Owen Burns (October 31, 1869 - August 22, 1937) was born in Fredericktown in Cecil County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was an entrepreneur, banker, builder, and land developer who at one time owned the majority of Sarasota, Florida [1] and developed or built many of its historic structures, developments, roads, seawalls, and bridges. He became a leader in the community, contributing to its growth and development. He also played briefly for wicklow hockey club.
He was born into a North Carolina family that dates to Francis Burns, who left Ayrshire, Ayr County, Scotland for America in 1734 with Gabrielle Johnston (who came to act as a colonial governor). Francis Burns was granted land by the king of England, which remains in family ownership. The county seat, Burnsville, North Carolina is named for Owen's grandfather, Otway Burnes, Sr., a privateer naval hero and legislator, and the town of Otway, in Carteret County, North Carolina also is named for him. [2] [3] As a visitor, Owen Burns had come to Sarasota from Chicago for its famed fishing and in 1910, [4] settled there, and remained for the rest of his life. He also helped with the promotion of the developing community, contributing to the attraction of many around the country to Sarasota.
He married Vernona Hill Freeman, a woman he met while she was vacationing in Sarasota. He courted her as she was returning home by rail to Massachusetts and persuaded her to return to Florida in order to marry him. They were married in Sarasota on June 4, 1912, raising their five children in the community in a large home near the harbor. They also became the parents of the most important historian for the community, Lillian G. Burns.
Lillian became a significant benefactor for the community as well, donating a large collection of historical materials and artifacts related to her family and Sarasota to the county archives so that they would become resources that would be preserved and kept open to the public. She also taught researchers how to conduct effective interviews of historical figures and to create unbiased research, held free brown-bag luncheon lectures downtown, and conducted tours of the community that were enriched by her extensive, first-hand knowledge of its history. [5]
Not only did Owen Burns become the largest landowner in the city, but he founded its first locally-owned bank, Citizens Bank of Sarasota, promoted the development of other businesses, participated in the founding of a board of trade that was the precursor of the Chamber of Commerce, and built its bridges, sea walls, landmark buildings, and mansions. [6] He urged the paving of roads such as Main Street. The list of buildings he built that have been placed on the local and the National Register of Historic Places, is impressive. He platted the subdivisions of Inwood Park and Washington Park.
He dredged the harbor and around Saint Armand Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key. He also created new bay front points with reclaimed soils, enlarging Cedar Point to Golden Gate Point. He created novel developments such as Burns Court as rental quarters to attract tourists who could afford to buy second homes in Sarasota and built commercial establishments to generate additional impetus to the growing community, such as his Herald Square developments.
Now popularly known as Burns Square, Herald Square was on First Street before new street numbering was introduced. The historic Burns building forms a triangle as Orange Avenue and Pineapple Avenue diverge in the midst of what also is called "Little Five Points". This is where downtown began in the 1920s. Burns also built the first Herald (newspaper) building that now is called the Sarasota Woman's Exchange. The presence of the newspaper building lent its name to the square at that time, which now is unknown to many, hence the popular drift toward calling the building and the square by Burn's name. In 2001, a historic marker was placed on the site by the county that relates many details about Burns and his square.
The Owen Burns building at Herald Square has been restored recently, a second renovation by its owner of more than twenty years, Denise Kowal. In the first renovation she added new features to the exterior, such as balconies of wrought iron and stylish colors, [7] [8] replacing the wooden originals made with pecky cypress timbers. The second renovation was a restoration, going back to the historic character of the building. Added features were removed and the original finish of the building restored, including its color. The building contains shops, a restaurant, offices, and apartments.
On what currently is First Street, near the hotel he named after his wife and his real estate office, Burns built the second Times Building (another newspaper). Nearby stands the Belle Haven, originally named El Vernona Apartments, which was built as an apartment building and was renovated to contain office spaces before being emptied to make way for a development now gone bad. After all around it has been demolished, a glimmer of hope remains that the charming historic building will be maintained. In 1911 Burns also built the first Saint Martha's Church, which was named for the patron saint of his mother, Martha A. Burns, on a lot she donated. Hugh Browning served as the contractor. It stood at the intersection of Adelia Street and Fruitville Road. In 1941 the current building directly to the west at the intersection with Orange Avenue, was completed for its first mass on Easter in 1941. [9] Burns assisted in the founding of the Sarasota Woman's Club, which now houses the Florida Studio Theatre, and, along with other community leaders such as Charles Ringling, encouraged the 1921 creation of Sarasota County by separation from Manatee County.
In 1925 he built the El Vernona Hotel, naming it after his wife. He also was the builder of Cà d'Zan, the residence of Mable and John Ringling. He had entered into a business partnership with John Ringling to develop offshore lands that Burns owned, a fateful decision that bankrupted him when his partner failed to live up to commitments on development agreements for the barrier islands (keys). Shortly after the opening of the hotel, a land boom crash in Florida struck a fatal blow to his finances because of the unfulfilled partnership agreement.
