Photo Thomas Reed Martin

Burns Court House

     Thomas Reed Martin was born in Menasha, Wisconsin on April 28, 1866.  He worked as an apprentice at the Chicago Architectural Firm Holland and Roche.  In 1910, he relocated to Sarasota at the invitation of Berth a Honors Palmer to renovate her winter estate the Oaks.

     The Palmer estate was completed in 1912.  There was extensive renovation MRI the main residence.  It was expanded from 4 to 31 rooms.   The building had a u shaped lay out.with.wide verandas, arched doorways.  The interios were finished in stucco and tiles.  Cousins stone for structural.elements and walls