Historical Markers

After World War II, Sarasota experienced an influx of new residents, creating a housing boom.  Martin Paver, retired from his business in New York, was on a pleasure cruise in 1949 when he and his wife Mildred docked in Sarasota to buy supplies.  He fell in love with the charming city, decided to make it his home, and invited his sons Paul and Stanley to join him in land development.  Their first venture was Paver Park, built near the downtown area.

The Building

Riverview High School originally consisted of modern steel and glass structures set among tall native pines in Sarasota’s developing suburbs. When the school opened in 1958, it became known internationally for its innovative architecture, combining the latest in education ideas, building technologies, and regional adaptations to the southwest Florida climate.

In December 1913, Oscar and Alice Burton joined real estate developer and future Sarasota Mayor Arthur B. Edwards (1914-1915 and 1920-1921) and his wife Fannie in selling the land south of Hudson Bayou to the Sarasota Improvement Company. In 1915, the area, recorded as Avondale Heights Subdivision, was advertised as “a place for families of average means.”