Ironically, it was the same former partner, John Ringling, who took advantage of the situation and purchased the hotel for a small portion of its value, although several years later, he also would follow Burns into financial ruin. All of the real estate sales for development of Lido Key were transacted through the Burns real estate office that was adjacent to the hotel.
Retaining his interest in game fishing and boating that had drawn him to Sarasota, Burns became the commodore of the Sarasota Yacht Club that he reorganized. The yacht club still thrives.
The centennial anniversary of the arrival of Owen Burns in Sarasota to become an important community leader, will be celebrated in the city in 2010. [10] By a proclamation on November 2, 2009 that cited many of his achievements, the week ending with the anniversary of his birth on the last day of October, was declared Owen Burns Week by the city commission. Many special events to honor him also will be celebrated during November 8–14, which closely follows.
Sarasota is a city in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is at the southern end of the Tampa Bay Area, north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2019 Sarasota had a population of 58,285. In 1986 it became designated as a certified local government. Sarasota is a principal city of the Sarasota metropolitan area, and is the seat of Sarasota County. Long the winter headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, many landmarks in Sarasota are named for the Ringlings.
Charles Edward Ringling was one of the Ringling brothers, who owned the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was in charge of production and greatly admired by the employees, who called him "Mr. Charlie" and sought his advice and help even for personal problems.
John Nicholas Ringling was an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Bros World's Greatest Shows to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the modern circus. In addition to owning and managing many of the largest circuses in the United States, he was also a rancher, a real estate developer and art collector. He was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1987.
Lido Key is a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, in the United States. It is part of the city of Sarasota and is connected to mainland Sarasota by John Ringling Causeway.
Burns Square Historic District is a historic district located in Sarasota, Florida, United States. The area runs from Ringling Boulevard to Mound Avenue along South Pineapple and South Orange Avenues. Burns Square is bound by Laurel Park Historic District to the east, Palm Avenue residential neighborhood to the west, and Hudson Bayou to the south.
Historic district
The El Vernona Apartments-Broadway Apartments is a historic site in Sarasota, Florida. It is located at 1133 Fourth Street. On March 22, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, listed in the National Register as Municipal Auditorium-Recreation Club, is a historic multi-purpose facility built in 1938. It is located at 801 Tamiami Trail North and owned/operated by the municipal government of Sarasota, Florida. The auditorium has 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of exhibit space on its main floor and also contains an Art Deco style stage measuring 1,500 square feet (140 m2).
The Sarasota Times Building is a historic site in Sarasota, Florida. It is located at 1214–1216 1st Street. On March 22, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The three-story asymmetrically-massed, stucco and cast stone façade, Mediterranean Revival structure was designed by architect Dwight James Baum. It is significant to Sarasota's heritage for its role as a newspaper established in 1899, and also for its architectural merits.
The El Vernona Hotel–John Ringling Hotel was a famous hotel located at 111 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, Florida, United States.
Ca' d'Zan is a Venetian Gothic revival residence in Sarasota, Florida, adjacent to the Sarasota Bay. The residence was the winter home of the American circus owner, developer and art collector John Ringling and his wife Mable.
Kafi Benz is an American author and artist who began participation in social entrepreneurship through environmental preservation and regional planning in 1959 as a member of the Jersey Jetport Site Association, which opposed plans by the New York Port Authority to found a new airport in the Great Swamp, the central feature of a massive 55 square mile watershed in New Jersey bounded to the south and east by the Watchung Mountains, 25 miles west of Manhattan.
Dwight James Baum was an American architect most active in New York and in Sarasota, Florida. His work includes Cà d'Zan, the Sarasota Times Building (1925), Sarasota County Courthouse (1926), early residences in Temple Terrace, Florida, Sarasota County Courthouse (1927), Pinecroft, West Side YMCA on 63rd Street between Central Park and Columbus Avenue, Columbus Circle (1934) and Hendricks Memorial Chapel.
Sarasota Chalk Festival is an American cultural event of public art that celebrates a performing art form of pavement art also known as Italian street painting. It was founded in Sarasota, Florida by Denise Kowal. During the festival artists use chalk, and occasionally special paint, to paint the road surface to create large works of art while the viewer can watch the creative process. The festival is focused around the street artists who are known as Madonnari in Italy or commonly referred to Street Painters, Chalk Artists, Sidewalk Artists, or Pavement Artists. The festival is held annually in downtown Sarasota in Burns Square.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State University assumed governance of the Museum in 2000.
Thomas Reed Martin was an architect who was brought to Florida by one of its major developers during the turn of the twentieth century. He designed some 500 residences and various public and private buildings in Sarasota, as well as commercial buildings. His Florida buildings are located from Tampa to Fort Myers with many in Nokomis.
Andrew McAnsh was a property developer in Sarasota, Florida. He was of Scottish ancestry.
The area known today as Sarasota, Florida first appeared on a sheepskin Spanish map from 1763 with the word "Zarazote" over present day Sarasota and Bradenton. The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town in 1902.
The Sarasota County Library System is the public library system that serves Sarasota County in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of 10 locations, including a central library located in the city of Sarasota.