1929, he operated his own construction company but suffered great losses upon the stock market crash. He then entered the mining field in the Far East and by 1938 had accumulated another fortune. After a return to England for several years, Harris returned to the United States.

Harris had tirst visited Florida in 1926 and returned in 1939. He was attracted to Longboat Key where he constructed another resort community of 10 cypress resort cottages, the

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Cheeri-Ho Cottages, at mid key, south of the county line between Sarasota and Manatee. In 1946, he sold the resort cottages to Bea and Lyal Thompson. '" Harris then purchased 430 acres on the north end of the island dredging Wake Island which became known as Hideaway Bay and built up Dream Island where he built the Sleepy Lagoon Club in 1947 and operated by Harris and his wife, Trudy. Harris also developed Sleepy Lagoon Parks No. I and 2 in 1951 , spurring a continuing period of growth for the island.''' In 1953, four or five of the Sleepy Lagoon cottages were destroyed by fire with damages in excess of $20,000. The fire spurred the island's residents to make their first efforts in establishing a local volunteer fire department. 121 The former Sleepy Lagoon propeny has been occupied by the Buccaneer Inn since 1957. None of the former Sleepy Lagoon resort buildings have survived.

Mar Vista, formerly The Jordan House

What has for at least fifty years heen identified as Mar Vista, located at 760 Broadway, was originally constructed as a two-story seven bedroom residential structure most likely for Annie and Rufus Jordan, who were major landholders in Longheach beginning in 1911 and continued to own the land and residence until 1940. Jordan wouJd oversee the recording and filing of the development's frrs! plat in 1913. Perhaps the name Mar Vista was the name of the lordans' home.

What is believed to be Annie and Rufus Jordan's former residence has a square plan and is con~1ructed of rusticated concrete block. A pyramidal roof covers the main block. A separate hip roof covers the former full-width front entrance porch . Although there has been some window replacement and reduction of original window openings on the side elevations of the fir~i floor, the remainder of the original wood double hung sash windows remain. Wbat appears to have originally heen a full -width screened front entrdllce porch was enclosed c.I949 with wood awning windows, at the same time the alterations to the frrst floor windows and original window openings took place.

Although it has heen suggested that this building was built after 1913 but before 1928"n a more ~-pecific time of construction can be deduced. Rufus Jordan, who had platted the first town of Longheach in 1911 and was a major landowner on this part of the island from 1911 to 1923 , was living in a house nearer the water on this property behind the subject structure in 1919. Jordan was overseeing the construction of rusticated concrete block homes in the subdivision during the 1910s. Based upon the Manatee County Property Appraiser's records and information from the Martatee County Tax Rolls for the years 1916, 1927, and 1937 indicating that the property was under the ownership of Rufus Jordan' s wife, Annie Jordan, Jordan most likely built this substantial rusticated concrete block and frdme home as a personal residence in about 1920 or 1921. The Jordans had only one child, a daughter, Jennie, wbo was a lifelong resident of Longboat Key. Jennie Jordan married King Williams, whose (grand?)father founded St. Petersburg in 1886, and together they bad three children.'" Tbeir children would have heen born in about the early to mid 1920s and perhaps Rufus Jordan built the large bouse to accommodate the Williams and their children in addition to attempting to make a statement of his tinancial success and personal standing in Long Beach.

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In 1940, the former residence was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Sipes, a relation of the Jordans , and the former single family house was converted into t'ive apartments in 1942.124 Subsequently, the structure was owned by the Siboles and it became a popular central gathering place for local residents1U and later became a rooming house. It is presently in use as offices and storage for the 1970s restaurant located on the site, to the rear of the earlier structure.

Although the structure has been modified by the enclosure of its front porch and some window replacement and modifications, the majority of this work took place more than 50 years ago. The structure is one of the most important surviving historic buildings on Longboat Key for its historical association with Rufus Jordan, who played a prominent role in Longboat Key 's early development. In addition, the structure served as a gathering place for the community for many years. Thus, this structure appears to be potentially eligible for National Register listing.

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Local Architects and Builders

In the early years of Longboat's settlement, it was necessary to acquire building supplies by boat. The construction of homes was most likely undertaken by local men, often the homeowner himself, without the use of trained architects or builders. This was consistent with the type of simple Frame and Masonry Vernacular architecture that can be seen in the majority of the island's oldest surviving historic buildings, those built prior to World War II . The identities or biographical information on only a few builders or architects, except two, from that period is very limited.

It is believed that Rufus Jordan constructed all except one of the rusticated concrete block historic structures that survive within the original area of Longbeach. The construction of these homes on Jordan owned property would have been consistent with Jordan's desire to spur development in Long Beach to increase the value of his land holdings. Manatee County Deeds of record from the 1910s indicate that Jordan sold a number of parcels of property, including some that had homes already existing on the site which were most likely constructed by Jordan with the help of local labor.

In 1935, Gordon Whitney, who played a prominent role in Longboat Key ' s development as a tourist destination and in the formal organization of the island as an incorporated community. utilized the architectural services of a friend, Chicago architect Ralph Huzak. Whitney bad Huw design a simple basic two-bedroom plan for a frame cottage which Whitney repeatedly used as he built more cottages for his Longboat gnlf front resort on the beach near the historic core on the north end of the Longboat. Whitney secured the necessary building materials from Sarasota and oversaw the completion of several vacation dwellings using local carpenters who stayed in tents on the island. Within a short time, Whitney increased the number of cottages and obtained the design services of a Sarasota architect, Werner Kannenberg. Kannenberg designed several three and four bedroom frame cottages which Whitney erected on his resort property in about 1936 or sometime shortly thereafter .

Werner Kannenberg

Architect Werner Kannenberg was best known for various residential and church design work in and around Sarasota from the 1940s to the 1960s. A native of Hinsdale. Illinois , he moved to Riverside as a young boy. He obtained his education in architecture from Chicago Tech. Upon graduation, he began his career as a draftsman at the firm of Sumey. Lynch and Skinner in Chicago. His acquaintance with Skinner. who was a prominent real estate man on Longboat and in Sarasota during the I 920s, and Gordon and Lora Whitney drew him to the Sarasota area in 1936.126 His first work in Florida was designing the second grouping of resort cottages tor the Whitneys.

Kannenberg interrupted his architectural practice during World War 11 and served as a civil engineer at the Sarasota Air Base. Following the war, he resumed his practice, maintaining an office in the Commercial Court Building in downtown Sarasota. In the late 194Os. when Gordon Whitney oversaw the development of Bayou Hammock on the island, Kannenberg. described as an "outstanding architect" would design most of the homes in the subdivision. They

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would he constructed by Logan and Currin, prominent Sarasota builders since the 1920s. In 1951 or early 1952, Kannenberg drew the plans for the Longboat Key Art Center, on which he also served on the Advisory Committee during its organization. 121 Some of his other design work was the first section of the new Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the Church of the Palms, Bobby Jones Golf Course Clubhouse, The Sarasota Yacht Club, The First Presbyterian Church, and a new church building for the First Baptist Church, all in Sarasota. 12I He also designed many homes, including a personal residence on Hyde Park Street and a number of residences in the exclusive Harbor Acres section of Sarasota. In 1967, he became associated with another architect, Haneburth, a classmate from Chicago Tech, in the firm Kannenberg and Haneburth in 1967. 129

Builders

Logan and Currin

Logan and Currin were highly respected builders and are recognized for the construction of many homes in nearby Sarasota. During Sarasota's Boom Time years and throughout the 1930s, the firm was one of the most active building contractors. l30 Frank A. Logan was a graduate of Dennison University in Granville, Ohio and was originally from Norwick, Ohio. Logan came to Sarasota in 1924 and formed the Logan and Cqrrin building firm with Russell A. Currin with whom he had been associated in colJege. Logan entered the bond business in 1931 and in 1936, the city council recognized his ability by appointing him the city's fiscal agent. "Largely, through his efforts, the city 's bond refunding plan was successfully negotiated" . 131

Russell A. Currin came to Sarasota from Baltimore, Ohio in 1923. !32 In Sarasota, he served as the President of the Chamber of Commerce, two terms as a member of the city council and the only man ever to serve two consecutive terms as commander of the Sarasota Bay Post. No. 30, American Legion. Currin also took an active role in local community and government affairs. He served on the draft board and was a member of the School Board.133 Both, Frank Logan and Russell Currin, served as City Councilmen. !14

Together, Logan and Currin constructed many homes and built many of the prominent buildings throughout Sarasota while working with most of the most important architects of the 1920s and '30s. Having earlier been chosen as the contractor of the home of Ralph Caples, the Caples House (listed in the National Register as part of the Ringling Historic District) helped establish the quality of their work within the community. Several other distinguished Sarasota homes are credited to the firm , such as two mirror image houses on Woodland Drive in Sapphire Shores, one listed in the National Register, m the McKaig House in Cherokee Park, the Indiana Apartments on Fifth Street and many of the homes constructed throughout Lewis Combs Subdivision and DeSota Park, south of downtown Sarasota. The firm continued building throughout the 19405 and into the 19505 and remains in business today, although under different ownership since the 1960s or 70s.

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Other Longboat Builders

In Lora Whitney's 1984 book, Hail This Feisty YiII'eo,''' she writes that an Edward Dobson was the main builder on the Key in the 1940s although his obituary indicates that he did not arrive in Sarasota until 1950, perhaps indicating that he was a part-time resident for some years prior to his permanent move to Florida or that he was not really building on the island until the early 1950.. Other than a small former grocery store he built for the Darseys at 6981 Lois Street, to the rear of the Darsey's home at the time on Broadway, nothing is known of him or his other buildings. It is known that he was active up until at least 1951. !}J

Another local builder was Ansel M. McMichen, who arrived on the island in 1946 or 1947. Ansel M. McMichen was born in Emerson, Georgia. He served in the United States Army during World War II. McMichen came to Longboat from Atlanta in 1946 or 1947138 at the urging of local realtor Lee Lamar Cox to do some work for Cox. He and his wife, Hazel S. McMichen, enjoyed the island so much that they stayed and McMichen built a personal residence in Long Beach for himself and his wife at 740 Longboat Court. McMichen then became extremely active in home building and repairs on Longboat for many years. He set up his construction office on Poinsetta in Darcey's Grocery Store, perhaps in the rear where it appears a side entrance can be seen. McMichen and his crew built Longboat's Community Pier and children's playground, the first units of the Longboat Key Art Center, the Longboat Key Fare House and a number of other homebuilding projects, including a frame boathouse for Frank and Jane AUeo and most likely the AUen bome at 690 Hibiscus Way. in 1948.'>9 According to a conversation that the preseot owner of 6925 Bayside Drive had with McMichen before McMichen's death in 1990, McMichen also built that residence in the early 1950., although the survey team believes that a more accurate construction date based upon the style and construction of the house and the Manatee County Property Appraiser's records, would be c.1948.

