Old Soul

Sarasota’s Historic Pearsall House Lists for Just Under $4 Million

In Avondale, the century-old Pearsall House blends historic detail, a sympathetic expansion and thoughtful updates that allow a 1920s home function in the present.

04/10/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Get Crackin'

The Makings of a Florida Cracker Cabin

The 18th- and early 19th-century architecture reflects the importance of ventilation and shade, with high ceilings, large window and a signature wraparound porch.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Spend a Night in Florida History

Triangle Ranch Preserves Florida Cracker History

Triangle Ranch is a 1,200-acre working ranch abutting the Myakka River, with cattle and pastures dotting the property between patches of Florida forest thick with palmettos, cabbage palms, pine trees and oaks overflowing with Spanish moss.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Fish from the Gulf

Where to Get Real Gulf Seafood

Look no further than A.P. Bell Fish Co., a 100-year-old fish house in Cortez.

04/01/2026 By Isaac Eger

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota Erased Downtown Art Without Public Notice. Now Artists Are Seeking Damages.

Nine artists have filed claims against the city of Sarasota, alleging their rights were violated when officials removed pavement art in response to a state directive from the Florida Department of Transportation.

03/20/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

Flashback

Photo: Betty Hutton Filming 'The Greatest Show on Earth,' March 1951

This month marks the 75th anniversary of the Academy Award-winning film, which was shot right here in Sarasota.

03/02/2026 By Megan McDonald

Built to Last

2026 Heritage Awards Honor Those Slowing the Tide of Teardowns

This year's awards spotlight local architects, homeowners, researchers and craftspeople committed to keeping Sarasota's history intact.

01/14/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Taking Root

Demand for Affordable Housing Close to Downtown Threatens Newtown

A new housing preservation effort aims to safeguard the community.

12/04/2025 By Sam Barrett

Flashback

Photo: Winter in Sarasota, 1940

Joseph Janney Steinmetz captures a classic "why-we-love-living-here" moment.

12/02/2025 By Megan McDonald

Saving the Colson

A Black Landmark From the Days of Segregation Is Being Reborn as a Civic and Cultural Hub

The Colson was more than a boarding house. For the city’s Black residents and visitors during segregation, it offered something rare and profound: safety, dignity and belonging.

12/02/2025

Treasure Trove

At the Sarasota County History Center, You'll Find Fascinating Historical Objects

What do MacKinlay Kantor's crutch, a Sara De Soto pageant crown and a pointy pen used by Gov. Cary Hardee in 1921 all have in common?

12/02/2025 By Kay Kipling

Inspired by History

Sarasotans Have Been Publishing Their Recipes Since the Early 1900s. We Tried Two.

One of them, “Orange Short Cake," is as much a showstopper today as it was 111 years ago.

12/01/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Preservation Nation

The 2025 'Six to Save' List Sounds the Alarm for Sarasota's Vulnerable Historic Buildings

The list reveals how quickly Sarasota’s historic fabric is thinning under the pace of today's redevelopment.

11/20/2025 By Kim Doleatto

End of an Era

Good-Bye, Hart's Landing

Last year's hurricanes destroyed the iconic bait shop's docks. This week, the site was razed.

11/12/2025 By Megan McDonald

The 1920s

Sarasota and the Roaring '20s

Historian Jeff LaHurd describes the transformational decade that shaped Sarasota forever.

11/03/2025

Let's Eat

From Sandwiches to Supper Dances, Sarasota's 1920s Dining Scene Offered a Buffet of Options

From the elegant Fountain Room at the El Vernona Hotel to an eight-course dinner for 75 cents, there was something for every appetite.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Well Platted

The Birth of Venice

Even before the land boom hit Sarasota, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Fred Albee saw the potential for development in Nokomis and Venice.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Black History

In the 1920s, Sarasota Was Small, Southern and Segregated

But the very inequities meant to contain the Black community spurred a parallel world—self-sustaining, rooted and determined to endure.

11/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Going Up

Sarasota's Skyline Rose in Stucco and Barrel Tile

The results left Sarasota with a built environment that was theatrical and forever marked by the speculative optimism that evaporated when the boom went bust in 1926.