This project was to be John Ringling Ritz-Carlton Hotel. It was an unfinished luxury resort that once stood at the southern tip of Longboat Key, Florida
Partially Built Hotel on Longboat Key
First Bank and Trust Sarasota, Fl
The First Bank and Trust Building was Sarasota’s early 1920’s skyscraper at Five Points ,later home to Palmer Bank, and ultimately demolished in the 1990’s,with the Plaza at Five Points now occupying the site
First National Bank and Trust.
As the Florida Land Boon generated energy in 1924, real estate developer and entrepreneur Joseph demolished a hotel boarding house formerly on the NE corner of Main and Central in Sarasota. He announced the construction of Sarasota’s Skyscraper, the First National Bank and Trust on this site. The architect was M.Leo Elliot from Tampa. Builder is unknown.
The project was to be a seven-story steel frame office building with Corinthian columns decorating
ground floor exterior. There was one story rows of stores extending along both Main Street and Central Avenues
Lord’s Arcade Building Sarasota
The Lord’s Arcade was built in the early 1920’s by developer Joseoh H. Lord. It became one of Sarasota’s earliest major commercial complexes, evolving from a boom-era landmark into a mid-century retail hub before being renamed the Palmer Bank Arcade in 1972.
Origins and Joseph H. Lord’s Role
Joseph H. Lord arrived in Florida in the late 1880’s to invest in phosphate lands and first visited Sarasota in 1890. With the arrival of the railroad in 1903, he began buying downtown property, eventually owning four of the five corners at Five Points, more than 200 town lots, and 7,000 acres along the coast and inland. His most ambitious project was the redevelopment of the Sarasota House Hotel Site. It was at this site that he built both First Bank and Trust Company and the Lord’s Arcade at Main Street and Central Avenue.
McCulough Pavilion
Corrigan House
463 Sapphire Sarasota, Fl
Arcade Building Sarasota
The Hover Arcade Building was built in 1913. It served as Sarasota’s early commercial hub, later became City Hall and the county’s first courthouse. It was ultimately demolished in 1967 after Bayroad Roadway changes.
Crisp Building 1970 Main Street Sarasota, Florida.
The Crisp Building is a 1926 Mediterranean Revival commercial structure built during the Sarasota’s land boom. It was developed by Thomas Crisp and later recognized for its long-standing commercial role and architectural significance.
Origins and construction
The Crisp Building is located at 1970 Main Street in Sarasota, Florida. Construction was completed in late 1926’s. This was at the height of The Florida real estate boom. It was developed by T. H. Crisp Company which was led by Thomas Crisp. He arrived in Sarasota around 1924. He quickly became a major builder in the region. The building site was purchased on August 29, 2025 from the Charles Ringling Company. A building permit was issued on November 1, 2025
The architectural firm for the project was Clas, Shepard, and Clas. The building contractor was Adair and Senter
Architectural Significance
The Crisp Building is a 5-story Mediterranean Revival Commercial Structure
Key Features:
Stucco-clad reinforced with hollow clay infill.
Curvilinear Parapet with decorative tiles.
Grouped awning windows (original wood windows replaced in 1990)
Bracketed cornice with symmetrical facade
3 bay storefront with a central entrance and upper floor office layout
Early use and community role
From its opening housed a mix of commercial and civic groups.
Demarcay cafe on ground floor 1926
Loyal Order of Moose Sarasota Lodge (1926-1938)
Meeting spaces for Rotary Club. Eastern Star and other organizations
Sunshine Buick Company, Sarasota’s first Buick dealership (1944)
The building served as a hub for both business and social activities, supporting Sarasota’s transition from a frontier town to a modern commercial center.
Mid-century Continuity
Building remained a stable commercial center through the Depression and post-war years.
Later modifications
The building underwent 1970’s interior updates for the mechanical systems
1990’s Window replacement preserving original openings
National Register of Historic Places
The Crisp Building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 2000, under reference 0000388. It qualifies under Criterion A for its significance in Sarasota’s commercial development during the land boom era.
Why it matters today
The building remains in continuous commercial use, preserving its historic fabric while contributing to Sarasota’s vibrant downtown. It stands as a physical reminder of the city’s transformation during the 1920’s and the developers like Thomas H. Crisp-who shaped its growth.