McMichen and his wife, Hazel, were active promoters of the island community. He was awarded an outslanding citizen award of Longboat Key and was one of the founders of the Longboat Key Fire Department and its first Fire Chief, serving in that capacity for ten years. He was a lifetime member of the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce. Mrs. McMichen was a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She served as the second Vice-President of the Longboat Key Woman's Auxiliary. !o4O

Edward Dobson, another Longboat builder (see above) , albeit Post World War II , was originally from Brooklyn, New York. He was a retired attorney who was a graduate of Cornell University and New York Law Scbool wbo practiced in Washingtonville, New York.''' He came to Longboat in 1950 and started his own construction business on the island.

In 1951, Dobson and McMichen were the only local builders according to a local directory of services published that year.

Another Longboat resident, Howard Ridyard, first vacationed on Longboat in 1945 and 1946 and came to the island permanently in 1947. He came from Grafton, Massachusetts, outside of Worcester. where he formerly operated a plumbing and heating business. He continued to provide his professional services to Longboat residents after his arrival142 and served as a Town Commissioner for many years.

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mSTORIC BIDLDINGS

Virtually all of the surviving historic buildings located on Longboat Key are single family private residences. As is typical of small communities throughout the country, a number of the early residential structures on the island were constructed by anonymous builders or the homeowners themselves, familiar with relatively simple construction. Their execution and method of construction was linked to the builder' s experience, available resources , and responses to the local environment. I·B These buildings were designed by builders for the most part for utility and to bring construction costs down, beauty was a secondary concern.

Beginning in the early 19105, at least one concrete block making machine was obtained for use in local construction. Additional building materials used in the construction of Longboat's early buildings that were not readily available · arrived by boat. In 1927, when the first bridge connecting the island to the Sarasota mainland was completed, goods also began to arrive by ground transport. Needed materials were obtained through Sarasota hardware and lumber suppliers which supplied doors, windows, lime, cement, and building hardware to the area' s building trade .l44 Other architectural elements were also supplied by Sarasota or Bradenton firms or when necessary shipped from remote distributors by boat or truck; but, for the most part, architectural elements and details of early structures were minimally used and were fabricated by local craftpersons or were procured through catalogs which were widely available to the construction trade, lumber yards, and hardware stores. Because of the common sources of supply of these architectural elements, and because local building techniques were simple and limited, the historic housing stock on Longboat Key is widely characterized by a number of common features and typically simple decorative elements, if any.

The field survey revealed that largest proportion of the remaining historic housing stock dates from the 191Os, 1930s, and late I 940s. Except for the c.1913 Frame Vernacular Jordan Hotel, the earliest surviving residential buildings constructed on Longboat Key are of Masonry Vernacular architecture, although two early Frame Vernacular residences, the c. 1915 Tallman House #1 at 700 Broadway, and the c.1913 Frost House at 671 Linley Street still stand. Because of past hurricanes, more early Masonry Vernacular than Frame Vernacular structures have survived, although it cannot be documented if any number of Frame Vernacular structures were ever constructed prior to the 1921 or 1926 hurricanes. The large majority of early homes were one-story in beight with balloon frame structural systems constructed of pine, resting on foundations of concrete or masonry piers or continuous concrete block foundations. Eventually most wood original piers were replaced with concrete blocks. A few two-story homes were built between 1913 and 1930. These homes had continuous concrete or concrete block foundations.

The most elemental design feature of Longboat Key's historic housing stock is the prevalent simplicity of plan and volume. Unaltered examples have regular plans, basically rectangular. Most have gable or pyramidal roofs, some pitched steep enough to incorporate attics. Both roof types allowed for exposed rafter tails, providing for at least one decorative detail. Beveled wood, drop, and horizontal board and batten siding are the most common exterior wall surface materials for the surviving frame structures. Corrugated sheet metal , or

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metal composition shingles were most widely used for roof surfacing but the majority of homes are now covered with asphalt shingles. Porches are a common feature with one-story full-width or L-shaped front porches attached to the main building block to effect visual variety, flexibility of use, to enhance ventilation, and provide protection from sun and rain. Fenestration is most often regular and symmetrical. Original windows are wood double hung sash varying within the limits of readily available types supplied by nearby suppliers or shipped from vendors. Decoration is sparse and very limited.

Longboat Frame Vernacular Architecture

A few variations of Frame Vernacular architecture were recorded during the survey. Some of the most well-preserved local examples of this type of construction are:

Tallman House 111700 Broadway

This c.1914 house is one of the three oldest Frame Vernacular structures on the island. Construction is of wood siding over a wood frame. The simple rectangular plan features an L­shaped front entrance porch on the north , incorporated under the main front-facing gable roof. The structure has a continuous concrete block foundation. The house has received a number of alterations including the enclosure of the north entrance porch, the application of vinyl siding and total window replacement, all of which appear to date from c.I995.

This was the first Longboat Key home of Henrietta and Denver Tallman. Mrs. Tallman was appointed postmaster of Longbeach in 1914. The Tallmans purchased the subject residence on March 8, 1915. Subsequently, they ran a store from the house and a sman cubicle was erected just off the front porch to serve as the post office. I ~' Mrs. Tallman would later purchase a two-story home at the southwest comer of Broadway and Poinsetta which for the purpose of the survey was identified as Tallman House #2.

Although the Tallman House # I is one of very few early Frame Vernacular structures that survive on Longboat Key and that it is important for having served as the site of one of the earliest post offices on the island, inappropriate alterations appear to preclude it from listing in the National Register.

The Colvin/Nicol House/6526 Bayou Hammock Road

This 1949 residential structure is one of, if not the most, well-preserved historic structures on the island. The house was designed by prominent local architect Werner Kannenberg who designed many of the Whitney Beach Resort cottages and most of the homes in Bayou Hammock, which is adjacent to the former Long Beach development.

This wood frame residential building has a long irregular U-shaped plan resting on a continuous concrete foundation and is sited on a large site. Exterior walls are covered by beveled wood siding. The house is essentially comprised of four building blocks. Two central

49

two-story blocks of varying size are at center. The southernmost two-story block has a side­facing gable roof and incorporates the main entrance. The abutting two-story block to the north is covered by a front-facing gable roof. The two central blocks are flanked by rectangular­shaped one-story blocks, covered by low-pitched side-gable roofs at either side. The wings are attached to the central blocks at an angle to form an essential U-shape plan. All roofs are surfaced in asphalt shingle. Wide overhangs with exposed rafter tails extend under all of the eaves.

Both two-story central blocks are symmetrical in fenestration. A cantilevered second floor porch, with a wood Chippendale railing, extends over the main entrance on the southern two-story block. The entrance terrace leading to the main entrance door is surfaced in original flagstone matching that use in the construction of a chimney located on the E slope of northern central block.

The house retains all of its original windows. A single narrow 6 light single wood casement window flanks the entrance door at either side of the southern central block. Symmetrically placed at either side of these two smaller windows are 6/6 wood double hung sash windows. Wood 6/6 double hung sash windows, grouped in threes. pierce both the first and second level of the northernmost block on the primary facade. The remaining windows on these blocks and on the two wings are also 6/6 wood double hung units, placed independently and in pairs. Decorative wood shutters adorn most of the windows.

Although the house could be described as a later variation of a Frame Vernacular residence or perhaps a variation of an early Ranch House, the house displays a number of characteristics that are suggestive of the Monterey Style of Architecture which was popula from 1925-1940. The style is rarely found in Florida. It was derived from the Spanish Colonial and American territorial period architecture of California. In Florida, it never gained wide popularity but the style was applied mostly to residential housing in middle class subdvision when it did appear. Distinctive featues included a low-pitched gable roof, a cross gable, and a second story balcony, usually canilevered and covered by the principal roof. Exterior materials included weatherboard, as used in the execution of the Colvin/Nicol house, or wood shingles, tile, or stucco. Many of these homes had an L-shaped plan. Foundations were continuous masonry and the structures were two-stories in height. 146

The Colvin/Nicol House was originally built for Mrs. William H. Colvin in 1949. Mrs. Colvin came to the island from Evanston, Illinois. Mrs. Colvin was the mother and mother-in­law of prominent Longboat Key residents, Lora Colvin Whitney and Gordon Whitney who had been operating the Whitney Beach Resort on the island for over ten years by the time she came to the island to make it her home. The house was one of the first homes to be built in Bayou Hammock, which was developed by Gordon Whitney. 1~7 Mrs. Colvin died in December. 1950, not long after the house was completed. Fol1owing her death. the house was purchased by Elsie and Frank Nicol. Frank Nicol was a native of Detroit. He was a retired stockbroker who first came to Longboat from that city as a guest with his wife and children at the Whitney Beach Resort and decided to make the island his permanent home. Mrs. Nicol was born in Pittsburgh,

50

Pennsylvania. 148 Mr. Nicol died in 1963 and Mrs. Nicol in 1985. The house remains under the ownership of Jeanette Nicol , their daughter.

By a physical examination and confirmation by the current owner, the daughter of previous long time owners, the house remains virtually unaltered. The structure is a unique structure based upon its style and unaltered condition, in comparison to other Longboat Key historic structure. It is also historically significant as the design work of Werner Kannenberg, the most recognized architect for Longboat's historic buildings from this period and was constructed by Logan and Currin, one of the most active and respected local builders in the area for over 25 years. Based upon these Criterion, it appears that this structure may be eligible for individual listing in the National Register.

The Yerkes House and Guest House/6533 Bayou Hammock. Road

The Yerkes House and Guest House are another Werner Kannenberg design. The main structure on this property is a well·executed and well preserved 1949 Frame Vernacular residential building which retains its original architectural integrity to a high degree.

This well preserved and excellently maintained 1949 Frame Vernacular residence was also one of the first homes to be constructed in Bayou Hammock. The wood frame structure is covered with beveled wood siding and rests on concrete piers. A multi·gable roof, surfaced in asphalt shingle covers the irregular plan of the house. Wide overhangs with exposed rafter tails extend beyond the wall plane. Two chimneys, one brick and the other concrete block, extend above the roof on the S and W interior roof slopes.

Many of the original 6/6 wood double hung sash windows, placed independently and in pairs, remain, although some have been replaced with 3 and 4 light aluminum awning units. A contemporary wood deck is on the west overlooking the bayou.

A charming detached frame guest house, original to the site is located southeast of the main structure. Exterior walls are also beveled wood siding. A cross-gable roof, surfaced in asphalt shingle, covers the building. Original windows include 2 light wood casement hung in pairs, 6/6 wood double hung sash and 6 light wood casement units , placed independently. Additional windows, not original to the structure, include wood fixed single light units, 6 light aluminum single hung sash, and aluminum sliders. Twin dormers that pierce the roof are not original to the structure but were added in c.1978. The guest house displays a number of decorative elements such as wood shutters, a scalloped facia board, and decorative knee braces on gable ends. Some of these elements have been added in recent years.

