Historic Designation

Thoms' Estate

The Thoms' Estate and Servant's Quarters is as an example of the type of home built to accommodate the upper class in the suburbs during the Florida Land Boom. It is a significant example of a Mediterranean Revival style estate, which was a common style employed for boom time construction in Sarasota. The Thoms' Estate is also noteworthy as a structure built by Leadley Ogden an important local builder, and as a structure designed by architect Fred J. Orr; a recognized architect from Athens Georgia who practiced architecture in Florida during the boom and the Great Depression.

THOMS' ESTATE HISTORIC CONTEXT

The Indian Beach area of Sarasota has been used by people for at least 5,000 years and has played an important role in the history of Sarasota and the central Gulf coast of Florida. First occupied by native Indians for hundreds of generations, it later became the home of Cuban and Spanish fishermen, a U.S. fort, and later the location of many early Sarasota residences. Today the Indian Beach area includes historic homes, numerous Indian middens and many other vestiges of by-gone eras. Named for its earliest residents, Indian Beach is one of Sarasota's most significant and valuable historic neighborhoods.

HISTORY

After the Spanish exploration period and the demise of the native Indian populations, Seminole Indians, who had begun migrating into the Florida peninsula, mingled with seasonal fishermen at the coastal ranchos. Many of these Indians worked at the ranchos, or fish camps, established by Spanish and Cuban fisherman between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Several ranchos were situated along the shores of Sarasota Bay, probably atop the now abandoned Tocobaga Indian villages which dotted the shoreline.

Hamlin Snell and William Whitaker settled on Sarasota Bay in 1842. Whitaker remained to fish and later to raise cattle and farm. It was not until after the Civil War that many American settlers started to make their homes along the shores of Sarasota Bay.

Following the Civil War, the Sarasota Bay area grew dramatically with the influx of settlers. At the time, cash crops and cattle-raising were very successful, and publicity in northern newspapers began to lure more and more newcomers to the area. At first most of the settlement occurred in the area south of Hudson Bayou and was called "Sara Sota", this area was populated largely by farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. At this time boats were the most practical form of transportation linking Sarasota with the outside world. During the 1880's the Town of Sarasota was formed north of Hudson Bayou around present-day Main Street. While this area experienced major growth and investment during the mid 1880's, growth came to other parts of Sarasota more slowly. By the turn of the century, Sarasota was a small town on what could almost be termed Florida's "frontier".

In 1885 Dr. F.H. Williams of Bristol, Connecticut came ..."to study the archaeology of Tampa ...." On May 13, 1891 he and his wife Janet bought U.S. Government Lot 3 as well as Lots 1 and 2, a total of 267.64 acres, from the John J. Dunnes for $3,345.50. Dr. Williams stated in a letter to the editor of the Sarasota Sun, that "when ... it was given to me to name the north shore of Sarasota, recognizing the nature of the shell heaps, I named it Indian Beach."

Dr. William's lots and additional land were platted and on October 1, 1891 a map of Indian Beach was filed in the Manatee County Court House. Karl Grismer in The Story of Sarasota wrote that "a syndicate of twenty New Englanders was formed to buy a desirable tract." Williams was one of these twenty people. Syndicate members bought "choice waterfront lots: in the newly platted subdivision and a number of Connecticut people built homes, establishing a winter colony along the Bay".

The gradual arrival of these residents spurred further interest in the Sarasota area and contributed to its development. Coastal boats stopped at the Indian Beach docks. In 1906 a post office, which was open less than two years, was established. The application papers noted that the office would serve a population of "25 in summer, 60 to 100 in winter."

The development of Indian Beach was probably aided by the construction of the Palms Hotel (later to be known as the Palms Villa) a short distance south. Run by the former lessors of the De Soto Hotel in downtown Sarasota, it served meals and was patronized by wealthy sportsmen and visitors. Also in that area were the homes of the growing Whitaker family and winter residents. By close association this section, and as far south as Whitaker Bayou, was referred to as "Indian Beach." The Sarasota Times regularily noted the activities of residents and arrival of visitors to this area.

According to Karl Grismer in The Story of Sarasota, the popularity of Indian Beach led to the creation of Shell Beach, in the winter of 1894 by circus man Charles N. Thompson who visited a winter resident of Indian Beach. Thompson was very impressed with the area and purchased land just north of it and subdivided it into Shell Beach. Thompson was able to attract circus men and rail road men to purchase lots in the subdivision. These people included Ralph Caples and Charles and John Ringling, men who would have a tremendous impact on Sarasota which is still felt today.

During the first three decades of the 20th century, Sarasota underwent a tremendous growth in population. In 1900, Manatee County, which then included Sarasota, had approximately 4,700 people living within its boundaries; by 1920 the population had grown to 19,000. Besides the favorable publicity the area received in the north, a major force contributing to its growth and development was the railroad.

In 1902, the same year that Sarasota incorporated as a town, the United States and West Indies Railroad and Steamship Company built the first bridge across the Manatee River and the line extended its track to Sarasota. The first hard surface road between the two towns was completed in 1912. With this new transportation system, the entire southwest coast of Florida was able to expand and develop. Not only could agricultural products be shipped to northern markets, but the promotional ventures brought trains filled with people to the area, some from as far away as Minnesota, so they could purchase land and invest in Florida's future.