Lemon Bay Woman’s Club Englewood 51 N. Maple Street Englewood, Florida
The Lemon Bay Woman’s Club is a historic community organization located at 51 North Maple Street, Englewood, Florida. It was founded in 1918. It grew from a small mother’s group into Englewood’s central civic,cultural,and religious hub, eventually becoming the town’s first building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Origins and early mission
The Club began in 1918 as the Lemon Bay Mother’s Club, organized by Doctor Mary Green, a local schoolteacher in Englewood. Its early mission focused on civic improvement, child welfare and community support, including participation in Red Cross Activities during World War I.
By 1922, under Mrs. Hallie Green, members established a school library and operated a lending library for 40 years, until public libraries were built in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. In April 1924, the group formally became the Lemon Bay Woman’s Club.
Building the Clubhouse (1925–1926)
Construction of the clubhouse began in September 1925 on two donated lots in the Lampp subdivision, gifted by A. Stanley and Winifred E. Lampp. Key architectural contributors included Sarasota architects Thomas Reed Martin and Clare C.Hosmer who donated their design services for the Prairie-style building. The building’s style emphasized horizontal massing, low profiles and simple rectilinear forms.
The building’s one- story height, broad veranda and functional interior space align with the Prairie design principles.
Interior lay out
The building originally consisted of:
1 large meeting room
Brick fireplace
Semicircular stage which is unusual feature that reflects the building’s role as a community performance and
gathering place
The Clubhouse opened with a housewarming on 02/09/1926 attended by 200 people nearly the entire community of Englewood at that time
Role in Englewood Community Life
From the 1920’s to the mid 20th century the club served as a central gathering place for Englewood residents.
Activities included:
Nature study classes
School Plays
Musical programs
Lectures
Card parties
Dances
Travelogues
Fish fries
During the Great Depression, the club lost $37 in its treasury when banks failed but continued operating as Englewood’s main social center.
The club paid off its mortgage on 02/24/1938 and ceremonially burned the note on 03/04/1938
Historic Recognition
The Lemon Bay Woman’s Club building became the first building in Englewood to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 08/11/1988
Present Day Significance
The clubhouse remains at 51 Maple Street, Englewood, Florida. The club is celebrating the 110th Anniversary of its building in 2025-2026
DeSoto Hotel
The DeSoto Hotel was Sarasota’s first major hotel and a key part of the city’s early tourism and economic development
Origins and construction (2886-1887)
In 1886, Colonel John Hamilton Gillespie, representing the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company, arrived in Sarasota-then a small fishing village-with plans to improve streets, downtown and attract wealthy visitors. He commissioned the DeSoto Hotel at the bay front, south of the company’s store. Built to be the finest on Florida’s west coast, it was three stories tall, featured an observation tower, 30 bedrooms, a large lobby and a dining room. Lumber was shipped by schooner from Cedar Key and Apalachiola to speed construction.
The hotel opened on February 2, 1887, and was officially launched with grand ball attended with over 200 guests, the largest social event south Manatee at the time. Gillespie leased it to Alfred P. and Annie R. Jones of Cedar Key, who managed it under a profit sharing arrangement.
Early challenges and ownership changes
The DeSoto enjoyed a brief prosperous period, but an economic slump around 1890 caused a decline in paying guests. The hotel closed for several years in the 1890’s. In 1899, the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company sold it to a Tampa syndicate, which later sold it to the Southern Investment Company on October 6, 1902. The new owners renovated it and renamed it the Belle Haven Inn.
Later Years
The Belle Haven Inn survived into the early 1900’s, but by 1910 it needed repairs. A 1911 influx of visitors prompted the addition of a new wing. For many years, it remained Sarasota’s only suitable lodging for visitors.
Historical Significance
The Desoto Hotel was pivotal in establishing Sarasota as a winter destination for the elite and in laying the groundwork for the city’s tourism economy. Its transformation into the Belle Haven Inn reflects the evolving nature of hospitality in Florida’s growing resort culture
Jesse Knight and Education in Nokomis
Jesse Knight and his wife were supporters of education in their new settlement in Nokomis. Early on there were buildings that served as community centers and chapels.
Public Education
In 1896, Jesse Knight donated land to the Manatee County Board of Instruction with the stipulation that this building be used for as a school and for a church. This was the first permanent school built in the area. This was located approximately 1/8 miles from the Knight Cemetery.