The house was built for Grace and Paul Yerkes in 1949.1•

9 Prior to having this house constructed the Yerkes had been some of the first guests of the Whitneys at the Whitney Beach Resort and continued to return from Plainfield, New Jersey up through the years of World War II. I~ Grace Battles Yerkes is credited with founding the Longboat Key Art Center. one of the most important and active organizations on the island to date, in 1952. lSI She was made a Member Emeritus of the Executive Council in 1955.m She died in 1972.m

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Architect Werner Kannenberg also designed the Yerkes home and guest house. The house retains its original architectural integrity to a high degree and remains unaltered, excepting the replacement of a few original windows. Based upon its well-preserved condition and as the design work of Werner Kannenberg, it appears to be eligible for listing in the National Register.

The AileD Boatbouse/690 Hibiscus Way

This late 1949 or early 1950 boathouse is a well-preserved and unaltered simple frame structure with an irregular plan. It has four boat slips with gambrel-shaped access openings, two taller openings on the southeast and two slips with lower roof height on the northwest. Construction is of wood ship lap siding over a balloon wood frame. A long wood dock, with a simple wood hand railing, leads from the shore to the boathouse structure which is supported over the water by concrete and wood pilings. The plan of the boathouse consists of a central block flanked by two smaller building blocks. The central block is covered by a low-pitched open rafter and purline support system below a gable roof, surfaced in corrugated metal. Projecting below the main roof of the central block on the northeast is a shed roof suspended above a wood deck or dock. This roof is also surfaced in corrugated metal. The shed roof is supported by four wood posts adorned with decorative wood knee braces under the eaves, just below the roof.

The boathouse was built for Frank and Jane Allen. The Aliens came to Longbeach in 1946. Frank Allen was a retired jewelry manufacturer from Cleveland, Ohio. His company being Cleveland Metal Works. He came to Longboat from Cleveland intending to establish a dock and sea wall company, although apparently his plan did not come to fruition. The Aliens first lived on Linley Street before purchasing the subject property on November 17, 1949. 1

5-4

Ansel M. McMichen, the most active builder on the island at the time, built the boathouse for the Aliens. I ~' Frank Allen kept three boats moored in the boathouse. The largest of his boats was the Mighty Moe, a flat bottom open fisherman boat. Mr. Allen died in the early 1960s. Mrs. Allen continued to own the property until April 3, 1964. She then moved to Tampa where she died in c.1967. 1.<;6

Although a number of docks and boat houses lined the bayshore side of the island beginning in the first part of the century, IS1 all were either lost in the 1921 or 1926 hurricanes or lost or demolished in later years due to deterioration. One other boathouse, built by the Jershke family in about 19551

' 8 survives on the island.

The Allen boathouse is historically significant for being the oldest of only two surviving boat houses on the island, its well-preserved and unaltered condition and being the work of builder Ansel McMichen, the most prominent builder on the island in the late 1940s and 1950s. A December 15, 1956 article that appeared in the Loneboat Lookout stated that

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" Ansel McMichen is fundamentally a builder; he has not only been instrumental in the building of Longboat Key in a material sense, he has helped to build the community with his heart as well as his hands. "

Based upon its uniqueness to the island and as the work of Ansel McMichen, the Allen Boathouse appears to be individually eligible for listing in the National Register.

Rusticated Concrete Block Residential Buildings

The early 19005 saw an increase in the cost of wood. Brick. if attainable, also increased in cost. In contrast, cement prices declined between 1900 and 1906. ]n 1900, Harmon S. Palmer patented the first cast iron block machine. It was· his machine that laid the foundation for the modem concrete block industry. 159 Although other isolated experiments in producing block making machines were undertaken during the last thirty years of the nineteenth-century, the mass manufacture of concrete began only with Palmer's invention of a cast iron machine with removable core and adjustable sides. l60 Improved firing and grinding techniques for the mass production of Ponland cement around 1900 contributed to the success of Palmer's machine. Only one block at a time could be made, but two men working together, could produce 80 to 100 blocks a day. It took a day before it could be stacked and it bad to cure for several weeks or even a month in order to harden properly, but the result was a quick, inexpensive, and efficient method of producing a hollow masonry building unit readily available in areas where brick was not easily attainable.

Both the Portland cement industry and the concrete block industry experienced a phenomenal growth in the first decade of the twentieth century. Within a few years of Palmer' s patent, he had a number of competitors. Although he attempted to defend his patent, new machines continued to flood the market and his company became only one of hundreds making the machines. Palmer's plant made about four hundred block machines in 1902, but by 1905 or 1906 there were said to be nearly a thousand companies and individuals competing with him. 161 The manufacturers promised that "experience was really unnecessary" and "anyone can do this work". In 1905, Sears, Roebuck and Company began to advertise their own block machines in their catalogues. Their first machines was priced under $100.00. Within a few years, the cost of a Sears machine bad dropped to $57.50 and the company claimed that the concrete block was so easy to make that anyone could do it. Some people manufactured the blocks for sale but most often they manufactured the building component for their own use. This period was called the "backyard" or "woodshed" phase of the industry.'"

Between 1905 and 1930, thousands of low-cost commercial and domestic structures were built of rockfaced hollow concrete block. The use of concrete block became extremely popular in the ensuing years for a number of reasons. The making of blocks was easy and the blocks were cheap compared to other building products. A cement block could cost between 13 and 20 cents to make, and it cost less than a brick to lay. The blocks were also fireproof, required no paint and tittle repair, and sales literature touted that they "would last forever". With all these

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advantages, another element in its popularity was its ornamental quality . A number of wreaths, scroUs. or cobblestone faces could be produced. The most popular ornament appearance was the rockiace, the imitation of natural pitched stone. as used in the constructed of the subject structure. This was the standard unit on all Sears machines, and it was the face most often requested. 1M It was cheap, easy and looked like something more expensive. From 1900 to 1930, roctiace was the most popular style used and thousands of buildings were built of it all over the country. National marketing was possible because of the nationalized communication system that had recently developed. It made local building industries receptive to new ideas and new technologies. Concrete block was still made locally; only the technology could come by mail order. but it took onJy one machine to get a whole industry going in a community such as Longbeach. By the end of the 1930s, the backyard phase of concrete block was over. It was replaced by a fully automated and expanding industry geared to mass produce the plain face block that continues to be seen today in some new construction projects.

Historic Longboat Key Rusticated Concrete Block Residences

Beginning in about 1913, it appears that early developer Rufus Jordan and at least one other Longboat resident, John Walters, acquired a block making machine. Subsequently, a number of masonry residential buildings were constructed in Longbeach. Following the 1921 and October 1926 hurricanes, virtually all signs of seWement and almost all of the previously constructed buildings on the island were destroyed. The exceptions were a very few frame dwellings and perhaps all, or most, of the masonry rusticated block structures built in Longbeach during the first two decades of the century. Of these, that have survived to date, all except one, The Jordan HoteVLongbeach Inn, are residential buildings. All of the remainder of the buildings, except one, the Walters/Holt House on Broadway c. 1913 built by Walters himself, were built by Rufus Jordan as one-story residential structures, although one well preserved c. 1914 rusticated block residence at 680 Broadway, was originally one-story, but appears to have an early (c. 1930) second floor frame addition.

Although most of the surviving aforementioned rusticated block residential structures have undergone some modification, the following have retained all or a majority of their original architectural integrity and are worthy of recognition:

Tbe WalterslHolt House, 621-631 Broadway, was completed in 1913. This two-story residential structure has a square plan and is oriented to the south. Resting on a rusticated concrete block foundation, the original block of the house is covered by a hip roof, surfaced in asphalt shingle. Exposed rafter tails extend under the wide eaves. A full-width front entrance porch on the south with rusticated block knee walls is incised on the first level. Early photograpbs depict the porch as originally open, or perhaps screened for protection from the dense mosquito population on the island. In c.1926 the entrance porch openings were modified by the creation of arcbed openings within the original bays. These arcbed openings were filled without alterations to their size or shape with aluminum jalousie window units in c.1950. 161

The most notable feature of the bouse is the frame widow's walk that rests at center of the main roof structure. The exterior knee walls of this structure are presently surfaced in asphalt shingle which most likely replaced or obscures deteriorated original wood siding. The widow's walk is covered by a pyramidal roof, also surfaced in asphalt shingle.

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The bouse retains all of its original wood 1/1 double hung sash windows, whicb are placed independently on both levels. A second floor sleeping porch on the north elevation features original 2/2 wood casement windows.

A c.1943 combination garage/workshop is located northeast on the site. This masonry structure, also constructed of stucco over concrete block, rests on a concrete slab, has a gable roof surfaced in aspbalt sbingle and a single garage bay with its original wood door. A c.1 %0 one-story concrete block two-car garage has been added to the north (rear) elevation on the east. It has a gable roof surfaced in aspbalt sbingle. This addition does not alter the form of the original main block of the bouse and is clearly discernible as a contemporary addition.

According to the longtime present owner, Helen Holt, at the time of construction a seawall of coquina, still standing at the rear of the site, was built to protect the house from water surges during storms.

The original owners of the bouse were John and Sally Walters of Albany, Georgia. It is believed that Mr. Walter an attorney, had been acquainted with John Saverese, another early Longboat settler, in Georgia and that Mr. Walters built the bouse himself in 1913, pouring the blocks used in its construction. 'M The bouse appears on a survey map, dated August, 1913. Of note, is that the Walters bouse was built with oversize concrete blocks, larger than those seen in aU the other surviving rusticated block structures in Longbeach, indicating that a different block macbine was used by Walters than in the construction of the other bomes which are believed to have been built by Rufus Jordan. Another possibility is that Walters used Jordan's block making machine and utilized a different mold in making the blocks for his own residence.

In March, 1930, the Walters daughter, Mrs L.W. Greeson, purchased the property from her father. One year later, she sold the house to Vema Holt for use as a boliday or beach bouse. Ms. Holt owned several other pieces of Longboat property although she resided fuU-time with ber father John Broadus Holt, a Methodist minister, in Arcadia. She was a writer for the Tampa Tribune for several years. Vema's brother John, Jr. and his family visited her and ber father in Arcadia and also spent time in the Longboat bouse during the 1930s. On November 19, 1942, Vema Holt sold the property to John and his wife, llllie Mae Holt .'M

John Holt was born in Austin, Texas. He and his family lived in various places including Jackson, Mississippi. He was an engineer in government employ and was stationed for a period of Laurel Army Air Base in Mississippi. Mrs. Holt, the former Lillie Mae Salmon, was born in Gloucestor City, New Jersey. The Holts had two children, a son, John B., Jr. and a daughter, Helen Mae. Helen lived in the home with ber parents full-time beginning in 1946. Mr. Holt died in 1956 and Mrs. Holt died in 1962. Their daugbter, Helen, continued to own and occupy the house after deaths and to date. Sbe served as postmaster for Longboat from c.1957 until ber retirement in 1986 '~ and has maintained an active role in both Longboat Village, cultural, social , and government activities.

