HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD SUMMARY  
The Historic Preservation Board was established for the purposes of recommending the designation of historically significant structures and archaeologically significant sites to the City Commission. The board also can recommend the designation of historically significant districts, approve applications for moving permits, and review recommendations for local properties being referred to the National Register of Historic Places. The board consists of 7 members who have demonstrated an interest in historic preservation and …

The 1928 Lampp House, 604 W. Perry Street, Englewood, FL
Visit one of Englewood’s oldest houses and enjoy a historical ‘old-timers’ tour with a focus on Englewood’s past and its historical mark on our future.  In 1909 Jesse “Pat” Lampp married Edith Mae Anger, a daughter of another early Englewood family. They had four children at the Perry Street house: Lottie Alma (1909–2009), Jesse Alston “Buster” (1911-1999), Doris Mae (1916–2009) and Earl Clinton (1918–1947).

HOURS:  …

Courtesy of friendsoflittlesaltspring.com

The Friends of Little Salt Spring Inc. recognize the cultural and natural significance of Little Salt Spring and see the outstanding potential of the site and the surrounding area. Little Salt Spring Archaeological and Ecological Preserve is a 112-acre parcel of land located in south Sarasota County in the City of North Port. The site contains a 260-foot wide by 250-foot deep sinkhole where evidence of Florida’s earliest inhabitants has been found …

Formed in 2005 in order to develop and promote historical exhibits and educational programs, the Friends of the Sarasota County History Center (FOSCHC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization aligned with Sarasota County Historical Resources, located in the Osprey Library at 337 N Tamiami Trail in Osprey, and supports their efforts to obtain, assemble, and preserve Sarasota County historical artifacts. As a non-profit organization, we are solely dependent upon donations and grants. We do not receive …

Historic Spanish Point is a 33 acre archaeological, historical, and environmental museum park located on Little Sarasota Bay. Established as a museum in 1982, it was the first site in Sarasota County to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  It is open to the public daily, and interprets 5,000 years of human habitation, including prehistoric shell mounds, a burial mound, a pioneer homestead, and gardens of turn of the 20th century …

Courtesy of hsosc.com

The Mission of the Historical Society of Sarasota County is to foster public awareness of the rich historical heritage of Sarasota County and the state of Florida, encourage inquiry and research into this history, promote collection and preservation of memorabilia, develop a broader appreciation of its historical communities, and protect its historic sites and structures. Membership in The Historical Society of Sarasota County is open to any person interested in the …

Courtesy of lemonbayhistory.com

The Society grew out of a Pioneer Days Celebration on September 4, 1983 honoring Englewood’s first newspaper editor, Josephine Cortes, author of History of Englewood and Pioneer Days founder. In May, 1984 an organizational meeting was held, and by the next Pioneer Days celebration on September 2, 1984, the Society had organized a mullet roast for 150 people! The mullet was freshly caught by members of the Platt family and Bill Davis …

The timeless mission of the DAR is to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. This provides an incredibly wide range of opportunities for women of all ages to serve the Sarasota community and the nation. Committees include Conservation, Literacy, American History, Women’s Issues, Veterans Affairs to name just a few. The Sara Desoto Chapter is an active, involved group, with many events, activities and functions. We encourage our members to be good community stewards, while …

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, Inc., a non-profit, publicly-supported 501(c)(3) organization’s mission is to “preserve and enhance our historic places.” It was incorporated in 1985 to save architect Dwight Baum’s El Vernona Hotel, built in 1925 by owner Owen Burns, and which by the 1980s was known as the John Ringling Towers. The highly publicized effort to save the towers during the late 1990s raised the community’s consciousness and the ire of those interested …

The Sarasota County Historic Preservation Board is comprised of practicing or retired professionals in the fields of anthropology, real estate, history, conservation, architecture, historic preservation, land use planning, landscape architecture, general contracting and/or professional engineering with a demonstrated interest in historic preservation. The board is advisory to the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners. The board reviews applications for historic designations and issues Certificates of Appropriateness for changes to historically designated resources.

Purpose: Assist in …

In 1958, the Sarasota Board of Commissioners established the Sarasota Historical Commission. The commission is an advisory board of fifteen volunteers with a demonstrated interest in local history. Their official activities include marking significant sites within the county with an official Sarasota County Historical Marker and the acceptance of grants and donations.

Purpose: Advise the County Commission regarding the acceptance of grants and donations; the marking of historic sites with County historical markers; the History …

The Sarasota County History Center is your one-stop shop for information and resources about Sarasota County’s remarkable past. The History Center is also the headquarters for Sarasota County’s historic preservation programs, which aim to identify and protect significant historic buildings and archaeological sites.

The History Center’s large collection of archival records, historical newspapers, photographs, maps, and other materials are open to the public for research and enjoyment. Our research facility and staff offices are located …

This group’s mission includes; preserving railroad history and promoting interest in all forms of rail transportation, exchanging information about rail transportation past, present and future, and contributing to preservation of rail-related artifacts. They produce a bimonthly chapter newsletter called “Flyer” and members receive the NRHS publication “The National Railway Bulletin”. Fans of railway history or train engineering will enjoy membership.

The Suncoast chapter was organized in 1989. There are presently more than 170 chapters of …

Time Sifters is a non-profit association of over 100 professional and amateur archaeologists and interested citizens, dedicated to discovering and preserving our archaeological heritage. Since its inception in 1986, the society has assisted trained archaeologists in major Calusa Indian digs, participated in creating the unique ‘Window to the Past’ exhibit at Historic Spanish Point, sponsored and/or participated in outreach programs “Trail of the Lost Tribes” and “Looking for Angola”, and provided significant support contributing to …

Courtesy of veniceareahistoricalsociety.org 

The Venice Area Historical Society (VAHS) was founded in 1991 as the Venice Historic Preservation League, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in order to celebrate and preserve the history of Venice, Florida, and surrounding areas. The service area of the Society is South Sarasota County, Florida, including Venice, South Venice, Nokomis, Laurel, and Osprey. VAHS’s mission is to promote public awareness and understanding of the historic heritage of Florida, Sarasota County, and the …

Venice Heritage Inc. (VHI) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the Venice area’s rich cultural heritage, including the surrounding communities of Osprey, Laurel, and Nokomis. As an advocate for historic preservation, VHI educates the public about the area’s history and provides financial and logistical support to the city-owned Venice Museum & Archives. A primary focus of VHI is to maintain and support the City of Venice’s Museum & Archives (VMA). The museum …

Courtesy of venicemuseum.org

The mission of the Venice Museum & Archives (VMA) is to collect and preserve historical and archaeological material relating to Venice and the communities of Nokomis, Laurel and Osprey, whose histories have all been interwoven from 1867 to the present time. The City of Venice (COV) is the parent organization of the VMA. Museum staff are COV employees under the Department of Historical Resources. The Venice City Council is the governing authority …

The Warm Mineral Springs-Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society is a chapter of the Florida Anthropological Society and represents Sarasota County and Charlotte County. The WMS/LSS Archaeological Society is a group of local citizens interested in the cultural heritage and history of our state, country, and world. Our focus is on education and historic preservation and we support professional research. We provide analysis workshops; field trips to museums, archaeological sites tours, etc. Members are informed …

Operated by Charles “Chuck” Sidlow, a professional entertainer with 40+ years of international experience in comedy, this 501c3 arts, entertainment, and educational organization serves the senior care and special needs communities, as well as the general public with classic circus and clown-related programing.  Chuck’s uniquely creative presentations have been internationally acclaimed, and in 2018, he was inducted into the “International Circus Ring of Fame” in Sarasota Florida, and is also featured in an ongoing interactive …