Video History

Southside School

Southside School opened its doors to 170 students January 11, 1926, one of several schools built in Sarasota County's land boom of the 1920s. These schools included two richly ornamented Mediterranean Revival style elementary schools along the new Tamiami Trail, Southside and Bay Haven. They were inspired by Italian and Spanish Renaissance architecture, and both were the work of Tampa architect M. Leo Elliott, who also designed the Gothic Revival style Sarasota High School. Southside featured open hallways around an interior courtyard, a barrel tile roof, and separate arched portals to boys' and girls' playgrounds. On opening day, Southside School was located south of the city limits in the center of what was called "South Side School Subdivision" created in 1925 by the Board of Public Instruction.

Production Credits:

Produced By: Sarasota History Alive
Photo Stills: Sarasota County History Center
Music: Digital Juice

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What about Central Elementary School, torn down to make way for our downtown post office? It also played a vital part in the Sarasota County school system. It has been neglected in Sarasota's history for too long and needs to be remebered. Never any mention of this school which had the same style of archetecture as Bay Haven and Southside. Poor Central gone and forgotten.
Posted by Chuck on February 3, 2010
This particular video was scripted to only include Southside School and its twin, Bay Haven. We will consider doing history videos about other schools in the future. Thanks for your interest and comment. -Editor-
Posted by on February 4, 2009
What about Central Elementary (where the post office is now on Ringling), Fruitville Elementary and Phillippi Creek Elemeantary? Weren't they built at the same time?
Posted by NanceGuth on January 28, 2009

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