Based upon its relatively unaltered condition, excepting the c.1950 enclosure of the front porch, and it being one of the earliest and most massive surviving historic Longboat Key structures, it appears to be eligible for listing in the National Register.

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Mi FrieodlTbe Dukes House, 630 Broadway, completed in 1913, is one of the oldest and most well-preserved single family Masonry Vernacular structures on the island. It was built by 1913 by early developer Rufus Jordan and is one of the two most well-preserved of Jordan 's buildings. The house, built of rusticated concrete block, has simple a rectangular plan incorporating a full-width front entrance porch that retains its original screen openings above rusticated block knee walls. Resting on a continuous rusticated block foundation, the structure is covered by a hip roof, presently surfaced in asphalt shingle.

Following the completion of the house by Rufus Jordan, the property remained under Jordan 's ownership until it was sold to Amanda Dukes in 1918. 161 Dukes was appointed the local Postmaster in 1927. She maintained the Longbeach post office in a small frame cubicle attached to and just in front of ber front porch up until 1938, although she continued to reside in the house until 1942. In Lora Whitney 'S Hail This Feisty Yillae:e, she refers to Ms. Dukes' house as "Mi Friend". 169 Subsequent to Ms. Dukes ownership, a farming family lived in the house, followed by the McGrains. l

71)

This one-story residence retains its original architectural integrity to a high degree and appears to be potentially eligible for individual National Register listing or as a contributor to a historic district, if one exists. It is one of the oldest surviving structures on the island and one of only a few minimally unaltered early residences that exist on the island.

60 I Broadway

Located at 601 Broadway is a c.1913 rusticated block structure. It is notable for having been built as a duplex residence, apparently the earliest originally multi-family structure on the island and the only known early duplex. The structure has a simple rectangular plan and is covered by a hip roof surfaced in asphalt shingle. Many of the structure 's original windows were replaced in c.1960 and a c. 1990 concrete room addition, that does not alter the original structure, appears on the north.

Early tax rolls indicate that the building was owned by Rufus and Annie Jordan until about 1916 when a Robert Doak appears as the property owner. By 1927, the property was owned by Clayton Prost who owned several early Longboat Key properties at that time. By 1937, Harry Wise is shown as owner. Early occupants inc1uded Marion Ochoa in the 19305 and Adolphus "Doc" Holbrook, whom married Marion Ochoa in his later years .171

The building, unique as the island's first and only historic duplex, has maintained its historic architectural integrity to a high degree with the exception of the replacement of some original windows and may be eligible for listing in the National Register or would be a contributing structure to a potential National Register District.

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RESULTS OF SURVEY

The Longboat Key survey resulted in the recording of 77 pre-1950 buildings, 16 secondary structures, and 2 historic sites on the island. As a separate element from the survey. this project was to include the preparation of either one National Register Historic District Nomination Proposal and up to two individual nominations, or three individual nominations that appear to meet National Register Criteria, if it appears that no district can be justified.

Of the pre-1950 buildings surveyed and the two surveyed historic sites , it does not appear that any concentration of historic structures exists that possess enough of their original architectural integrity, even collectively, to justify the nomination of a historic district. Therefore, it was suggested to the Longboat Key Historical Society that three individual properties that appear to be eligible be proposed for li sting. The decision as to what properties would be selected for sponsorship would be made after consultation with the organization's board of directors and a cross-reference of the willingness of the property owners to have their properties proposed for listing. No buildings or districts are presently listed in the National Register and no local historic register exists although one will be proposed in the near future by the Longboat Key Historical Society.

Within the historic core of the island, today's Village of Longboat, where the only concentration of historic structures exists, the field survey revealed that a sense of scale and community, to a certain degree, has been maintained within these residential areas of the island, much in keeping with its early years of development. Over the years, the general size, scale, and sethack of the early homes in the section of Longboat Key has been applied in the design and siting of infill housing over the years until recently. But, with the adoption of restrictive FEMA regulations in recent years requiring new construction to meet flood elevation requirements, and several infiU homes have been constructed within the past few years that meet this requirement. With the exception of the discord that these newer homes introduce, this the area, the former Longbeach Subdivision, retains the innate characteristics of its earlier development. These older single family residential buildings, of simple construction, without servant's quarters or grand entries, of Frame or Masonry Vernacular construction were built as housing for common families who enjoyed and valued a sense of community and friendship shared in the settlement of the island. Elsewhere on Longboat Key, intense modem development and escalating Jand value, combined with existing FEMA regulations, has created a sharp contrast to the original architectural character of the island.

In the face of modem development and efforts to acomodate modem living and lifestyles, many of Longboat Key' s surviving historic resources no longer relay their original architectural integrity. Nevertheless, a preliminary determination by the survey team has identified 10 individual properties that appear to be eligible for listing in the National Register. One property, the Allen Boat House, is in the process of being proposed for listing by the current owner. The other properties, in no particular order, appear to be eligible under at least one National Register Criterion required for listing with the possible Criterion being as follows:

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Criterion A: Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.

Criterion B: Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

Criterion C.: Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction.

Criterion D: Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important ID

prehistory or history.

POTENTIAL LONGBOAT KEY NATIONAL REGISTER PROPERTIES

The Kohl Estate-2251 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Tbe WalterslHolt House 631 Broadway

Tbe Jordan House/Mar Vista 760 Broadway

The Broadway Stone Apartments 551 Broadway

The Colvin/Nicol House-6625 Bayou Hammock

The C. M. Jones House-680 Broadway

c.1935 Criterion C for its architecture

c.1913 Criterion 8 for its association with the Holt family Criterion C for its architecture

c.1920 Criterion A for having served as a community and social gathering place for locals during Longboat ' s early development Criterion B for its association with R u f usa n d Annie Jordan who played an significant role in the early development of the island.

1948 Criterion C for architecture and for most likely being the first apartment building constructed on Longboat Key

1949 Criterion A for being one of the first homes constructed in Bayou Hammock Criterion C for its architecture and as the design .work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg, and for being constructed by Logan and Currin, prominent local builders for over 40 years.

c.1913 Criterion C for its architecture

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Tbe Yerkes House & Guest House-6533 Bayou Hammock

The Fleming House-7061 Poinsetta

Mi FriendlThe Dukes House 630 Broadway

1949

Criterion A for being one of the first homes constructed in Bayou Hammock Criterion C for its architecture and as the work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg and for being constructed by Logan and Currin, prominent local builders for over 40 years.

1940 Criterion C for its architecture

1913 Criterion A for its architecture and as the most well­preservQd early rusticated block Jordan built house that survives in Longbeach

Previously proposed for listing by current property owner:

The Allen Boat House 650 Hibiscus Way

c.1949 Criterion A for its representation of the island's historic assocation with the waterfront Criterion C for being constructed by Ansel McMichen, the most active and prominent builder on the island in the 19408 and 1950s.

Regrettably, many of Longboat's historic properties have undergone considerable and mostly historically inappropriate exterior modifications over time. In addition to those listed above, the fol1owing properties, with their year of construction also noted, should be considered as the most wen-preserved and historically architecturally significant structures on the island based upon the criterion indicated. These properties may be additional potential candidates for nomination to the National Register but, nevertheless, combined with the above listed structures are most worthy of future protection on a local level, either individually or within the boundaries of a potential future local historic district, based upon their well-preserved condition. If a local historic preservation ordinance were adopted, the criteria for a establishment and designation of a local district has the potential for being more flexible for listing or designation.

Additional Significant Longboat Key Historic Properties

Wendy's House 670 Broadway

Whitney Beach Cottage' 11 6841 Pine Street alkla the Chamberlain House

1919 Criterion C for its architecture

1935

Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

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Wbitney Beacb Cottage 1111 6841 Pine Street a/k/a tbe Chamberlain House

Whitney Beach Cottage 1121 6841 Longboat Drive S

Whitney Beach Cottage 1181 6909 Longboat Drive S. a/kla tbe Byers House

1935

Criterion A for its Unk to tourism Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

1935 Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for its architecture

1936 Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for· its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

Whitney Beach Cottage 1191 1936 6800 Sbell StreeU68?? Longboat Drive S. a/kJa as the Cobb House Criterion A for its link to tourism

Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

Whitney Beacb Cottage 11101 1936 6850 Shell StreeU6860 Longboat Drive S. a/kJa the Harold House Criterion A for its link to tourism

Whitney Beach Cottage III 6225 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Robinson/Long Beach Cottage III 7110 Longboat Drive E.

Robinson/Long Beach Cottage #4 7140 Longboat Drive E

Garman House 7150 Longboat Drive E

661 Linley

Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

1936 Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kannenberg

c.1933 Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for its architecture and as the design work of prominent local architect, Werner Kanneberg

c.1933 Criterion A for its link to tourism Criterion C for its architecture

1949 Criterion C for its architecture

c.194O Criterion C for its architecture

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Risley House 701 Linley Street

Cannon House & Beach Cottages 6051 Gulf of Mexico Drive

<.1912 Criterion C for its architecture

1949 Criterion A for their link to tourism Criterion C for their architecture

Some buildings, such as the Longbeach Elementary School, at 575 Linley Street, and Darcey's Store, at 6981 Lois Street, possess historic significance but have been so substantially altered that they do not appear to be candidates for listing in either the National Register of Historic Places or a potential local historic register. Their appar~nt ineligiblity is based upon a substantial loss of their historic architectural integrity, a required element for listing, regardless of any significant historic association(s) that they may possess.

There are several additional buildings recorded in the survey that could regain their original historic architectural integrity to be candidates for National Register listing or local historic designation with the undertaking of only minimum exterior rehabilitation, such as replacement of inappropriate non-historic windows with units matching or closely matching the original windows that were used in construction, appropriate restoration of front porches, or the removal of vinyl soffits to reveal exposed rafter tails, all of which are important character defining features for a building to possess its sufficient historic architectural significance to qualify for listing in a historic register. Two such examples of buildings that are have a great deal of historic significance to the community are the Jordan HoteULongbeach Inn and Tallman House #2, both located on Broadway. Both these structures have had substantial alteration of original full-width front porches that have severely compromised their historic architectural integrity which could be remedied with the restoration of the original design of each structure's main entrance porch.

Considerations and Potential for the Listing of Additional Historic Structures in the National Register

A decision as to whether or not to authorize the preparation of additional National Register Nomination Proposals should be further pursued by the Longboat Key Historical Society or Town of Longboat Key and individual property owners, outside the scope of this survey and nomination project.

It was the consensus of the Longboat Key Historical Society and the survey firm that the owners of the individual properties, not nominated as part of this project and appearing to meet the criteria for listing, would be approached and encouraged by the Society, with the assistance of the consultant, to pursue listing on a private basis. In the event that these property owners were wiJJing to consent to listing but were unwilling or unable to incur any costs associated with such listing, the Longboat Key Historical Society would consider sponsoring or contributing towards the costS of preparing the Nomination ProposaJ(s). The organization would only assume such costs after discussion, consideration, and approval by a majority of its Board of Directors andlor membership.

