Sarasota Senior High School

Sarasota Senior High School 1926 Building

Sarasota Senior High School 1926 Building

Sariosota Senior High School

Same as above

Same as above

        The campus consisted of two buildings.  The older building was constructed in 1926.  It is located on North Tamiami Trail. The.architect was M.Leo Elliot.   The building is 57,000 square feet.  The style is collegiate gothic.  This building was abandoned in 1996.

  This older building was converted into an art museum.   What followed was an extensive task to transform this aging structure into Sarasota Museum of Contemporary Art.  Windows were replaced.  External.walls were refurbished to secure from water an air leaks.  The project was managed by Lawson Group.Architects

     The newer building was designed by Paul Rudolph.  It was built in 1958–1960.

Entrance to Sarasota Museum of Art. (Sarasota Senior High School)

Opera House

Edwards Theater/Opera House Sign

As above

Opera House Sarasota

Opera House

Victoria Leopold Grand

Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium

     Sarasota Opera House was also known as the Edwards Theater.   The building is located at 61 North Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota.  The building was the plan of the first Mayor of Sarasota A.B. Edwards.  The structure was designed by architect Roy A. Benjamin.  Style was Mediterranean Revival.  Construction contractor was G.A. Miller.

     The Edwards Theater opened April 10, 1926.  There was a three story entrance.  There were 8 shops on the ground floor. There were 12 offices on the second floor.  There were 12 furnished apartments on the third floor.  The theater auditorium featured a pipe organ.

     The theater is currently the home of the Sarasota Opera Company which currently owns the building.  The auditorium current!y seats 1,119.

     In the 1920’s, the theater became a popular venue for live entertainment and movies.  Over the years, the management and the name of the theater changed.  In December, 1936 it was named the Florida Theater.  Over the years, modernization removed most of the art deco features.  The theater closed in 1973.

     In 1979, Asolo  Opera Guild bought theater for $150,000.  Renovations began in 1982.  The theater was renamed the Sarasota Opera House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places March, 1984.

     Between 2007-2008, further renovations were made. These cost twenty million dollars.The auditorium was gutted. A new seating plan was devised. There was expansion of the public areas and Opera Club on the second floor.  There was opening of a three story atrium to expose a skyline system

Sarasota City Hall

Sarasota City Hall 1565 First Street Sarasota, Fl

Sarasota City Hall Sarasota, FL.

Same as above

Sarasota City Hall

    The Sarasota City Hall is located at 1565 First Street Sarasota.  It was built in 1966.  The architect was Jack West .  Al Conyers a concrete specialist assisted.The building is 3 stories ( 35 feet).  The original design was reduced by 30%.  A proposed clock tower was dropped from the plan.

Legacy Trail Oscar Scherer State Park

Legacy Trail Oscar Scherer State Park

Legacy Trail Oscar Scherer State Park

Same as above

Same as above

Informational Plaque

Same As above

Information Plaque

Same as above

Wood Trestle Bridge over South Creek

Wood Open Trestle Bridge over South Creek Oscar Scherer State Park

Replacement Bridge over South Creek

South Creek Wood Trestle Bridge Oscar Scherer State Park

Signage Oscar Scherer State Park

McCullough Pavilion

     The McCullough Building 

McCullough Pavilion located at 265 Orange Street, Sarasota was originally known as the Scott Building.   Clarence Scott commisioned architects Bill Rupp and Joe Farrell to design the building.  The builder was W. Ray Mathis.  The construction was completed in 1960.

     The building served as a showroom for Barker furniture.

McCullough Pavilion

     After Barker Furniture closed, the building was purchased by Sarasota County.  It was used as a print shop.

McCullough Pavilion

     In 2014, the country was approached by Center for Architecture Sarasota with a proposal to lease the building for its headquarters.  The lease was approved.  The Center for Architecture Sarasota began a 6 month,  $500,000 restoration supervised by architect Guy Peterson.  Building was renamed McCullough Pavilion.

McCullough Pavilion

Information Plaque

McCullough Pavilion

    The building as currently configured has  front architecture gallery space,  a a lecture hall and a small administrative office.

     The McCullough Pavilion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2016.

Blue Pagoda Building 

    The former chamber of commerce building in Sarasota was also known as the Blue Pagoda. It is located at U.S. 41 and Avenue of The Boulevard of the Arts. It was built in 1956. The architect was Victor Lundy. The building was notable for blue ceramic tiles on its roof. The roof is supported by curving wooden beams. The walls are glass.   The building measured 30 x 60 feet.  Constructions costs were $50,000.Former tenants include U.S. Masters Swimming.

Blue Pagoda Building

Same as above

Blue Pagoda

Blue Pagoda Building

Florida Studio Theater

The Theatre

Florida Studio Theater

    The FST is a professional non for profit theater located in downtown Sarasota at 1241 Palmer Avenue.   It was founded in 1973.  The FST consists of 5 theater spaces.

     1) Main Stage (Keating Theater). This was formerly the Sarasota Woman’s Club which was founded in 1903. Keating Theater seats 173.

     2) Gompertz Theater.  Purchased in 2003 by FST.   This was originally a movie theater in 1920’s.  It closed during the Depression. It reopened in the 1940’s.  In the 1951, it was known as the Palm Tree Playhouse.  Building was purchased by FST and renamed the Gompetz.  It seats 237.

     3) Cabaret. Goldstein Cabaret   In 1996, opened the venue. It was renamed Goldstein Cabaret

   John C Court Cabaret .  It opened in 2013.

   Improv and Stage III. Bournes lab theater.   It houses FST stage III series also FST Improv

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