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EFFECT OF NATIONAL REGISTER USTING

The listing of a qualitied property in the National Register of Historic Places win have the following effect on the property owners:

I . Provide eligibility for limited grants from the Division of Historical Resources for the restoration of both public and privately owned buildings and structures which contribute to the significance of the community. which are owned by government agencies or non-profit groups.

2. Create potential financial incentives for the appropriate and substantial rehabilitation of income producing properties such as the 20% federal investment tax credit.

3. Provide protection of properties from the impact of Federal projects through a review and comment procedure required for all federally funded and licensed prQjects.

4. Create possible exemption from certain provisions of the building code. The City Building Official may have the authority to provide exemptions and waivers on a case by case basis for historic buildings in the community .

5. Create a sense of community pride in Longboat Key's history.

The survey team could hold public informational meetings and/or easily assist the Longboat Key Historical Society and Town of Longboat in conducting a survey as to the position of property owners regarding National Register listing or the establishment of a local landmark ordinance.

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CURRENT ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Longboat Key 's early development was founded on rural values with farming and citrus providing a means of livelihood to early residents. Although some expansion took place in the early years , it was not until the 1930s that the area began to see a noticeable wave of new construction and growth. The much larger development of nearby Sarasota and Bradenton and the desire to maintain the island as a resort destination kept the island from being heavily commercialized. The area's population has tremendously increased as a result of efforts to maintain its reputation as an upscale resort community, a desirable tropical destination, and a winter home for wealthy northerners.

Longboat Key residents and the Town of Longboat continue to attempt to retain their resort island flavor, combined with extensive waterfront highrise condominium development. The island 's most significant development has only taken place over the last 25-35 years, therefore, not a great number of structures were constructed in the early years of the island's development. Of those, a smaller number have survived. A number of these surviving historic structures have been irreversibly altered over time while others are threatened by demolition for the use of their sites in new construction due to escalating land values. Efforts should be made to educate the community with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation for the rehabilitation and enlargement of historic buildings. Historic property owners should be encouraged and provided incentives to undertake appropriate and sensitive rehabilitation to the island 's remaining historic buildings since current FEMA regulations prohibit the construction or duplication of like structures at ground level. Historic property owners should be informed that exemptions from certain FEMA regulations, such as an ability to exceed the 50% substantial improvement limit, can be made to some qualifying historic properties if appropriate rehabilitation or new construction work is undertaken.

Whereas, Sarasota County has adopted comprehensive provisions and incentives for the protection of historic properties within the southern end of the island that ties in Sarasota County, the Comprehensive Plans of the Town of Longboat Key and Manatee County only incorporate the minimal mandated requirements of addressing historic preservation in housing and future land development and there is DO specific provision for the actual protection of historic properties. Neither Plan goes beyond the minimal requirements and no local historic preservation element exists or is currently being planned, although some preliminary discussion has taken place. The Town of Longboat Commission has directed the Longboat Key Historical Society and the survey consultant to work directly on a preliminary proposal for a historic preservation ordinance with the Planning Department and Planning Board.

The identification of the island 's historic resources can be accomplished by this survey and the official recognition of significant local historic resources by placement on the National Register of Historic Places or their determination of eligibility. This provides a foundation for the Town of Longboat Key and Manatee County to consider further legislation to specifically address the protection and future planning in regards to these sites. The local establishment of one or two small historic districts, based on the potential for preservation and structural improvements within the districts can serve to attract tourists and provide economic benefits. The current provisions under the Town of Longboat Key and Manatee County Comprehensive

63

No design review guidelines exist and neither the Town of Longboat Key or Manatee County has any control over abusive alterations to existing historic buildings or their demolition.

An effort should be made to educate city government and the community as to the potential aesthetic and economic benefits that could be gained by the rehabilitation of the existing historic buildings. The recognition of the value of these buildings to the island and its economics and a commitment to a coordinated and balanced use of economic development and historic preservation should be made.

As mentioned early in this report, within the Methodology Section, it should be pointed out that the Florida Master Site File is not a state historic register, but an inventory which is intended for use as a planning tool and as a central repository of archival data on the physical remains of Florida' s history. Each individual file in the Florida Master Site File could become a permanent record upon the loss of , or irreversible damage to, that particular property.

As a logical consequence of this survey, the most significant properties, as specifically identified within the this survey report, should be registered or recognized for their significance.

The survey team has made several specific recommendations to the Longboat Key Historical Society and the Town of Longboat for consideration. Those recommendations include:

I. The adoption of a policy statement, resolution, or historic preservation ordinance by the Town of Longboat Key that pledges a policy of wise use of all its historic resources in recognition of the following:

a. that the Town of Longboat Key 's historically and architecturally significant buildings constitute a unique and irreplaceable resource.

b. that these buildings provide important physical links with the past and increase the enjoyment and quality of life on Longboat Key.

c. that historic buildings, if used and rehabilitated, can have a significant and substantial impact on the Town of Longboat Key and the island's economy, and in the Town of Longboat Key 's potential to increase tourism and attract new residents.

2. The integration of historic preservation concerns into the daily operations of city government.

3. Establishment of (a) local historic district(s).

4. Amending the existing Comprehensive Plan governing the island to further address historic resources.

5. Begin exploring the feasibility of the development and adoption of a mandatory or voluntary historic preservation ordinance to afford specific protection for the island's identified historic resources.

64

6. Establishing a review process for aU building permits involving new construction, demolition, or exterior renovations to buildings 50 years of age or older on the island.

7. Explore and plan for the development of design review guidelines for distribution to property owners.

8. Explore and plan for the development of incentives for owners of identified historic properties. Potential incentives include, financial and zoning incentives, tax credits or tax abatement, and relief from certain building codes.

65

BENEFITS OF A HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE

The most appropriate action for the Town of Longboat Key would be to designate by ordinance (a) Town of Longboat Key historic district(s) wilbin Ibe historic core of Longbeach. todays Village of Longboat, in order to protect the existing continuity in design, setting, scale and construction materials . The designation of this area would serve to more than just to preserve individual buildings or buildings located within the district. The setting, concentration and relationships of the buildings would also be protected. Proposed new construction would be reviewed for compatibility in siting. form, massing, height and other features based upon either the Department of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation or local guidelines, if so created and adopted. Potential streetscape projects including the selection of appropriate street lighting, benches, signage and landscape features could then be considered in plans for improvements.

In the alternative, a historic preservation ordinance that provides landmark status to the island's most significant historic resources could be adopted to provide future protection, either on a mandated or voluntary basis, for those properties give such designation status. In this case, proposed exterior modifications to those structures, outside of normal maintenance would be subject to review and consistency with appropriate rehabilitation based upon the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for, Rehabilitation or local architectural review design guidelines, again, if so created and adopted by Ibe Town of Longboat.

Prior to final preparation and adoption of an historic preservation ordinance, consideration of its impact and a review of aU existing Town ordinances to determine if any conflicts exist should be taken with assistance from the Town Attorney.

Response to Potential Opposition to the Adoption of a Local Historic Preservation Ordinance

A frequent argument is that preservation regulations reduce property values and stifle local economic development. The experience of many property owners and communities shows just the reverse.

In 1990, an economic analysis of business activity in Denver's Lower Downtown Historic District revealed that the district actually fared better economically than other parts of the city. In less than two years after the district's designation, 114 new businesses creating 450 new jobs located in the district. This came about while most of Denver's other businesses suffered a severe recession. Likewise in Fredericksburg, Virginia where properties in the historic district appreciated more in value between 1971 and 1990 than properties located elsewhere in the city.

The legality issue of historic designation is also an issue brought forward when considering the adoption of a historic preservation ordinance. In 1994, Miami 's process for designating properties historic was upheld by Ibe Third District Court of Appeal. In a suit that made allegations that the City's historic preservation ordinance was unconstitutional and could be considered an illegal taking of property, the Third DCA noted that the ordinance only came into place as a result of a building permit application and could not be construed as a taking since reasonable use had not been denied or restricted.

66

The basic constitutionality of historic preservation ordinances was upheld in 1978 by the United States Supreme Court. In Penn Central Transportation Co" y. City of New York (438 U.S. 104 (1978), the court answered two important questions.

First, it found historic preservation to a be a valid purpose. Second, the court held that New York 's ordinance, and by inference, similar ordmances enacted by other cities, had not taken private property in violation of the U.S. Constitution because the ordinance's restrictions left Penn Central with a reasonable use of its property.

Historic preservation can offer economic development opportunities to local communities such as heritage tourism, which is of growing importance to many small towns or communities. The ability of local communities to attract outside visitors- and the revenues and jobs they bring with them in many cases depends on historic preservation;

Lastly, there are fiscal benefits to maldng full use of historic centers of a community. Taxpayers cannot afford to pay continually for new roads, sewers, utilities, water lines and public service facilities strewn inefficiently across the landscape while existing infrastructure go underused.

Requirements of a Local Historic Preservation Ordinance

A local preservation ordinance, if adopted, must meet certain rules:

1. Maintain a valid public purpose. In some way, advance the public health, safety morals or general welfare.

2. Not be so restrictive as to deprive a property owner of all reasonable economic use of his property.

3. Honor citizens rights to "due process". Fair hearings must be provided and standardized rational procedures must be followed in an ordinance's administration.

4. An ordinance must comply with relevant state laws.

67

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW AND CONTROL

The National Register of Historic Places listing is not to be confused with local architectural control ordinances and design control of renovation and new construction. Early surviving buildings should be valued and afforded some form of protection.

Rehabilitation standards or design review guidelines for exterior alterations can be developed. The extent and degree of these standards would he determined by the Town Commission, after allowance for input from property owners and Town residents. An alternative would be to adopt the Secretary of the Interior' s Standards for Rehabilitation, a copy of which can be found at the end of this report. These guidelines could eith~r be voluntary or mandatory and would not require property owners to undertake any rehabilitation work or reverse any previous alterations. An ordinance would need to be adopted to require compliance. Adoption of such an ordinance would require review and approval by the Town Commission or its designated body. such as the Planning Board or a separate Historic Preservation Board, prior to the issuance of any building permit effecting new construction for designated structures or those in an identified historic area, demolition of historic structures, or major alterations to the exterior of any identified individual historic building or historic buildings within a district. The ordinance would not prohibit appropriate additions to historic buildings and would exclude the review of permit applications for interior, mechanical , minor repairs or renovations, or ordinary maintenance. It could exclude alterations or additions to buildings constructed after 1949. Identified individual structures that are isolated and not located within an identified or designated historic area, could also be afforded protection under the provisions of the ordinance.

Guidelines used for compliance with the ordinance should be undertaken with input from historic property owners, printed, and made readily available to the public. The guidelines should be drafted and written as to be understandable and easily interpreted for compliance. The procedures, including a process for appeal, should be put in writing and provided to affected property owners.

Preliminary meetings or communications with staff, and if necessary an outside consultant should be routinely provided during the permit process so that potential problems can be addressed or corrected before work is scheduled to begin or, in some instances, final drawings are completed. Technical assistance to the Town Commission or appropriate board is available from The Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee architectural staff without charge.

Adoption of a design review process would require establiShing a method of flagging certain building permit applications relating to all pre-1949 buildings or only those buildings located in the designated district(s) . In the absence of the adoption of a local historic preservation ordinance, it is suggested that an architectural control ordinance be adopted to provide protection of the Town's historic buildings and/or district(s) . Although a Certificate of Approval or Appropriateness for the final approval or denial of such permits could ultimately be issued or denied by the Town Commission, if so structured, the Town could elect to have a private consultant, as needed, review the permit application and make a recommendation to the Town Council regarding appropriateness before the matter was set for public hearing and a decision was made by the Commission or their designated board. However, it would not be necessary for the outside consultant's recommendation to be binding. Recommendations could

68

again be based on the Secretary of the lnteriors Guidelines for Rehabilitation, or local guidelines, if and when written and adopted. An appeal process would be provided and criteria for economic hardship could be established and appeals could be reviewed on a case by case basis by the Commission.

A reasonable time frame should be established for completion of the Certificate of Approval or Appropriateness process. The length of the process should not create unreasonable delays for the builder andlor owner. A maximum 4 week period is suggested, based on the current routine of twice monthly City Council meetings. This would also allow adequate response time if the services of the Division of Historical Resources or a private consultant were consulted for review and comments. The review process should allow for at least two reviews. The first review should take place with discussions and a preliminary plan showing the project site and the exterior elevations of the proposed work once completed or the submission in writing, or on a specified form, specific work items to be undertaken. The second review should require a full and final written description or a set of full working drawings detailing all exterior work and architectural details.

All Town Commission members or their designated Historic Preservation or Planning Board members should be supplied with and responsible for reviewing all relevant information pertaining to the purpose and intent of the ordinance and the design review guidelines and procedures. Periodic review should take place and allowance for revisions in response to any continuing problems should be timely addressed if, and when needed .

In the past. from the survey staff' s observation. their has been very little consideration by property owners regarding appropriate renovations and rehabilitation to the existing historic building stock. Combined with a lack of local government building permit control, a large number of historic residential buildings have been insensitively or irreversibly altered. Many residential buildings have had porches enclosed inappropriately and a number of houses have also been covered in aluminum and vinyl siding and have had their windows replaced with aluminum awning and jalousie units. The surveyor is of the opinion that often a lack of historic preservation education played a factor in most of these renovations projects. Continuing efforts should be made toward educating the community in the significance, role and economic value of its historic resources.

It is suggested that the Town assist property owners by providing information on proper rehabilitation techniques and materials. Printed material on appropriate renovations and copies of the Secretary of the Interiors' Guidelines for Rehabilitation or local guidelines, if any, should be distributed and made readily available at Town Hall for historic property owners. potential owners, and contractors or architects working within the Town. These should also be provided at the time any application for a building permit is made effecting changes to any historic building exteriors. other than ordinary maintenance. lying within the district boundaries. Use of these guidelines should be encouraged by Town of Longboat Key staff. Information should also be provided on the correct methods to sensitively renovate or restore historic properties, inc1uding wood sash window repair and reasonably convenient sources for obtaining or purchasing appropriate replacement windows. Education on these issues will promote the planning and completion of more sensitive renovations to Longboat Key's identified historic resources. Ideally, over a period of time, as a result of these strides in local historic preservation

69

conscious effort at preserving or restoring the original historic integrity of the remaining historic buildings. Buildings renovated or rehabilitated according to the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation will incite pride in Longboat Key's historic resources and encourage other property owners to make sensitive and appropriate improvements resulting in increased property values and tax revenue.

The island's most important buildings are those that date from the early period of Longboat's development (pre-1921) that have been minimally altered on the exterior, excepting the replacement of original windows. Individual buildings that have been included in the survey are noted on the Survey Site Inventory beginning on Page 76. The island's most important and intact historic structures are noted on Pages 59-61.

70

POTENTIAL LOCAL INCENTIVES FOR mSTORlC PRESERVATION

Many local governments provide incentives to encourage individual property owners to preserve or rehabilitate historic buildings. The creation of incentives is an im)X>rtant component of regulatory controls involved in local preservation ordinances.

Specific kinds of historic preservation incentives used by cities and towns around the country include:

· tax incentives or tax abatement *financial assistance (rehabilitation grants or loans) · regulatory relief (from building code or parking requirements, etc.) ·zoning incentives (e.g. transfer of development rights , density bonuses, special

exceptions for use) ·technical assistance (e.g. design assistance)

Many communities are also creating disincentives for owners to demolish historic buildings. Increased fees for the demolition of historic buildings can be used to supplement other historic preservation projects.

Many communities ruso find that simple friendly persuasion and examples of local properties meeting historic preservation guidelines are effective ways of getting property owners to maintain their historic buildings and to rehabilitate them in a way that respects the distinctive character of the building, district, or neighborhood. Helpful guidance andlor referral should be provided to property owners 00 design matters.

SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEPITS

Social benefits can be derived from historic preservation simply from the way many historic areas are laid out. Narrow pleasant streets, compact development and other characteristics such as mature landscaping are typical of historic districts which relay a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. This design promotes social and business contact and brings people together. The presence of familiar landmarks gives people a sense of orientation, a reason to stay, a reason to return and a sense of an emotional anchor to what is arouod them.

The City could elect to solicit the services of the Florida State Division of Historical Resources or a historic preservation consultant on complex problems or developmental issues effecting historic structures, with final decisions to be made by the Town Commission. Initially, the education of historic property owners should at a minimum include the provision of written information on porch enclosure, retrofiting and repairing original windows, roof and eaves repair or replacement, repair of deteriorated siding, and appropriate room additions. .

71

COLLECTION, MAINTENANCE AND PROTECTION OF IDSTORIC RECORDS,

DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

A concerted and continued effort should be made to assemble historic photographs and other historic records in one centralized depository. City government should be discouraged from discarding building and demolition pennits that document the changes that take place to historic structures on the island over time.

In the event that no action is taken on a local level to adopt a historic preservation ordinance to afford protection for the island ' s historic resources, at the very least, property owners who elect to demolish historic structures (50 years of age or older) should be required to provide some level of historic documentation of the structure as well as a comprehensive photo documentation, prior to issuance of a demolition permit by the Town of Longboat. Such property owners should also be encouraged to salvage historic building materials or fixtures and offer them to other owners of local historic properties.

The Longboat Key Historical Society should consider the establishment of a local archives and regularly solicit the community in person and in writing for any and all historic documentation that pertains the island to be held for public benefit in a central and secure location.

72

Lon~boat Observer Sarasota Times Sarasota Daily Times Sarasota Herald-Tribune The Islander The Journal Sarasota Journal This Week in Sarasota Caloosahatchee Current

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Building Renovation Maga2ine , Spring, 1995 edition

Manatee County Deeds of Record Various Property owners' abstracts

Copies of various Longbeach Plat on file with Longboat Key Historical Society and Manatee County.

Whitney. Lora Colvin, Hail This Feisty Yillaee, Rainbow Books, Torrington, CT, 1984 and 1991.

Loneboat. Yesterday. Today & Tomorrow, Includioe: 5t. Armands & Lido, First Edition, Lindsay Curtis Publishing Company, 1984, Sarasota, FL.

Bickel, Karl A. , The Mangrove Coast, 1942, Coward McCann, Inc., 4th Edition, 1989.

Grismer, Karl H., The StoOl of Sarasota, Published by M.E. Russell , Sarasota, Florida, Printed by the Plorida Grower Press, Tampa, FL, 1948.

Marsh, Ola Gladys Hylton, History of the United States Postal Service 00 Lom:boat Ke,y . Florida, Delcraft Printing Company, 1962.

Matthews, Janet Snyder, Journey to Centennial. Sarasota, Revised edition design and pre­publication layout by Coastal Printing, Inc., Sarasota, FL, Revised Edition Copyright 1997, First Published 1985 by Continental Heritage Press within the American Portrait Series.

List of Homestead Grants prepared by Ralph Hunter, President, Longboat Key Historical Society

List of Whitney Beach Cottages and their location, prepared by April Johnson, Longboat Key Historical Society.

Promotional brochure for Whitney Beach Resort, undated but c. 1940.

Promotional brochure for Long Beach Cottages, undated but c.1948

73

Who's Who in America, A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of the United States, Volume 14, 1926-1927, Edited by Alben Nelson Marquis, Chicago: The A.N. Marquis Company, London: Stanley Paul; & Co., Ltd.

Fleming, John, Hug, Honour, Pevsner, Nikolaus, The Pen~in DictioDa[)' of Architecture. Fourth Editioo. Penguin Group, London England, 1991 Interviews

Newberry, S.B. , "Hollow Concrete Block Building Construction in the United State: Concrele and Conslrucllonal Engineer, I :2, May, 1906.

Perspectives in vernacular Architecture, Ill, Edited by Thomas Carter and Bernard L. Herman, University of Missouri Press, Columbia, 19_.

Model Guidelines for Desien Review. a &uide for deveiopin& standards for historic rehabilitation in Florida communities, Funded by Division of Historical resources, Florida Department of State, Assisted by Florida Historic Preservation Advisory Council, Consultants: Paul L. Weaver, HI , Historic Property Associates, [DC., Pappas Associates, Inc ., undated

Whitney, Bob, son of Lora and Gordon Whitney and longtime Longboat Key resident. Telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on May 27, 1999.

Holt, Helen Mae, longtime Longboat Key resident and former Postmaster. Several telephone conferences with Mikki Hartig June and July of 1999, Sarasota, Florida.

Mayer, David, lands End property owner. Personal communication with Mikki Hartig on site on July 23, 1999.

Jerkins, Mrs. Thomas, Garman, daughter of Louis and Madeline Garman, former Long Beach Cottages owners. Telephone conference with Mikki Hartig on August 17, 1999, Sarasota, Florida.

Kannenberg, Lloyd, son of Werner Kannenberg, telephone communication with Milc:ki Hartig on August 16 between Sarasota, Florida and Weston, Massachusetts .

Yerkes, George, grandson of Grace and Paul Yerkes. Telephone Communication with Milli Hartig on August 31, 1999, Sarasota, PL.

Kennedy, Caroline, daughter of Logan and Currin home owner. Personal communication with Mikki Hartig in 1992, Sarasota, FL.

Personal and telephone interviews with numerous Longboat Key historic property owners as indicated on various Florida Master Site File Forms.

74

LONGBOAT KEY'S FLORIDA SITE FILE FORM AND SURVEY INVENTORY

ADDRESS/NAME

Bayou Hammock

6526/Colvin/Nicol House 6533/Yerkes House 6533/Verkes Guest House 6550/Schueneman House 6551/Chambliss House

Bayside

6925

Broadway

551/Broad~ay stone Apartments 60l/Jordan Hotel/Longbeach Inn 610/Malmborg House 630 / Mi Friend/ Dukes House 631/Walters/Holt House 640j Ridyard House 670/Wendy's House GSO/C.M. Jones House 690/E.R . Watson House 691/ 700/Tallman House # 1 701 720/Tallman House #2 751 760/Jordan House/Mar Vista 789/Jordan Tenant House

YEAR OF CQNSTBUCTIONIUSE

1949/ Residential 194 9/Re sidential 194 9/Residential 1948/ Residential 1949/Re sidential

c.1948/Residential

1942/Re s idential c.1913/0ffice C.1913(Residential 1913jResidential 1913/Residential c.1948 /Residential 1919/Residential c .1 91 3/Residential c.1940/Residential c.1914 / Residential c.1915/Residential c.1920/ Residential C.1930jResidential c.1940/Residential c.1921/ Residential C.1913 / Residential

75

un.

1073 1145 1144 1146 1083

1084

1069 1078 1068 1074 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1077 1063 1064 1065 1066 1076 1075

STYLE

Monterey Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular Ranch Ranch

Masonry Vernacular

Masonry Vernacular Frame Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Mas onry Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Frame Vernacul ar Masonry Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Frame Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Frame Vernacular Masonry Vernacular Masonry Vernacular

ADDRESS/NAME YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION/USE

Fox

761/Robinson/Long Beach Cottage#S 77 1/ Robinson/Long Beach Cottage#9

Gulf of Mexico Drive

2251/Koh1 Estate 6030 6051/Cannon Cottage # 1 60SI/Cannon cottage #2 60SI/Cannon House 6l0l/0ates House 6111 6225/Whitney Beach Cottage #11

6572 6573 6630/Whitney Beach cottage #3

6685/Seibert House ?300/Lands End/ The Mayers House

Gulfside

6453

Hibiscus

690/Allen Boathouse

Lands End Drive

733/ 737/

C.1933/ Residential c.1933/Residential

c.19 35/Residential

c .1949/Resort Cotta ge c,1949/ Resort cottage c .1949/Resort cottage c.1945/ Residential c . 194 3/Residential c.1936/Residential (mov ed c.19 56 )

c.1947/Residential c.1935/ Residential (moved c.1 9 56) 1 949/Residential 1936/ Residential

c.1946/ Residential

c. 1 949/Boathouse

c 1940/ Residential c.1940/Residential

76

~

1080 1079

1158

116 0 1161 1159 1148 1157 1154

1164 1054 1155

1149

1162

1150 1151

STYLE

Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular

Masonry Vernacular

Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular Mas onry Vernacular Frame Vern acular Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular Frame Vernacular

Ranch

Frame Vernacular california/ Contemporary Frame Vernacular

Frame Vernacular

Frame Vernacular

Frame Vernacu lar Frame Vernacular

ADDRESS/NAME YEAR~QF~CQNSTRUCTIONIUSE rH1l STYLE

Linley St reet

575/Longbeach Elementary School 1938/Residential 1071 Frame Vernacular

590 c . 1945/Residential 1040 Frame Vernacular 651/Tate House 19 16 / Residential 1041 Frame Vernacular 660 c.1940/ Residential 1152 Frame Vernacular 661 c.1940/ Residential 1042 Frame Vernacular 6 7 1/Frost House c.1914/Residential 1043 Frame Vernacula r 685 c.19 __ / Residential Masonry Vernacular 70 1/ Risley House 1912/ Residential 1044 Masonry Vernacular 721/ c.1913 / Residential 1045 Masonry Vernacular

Lois Street

69Bl/ Darcey ' s Store c,1946/ Residential 1153 Masonry Vernacular 7 030/ Whitney Beach cottage #4? c . 1935/Residential

(Moved c.1956) 1081 Frame Vernacular Longboat Court

740/McMichen House c.1948 / Residential 1052 Frame Vernacular 760//Robinson/ Long Beach Cottage# 6 c.1933 / Residential 1067 Frame Vernacular 771 c.1948 / Workshop 1051 Frame Vernacular

Longboat Drive E.

7061/ c.1920/ Residential 1070 7 110/ Robinson/ Long Beach Cottage #1 C.1933 / Residential 1089 Frame Vernacular 7 119/ Robinson/ Long Beach Cottage #7 c. 1 933/Residential 1053 Frame Vernacular 7 120/ Robinson/ Long Beach Cottage#2 c.193 3/Residential 1086 Frame Vernacular 7130/Robinson/ Long Beach cottage # 3 c.1933 / Residential 1085 Frame Vernacular 7140/Robinson/ Long Beach Cottage#4 c.193 3/Residential 1088 Frame Vernacular 7 150/ Garman House 1949/Residential 1087 Masonry Vernacular

77

ADDRESS/NAME

Longboat Drive S.

6841/Whitney Beach cottage #2

6851/ Whitney Beach cottage #5

GaGO / Whitney Beach Linen cottage Mrs. Darcey's House

6871/Whitney Beach cottage #6 Gaal/Whitney Beach cottage #7

6909/ Whitney Beach cottage #8 Byers House

6989/Whitney Beach Cottage #4? & Superintendent's House

702 5/Johnson House

Magnolia

G81 / Allen House

Pine

6841/Whitney Beach cottage #1 Chamberlain House

YEAR OF CONSTRVCTION/USE

1935/Residential (moved c.1956) 1936/ Residential (moved c.1956)

1935/ Residential Moved c.1956)

~ STYLE

1046 Frame Vernacular

1047 Frame Vernacular

1035 Frame Vernacular (Updated)

Previously Recorded

1936/Residential 1936/Residential (moved c.1956)

1936/ Residential (moved c.1956)

1072 Frame Vernacular

1048 Frame Vernacular

1022 Frame Vernacular (Updated)

Previously Recorded

1936/Residential (moved c.1956) 1941/ Residential

c.1947/ Residential

1936/Residential (Moved c.1956 & 1998)

78

1050 Frame Vernacular

1147 Masonry Vernacular

1019 Frame Vernacular

ADDRESS/NAME ~QF~ONSTRUCTION/uSE FHl STYLE

Poinsett(i)a

6921/ Armstrong House C.1942/ Residential 1055 Frame Vernacular 7030 c.1 9 27/Residential 1056 Frame Vernacular 7061 / Fleming House c.1940j Res idential 1057 Frame Vernacular

Russell

660/ Highberger House 19 3 8/ Residential 1082 Frame Vernacular

Shell Street (Vacated 1998 but structures still bear a Shell Street address at the time of the survey work)

GaDD / Whitney Beach cottage #9/ a / kj a the Cobb House (To become 68?? Longboat Drive S)

68 5 00fWhitney Beach cottage #10/ a j kj a the Harold House (To become 6860 Longboat Drive S)

Tarawitt

835

Historic Sites

Longbeach/ Broadway Dock Bays ide Drive at Broadway

Corey' s Landing At the end of Bay Isles Drive in Saras ota County

Residential (Moved in 1951)

1936/ Residential (Moved in 1951)

1 9 45/ Residential

Site

Site

79

1023 Frame Vernacular (Updated)

Previously Recorded

1036 Frame Vernacular (Updated)

Previously Recorded

1163 Ranch

1165 Nj A

1166 Nj A

SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION

1. Every reasonable effort shall be made to provide a compatible use for property which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, or site and its environment, or to use a property in its originally intended purpose.

2. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.

3. All buildings , structures, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged .

4. Changes which may have taken place -in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected.

5. Distinctive stylistic features craftsmanship which characterize a shall be treated with sensitivity.

or examples of building, structure,

skilled or site

6. Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced whenever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, sUbstantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjecture, designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.

7. The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.

8. Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archaeological resources affected by, or adjacent to any project.

9. Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural or cultural material, and such design is compatible with size, neighborhood, or environment.

10. Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to structures shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structures would be unimpaired.

80

ENDNOTES

1. Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, 1999.

2. Loneboat Observer, September 13, 1990 article on Bessie Boston, survivor of the 1921 hurricane on Longboat Key.

3. Miller, David. Telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on August 23, 1999.

4. Jerkins , Mary Jayne Garman, daughter of original owner, in an telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on July 28, 1999.

5. Loneboat. Yesterday. Today & TomorroW. Includirie $1. Armands & Lido, First Edition, Lindsay Curtis Publishing Company, Sarasota, FL., pp. 7 & 8.

6. Illlil.. p. 9, and Grismer, Karl H., The Story of Sarasota, Published by M.E. Russell , Sarasota, Florida, Printed by the Florida Grower Press, Tampa, FL, 1948, p. 9, and Bickel, Karl A., The Maneroye Coast, 1942, Coward McCann, Inc., 4th Edition, 1989, pp.64-65.

7. Matthews, Janet Snyder, Journey to Centennial. Sarasota, Revised edition design and pre­publication layout by Coastal Printing, Inc. , Sarasota, FL, Revised Edition Copyright 1997, First Published 1985 by Continental Heritage Press within the American Portrait Series, p. 32, and Bickel, p. 161.

8. Matthews, p. 50.

9. List of Homestead Grants prepared by Ralph Hunter, President, Longboat Key Historical Society

10. Homesteaders List, on file at Longboat Key Historical Soclety , and Whitney, p. 18.

11. Lon&boat. Yesterday. Today & Tomorrow, First Edition, Lindsay Curtis Publishing Company. Sarasota, FL, p. 10.

12. Whitney, Lora Colvin, Hail This Feisty Villa&e, Rainbow Books, Torrington, cr, 1984 & 1991, p. 19.

13 . Marsh, Ola Gladys Hylton, History of the United States Postal Service on 1...oo&boat Key. FIQrida, De1cralt Printing Company, 1962, pp. 3 & 4, (unnumbered) , and Whitney, p. 28.

14. List of Homestead Grants prepared by Ralph Hunter, President, Longboat Key Historical Society.

81

15. Whitney, p. 29.

16. Longboat. Including St, Armands & Lido. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, pp. 12 & 13.

17. Whitney, p. 23.

18. List of Homestead Grants prepared by Ralph Hunter, President, Longboat Key Historical Society.

19. Whitney, p. 25 .

20. SarasoIa Times, May 16, 1912, June 6, 1912, and November 20, 1913, Whitney , p. 26, and List of Homestead Grants, copy on file with Longboat Key Historical Society.

21. SaraMa Times, August 17, 1911.

22. Whitney, p. 20.

23 . Whitney, p. 20.

24. Whitney, p. 19-20, and Longboat Observer, November 28, 1985.

25. Sarasota Times, August 17, 1911, and Loneboat. Includine St. Armands & Lido, p. 12.

26. Sarasota Times, January 20, 1910.

27. Sarasota Times, September 5, and September 26, 1912.

28. Whitney, p. 26.

29. Marsh, p. 3 (unnumbered), and SaraSOIa Times, January 3, 1910, January 20, 1910, August 17, 1911 , and November 20, 1913.

30. SarasOia Times, December 23, 1915.

31. Sarasota Times, June 6, 1912.

32. Whitney, p. 25, and Sarasota Times, November 7, 1912.

33. Sarasota Times, August 17, 1911 , June 6,1912 , November 7,1912, July 31,1913.

34. SaraSOIa Times, August 17, 1911.

35. SarasOia Times, August 17, 1911 .

36. Grismer, p. 314.

82

37. Matthews, p. Ill.

38. Grismer, p. 314.

39. Sarasota Times February 29, 1912.

40. Sarasota Times, December 12, 1912, and September 18, 1913.

41. Whitney, p. 36.

42. Sarasota Times, October 2, 1913 .

43 . Sarasota Times, October 2, 1913, October 23, 1913, November 20, 1913, December I I , 1913, and December 2, 1915.

44. Sarasota Times, November 20, 1913.

45. Sarasota Times, December 12, 1913.

46. Sarasota Times, November 20, 1913 .

47. Sarasota Times, March 37, 1913, and Whitney, p. 25-26.

48. The Islander, October 10, 1980.

49. Whitney, p. 28.

50. Whitney, p. 29.

51. Sarasota Times, January 8, 1915.

52. Sarasota Times, February 22, 1912.

53. Marsh, pp. 4 & 5, (unnumbered).

54. Marsh, pp. 3 & 4, (unnumbered), and Whitney, p. 25.

55. Sarasota Times, October 23, 1913, and Whitney, p. 21.

56. Whitney, p. 20.

57. Whitney, p. 31.

58. Copies of various Longbeach Plats in possession of Longboat Key Historical Society.

59. Whitney, p. 31.

83

60. Marsh, p. 5, (unnumbered).

61. Whitney, pp. 32,33, and 35.

62. Whitney, p. 32.

63 . Copy of plat in possession of Longboat Historical Society.

64. Sarasota Times, April 5 and April 8, 1923.

65 . SarasOia Times, April 8, 1923.

66. The Journal , August 30, 1959, and ______ __ , August 19, 1990.

67. , August 19, 1990.

68. Loneboat, Includine St, Armands & Lido, Yesterday. Today & Tomorrow, p. 17, and Whitney, p. 26.

69. Matthews, p. III , and Whitney, p. 27.

70. Marsh, p. 7 (unnumbered) , and Whitney, p. 27.

71 . Loneboat Observer, November 10, 1983.

72. Ibis Week in Sarasota, February 26, 1925, and April 16, 1925

73 . Whitney, p. 35, as taken from an article in the Islander, dated November 27, 1980, written by Manatee County historian, Kent Chetlain.

74. Loneboat Key . Includine St. Armand and Lido, Yesterday. Today. and TomorroW, p. 34 and Marsh, 01a Gladys Hylton, History of the United States Postal Service on Loneboat K~y, Florida, Delcraft Printing Company, 1962, p. 7, (unnumbered).

75. Sarasota Daily Times, October 13, 1925.

76. Sarasota Daily Times, October 25 and October 27, 1925.

77. Sarasota County Times, November 28, 1925.

78. This Week in Sarasota, April 16, 1925, Sarasota Times, December 2. 1925. and Whitney, p. 26.

79. Plat Book 2, Pages 149 & 150, of the Public Records of Sarasota County.

80. Plat Book 3, Page 49, of the Public Records of Sarasota County, Florida.

84

81. Sarasota Herald, Pebruary 24, 1926.

82. Lon2boal. Inc1udin2 SI. Armands & Lido, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, pp. 22 & 23.

83. Loneboat Key, Includine St. Armand and Lido. Yesterday, Today. and Tomorrow. p. 46.

84. Lon2boat Observer, November 10, 1983.

85. Lon2boat Key, Includin2 SI. Armands and Lido, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, p. 32.

86. Lon2boatObserver, November 10, 1983.

87. Lon2boat Observer, November 10, 1983.

88. Lon2boat Observer, November 10, 1983, and Sarasota Herald-Herald, August, 1936.

89. Plat Book I, 174, Manatee County Plat Public Records.

90. Plat Book I, Page 224, and Plat Book I, Page 232, of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida.

91. Plat Book I , Page 306, of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida.

92. Whitney, p. 23 .

93. Plat Book I, Page 329, of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida.

94. Plat Book 4, Page 6 , of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida.

95. Plat Book 6, Page 66, of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida.

96. Lon2boat, Includin2 SI. Armands & Lido, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, p. 24.

97. Sarasota Times, September 5, 1912, and December 16, 1915, and Whitney, pp. 22 and 23.

98. Whitney, pp. 21 and 115, and LoniWoat Observer, November 10, 1983.

99. Lon2boal, Includin2 St, Armands & Lido, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, pp. 24-27, and The Islander, October 10, 1980.

100. Whitney, p. 36.

WI. Whitney, pp.12, 23 & 45.

85

102. Lone-boat. lncludine- St. Armands and Lido. yesterday. Today & Tomorrow, p. 31.

103. Whitney, pp. 60, 68, & 77.

104. Whitney, p. 57.

105. Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 5, 1978.

106. Jerkins, Mrs . Thomas Garman, daughter of Louis and Madeline Garman, in telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on August 17, 1999, and Whitney, p. 80.

107. Undated Whitney Beach Resort promotional brochure, copy on file in the Longboat Key Historical Society archives.

108. Whitney, p. 41.

109. Whitney, p. 41.

liD. Whitney, p. 53 .

Ill. Whitney, pp. 41-43 .

1I2. Whitney, p. 67.

1I3. Whitney, p. 52.

1I4. Whitney, p. 54.

1I5. Whitney, p. 57 .

1I6. Sarasota Herald-Tribune, ___ , 1939, and January 15, 1939.

117 . Whitney, p. 65.

118. Loneboat, Includine St, Armands & Lido. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, p. 30.

119. Loneboat Observer, November 10, 1983.

120. Loneboat, Includine SI. Armands and Lido, Yesterday. Today & Tomorrow, p. 29.

121. Sarasota Journal , August 7, 1953, and Whitney, p. 99.

122. Whitney, pp. 21 & 30.

123. Sarasota Herald-Tribune, October 28, 1967.

124. Whitney, p. 55 .

86

125. Loneboat Observer, October 30, 1980.

126. Kannenberg. Lloyd, son of architect Werner Kannenberg, telephone communication with Mlkki Hartig on August 16, 1999 between Sarasota, Florida and Weston, Massachusetts.

127. Whitney, pp. 41, 51 , & 89.

128. Kannenberg, Lloyd.

129. Sarasota Herald Tribune, February 23, 1993 and Kannenberg , Louis.

130. The SaraSOia Herald-Tribune, July 5, 1938.

131. 1I!ilI.

132. 1I!ilI.

133. Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 9, 1967.

134. Grismer, pg. 263.

135. Kennedy, Caroline, daughter of the first owner, Dr. Walter Kennedy, of one of the mirror image residences, Dr. David Kennedy, and former resident, as told to Mikki Hartig in a personal communication in 1992 in Sarasota, Florida.

136. Whitney, p. 77.

137. Whitney, p. 86.

138. SaraSOia Herald-Tribune, May 31, 1990.

139. Whitney, pp. 78, 86, 90, 99, 101 , 102, 105, and 110, Sarasoia Herald Tribune, May 31, 1990, and October 25, 1995, Loneboat Observer, November 10, 1983, and .Corbett, Jane, niece of Frank and Jane Allen, and Corbett, Albert, great nephew, in an April 9, 1999 interview with Mikki Hartig .

140. Whitney, pp. 78, 86, 90, 99, 101 , 102, 105, and 110, SaraSOIa Herald Tribune, May 31, 1990, and October 25, 1995, and Loneboat Observer, November 10, 1983, and November 2, 1995.

141. SarasOia Herald Tribune, April 15, 1973.

142. Whitney, p. 86.

143 . Fleming, John, Hug, Honour, Pevsner, Nikolaus, The Pene-oin Dictionary of Architecture. Fourth Edition, Penguin Books, the Penguin Group, London, England, 1991, p.465.

87

144. Caloosahatchee CUrrent, March 6, 1925.

145. Whitney, p. 24, 25, 30, 31 , 33 & 76.

146. Model Guidelines for Desien Review. a euide for deyelQPine standards for historic rehabilitation in Florida communities, Funded by Division of Historical resources, Florida Department of State, Assisted by Florida Historic Preservation Advisory Council , Consultants: Paul L. Weaver, III, Historic Property Associates, Inc. , Pappas Associates, Inc. , undated, p. 68.

147. Whitney, p. 79.

148. Nicol, Jeanette, daughter. Telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on August 24, 1999.

149. Whitney, p. 79.

150. Whitney, pp. 46 and 67.

151. Whitney, pp. 46, 89, 90, and \08, and Sarasota Herald Tribune, September 27, 1972.

152. Whitney, p. \08.

153. Yerkes, George, grandson. Telephone Communication with Mikki Hartig on August 31 , 1999.

154. Deed Book 262, page 251 , of the Public Records of Manatee County, Florida, and Corbett, Albert, Allen nephew. Telephone Communication with Mikki Hartig on April 5, 1999.

155. Corbett.

156. Corbett.

157. Whitney, p. 28.

158. Loftus, Barbara J. , daughter of Jerschkes, in a written communication to present Allen Boathouse owner, Richard Burchell, dated July 16, 1999, copy on file with Longboat Key Historical Society.

159. Perspectiyes in vernacular Architecture. ]11, Edited by Thomas Carter and Bernard L. Herman, University of Missouri Press, Columbia, 1984. p. 108.

160. lbilI. , p. 109.

88

161. S.B. Newberry, "Hollow Concrete Block Building Construction in the United States" Concrete and Constructional Engineer, 1:2, May 1906, p. 118, and Perspectives in Yernacular Architecture, III, p. 110.

162. Building Renovation, Spring, 1995, pp. 49-53.

163. 1hiII.

164. Holt, Helen Mae, current owner and daughter of previous owners, in a telephone conference with Mikki Hartig on June 23, 1999.

165. Whitney, p. 24.

166. Holt, telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on June 23, 1999, and Whitney, p. 34.

167. Holt, Helen Mae, Telephone communication with Mikki Hartig on June 23, 1999.

168. Manatee County Deeds of Record.

169. Whitney, p. 33.

170. Marsh, pp. 7 & 16 (unnumbered), Holt telepbone communication with Mikki Hartig on June 23, 1999, and Whitney, p. 35.

171. Whitney, pp. 37-39, 44, 60, 64-65, and 119 and Loo2boat Observer, November 10, 1983.

89

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