In 1916, the small town of Sarasota reincorporated itself as a city and began eyeing expansion both to the north and to the south, in the established area originally known as Sara Sota. This area north of Tenth Street had become a popular residential area; its annexation was seen as a way to increase the city's tax base. In an effort to fend off the unwanted annexation into the City of Sarasota, the residents north of the City formed their own government and incorporated as the Town of Indian Beach. This area was largely made up of homes and subdivisions close to the Sarasota Bay and dairy farms extending further east towards Osprey Avenue.

The Town of Indian Beach experienced steady growth until the beginning of the Florida Land Boom in 1923. During this period Indian Beach experienced tremendous changes, new and improved roads were built, along with homes and subdivisions along the bay. These subdivisions included the Bay Haven Subdivision and the Sapphire Shores Subdivision. Further stimulating growth in area was the construction of the new North Side Elementary School (now Bay Haven) to provide for the educational needs of the new and future residents of the area.

On November 22, 1925, at the height of Florida's real estate boom, Sarasotan's voted to expand their city limits and Indian Beach was annexed by its growing neighbor. A resolution of the Sarasota City Commission on May 16, 1928 noted that the Town of Indian Beach had no officers and declared unpaid taxes in the "defunct Town" were null and void.

Today, one can find many homes in the area built during the 1920's surrounded by homes that could best be described as 1950's and 1960's in-fill.

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

The Thoms' Estate was built in 1926 for Mr. and Mrs. Thoms during the Florida Land Boom by Leadley Ogden and is located in the Sapphire Shores subdivision. She owned the home until her death in 1933. The estate was enlarged in 1938 by J. P. Bennett with the purchase of two lots to the north. The Sapphire Shores Subdivision was a re-subdivision of a portion of the Shell Beach Subdivision in 1925 and was one of the many subdivisions which experienced tremendous growth and speculation during the Florida Land Boom. As such it represents a broad trend in the development of the state.

The Sapphire Shores subdivision was platted in 1925 and was developed by the Brywil Realty Company. The firm of Brywil was made up of two local businessmen, James Y. Wilson, President and Walter J. Bryson, Vice President (by combining their first three letter of their last names, they arrived at the company name).

A large section of C. N. Thompson's Shell Beach Subdivision was purchased by James Wilson in October, 1924 and transferred into the company name the following year. Sapphire Shores was a highly restricted subdivision with covenants ranging from requirements that buildings be designed in the "Spanish, Moorish or Italian types of architecture" to the minimum cost of construction, and the restriction against selling to anyone "other then those of the Caucasian race".

The Sapphire Shores Subdivision was located just south of the Caples and Ringling's Estates which added to the desirability of this area. .During the Florida Real Estate Boom approximately a dozen homes were built in Sapphires Shores all with a Mediterranean flavor. The Thoms' Estate is one of the larger homes constructed at that time. After the land crash hit in 1926 the developers were hard hit by lagging sales. A windshield survey indicates that construction came to a standstill in the area until the 1940's and '50's when the majority of the land was developed.

These structures reflect the type of settlement occurring during this period in Sarasota's history, and reflects the prosperity and optimism of Sarasota residents in the community's future. The Thoms' Estate and its servants' quarters reflect this broad pattern of settlement and lifestyle.

FRED J. ORR, ARCHITECT

Fred J. Orr is a recognized architect from Athens Georgia who taught at the University of Georgia before practicing in Athens. Orr apparently was in Sarasota only a short time during the Boom period and not much is known of his work here.

According to Professor John Waters with the School of Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia in Athens, Orr had a falling out with the administration there in the early 1910's and gave up his tenure at the University.
Orr then established his own firm and worked along with his brother George who was a landscape architect. He designed a number of important homes and civic buildings in Athens, including the Y.W.C.A. Building.

By 1926 Orr had opened an office in Sarasota along with his Athens, Georgia office and was trying to capitalize on the building boom. Interestingly while the 1924 City Directory listed only one architect (Thomas Reed Martin), the 1926 City Directory listed eleven architects practicing in Sarasota, including Orr. This number would drop back down to three by the publication of the 1928 Directory.

Orr's work in Athens would earn him the reputation as Athens "principal architect". He apparently continued to have business interests in Florida up until his death in the mid 1930's. Orr died of heart failure in St. Petersburg, Florida while inspecting the construction of the Federal Post Office for the U.S. Government.

LEADLEY OGDEN, CONTRACTOR

The Thom's Estate was built by Leadley Ogden for Mr. and Mrs. Thoms in 1926. Ogden was an important contractor in the boom era of the 1920's in Sarasota. In October 1925 at the peak of the building boom, Ogden was recognized as Sarasota's largest builder. He worked with many local architects and developers on private residences, commercial buildings, and apartments. Ogden was also active in promoting the importance of a strengthened planning board and the need for modern zoning in Sarasota.

While Leadley Ogden is not listed in the 1924 City Directory the May 1925 Sanborn Map shows his workman's barracks along Orange Avenue. At the height of the boom, Ogden employed up to 653 workmen many living at the barracks and he claimed that he could use double that number in order to keep pace with the tremendous influx of people to the area. This large work force gave Ogden the capability of having a large number of buildings under construction at one time and to start two or three structures each day.

Due to the tremendous increase in business during the boom, Ogden needed to have more office space and on October 11th 1925 it was announced in the Sarasota Herald that he would be moving into the "New Burns Building" just west of the Edwards' Theatre, alongside I.R. Burns and H.H. Bell the owners. The same article reported that Ogden would have an office staff of 24 persons operating out of his new office and that a new department to manufacture tiles of all kinds would be added to his organization.

Leadley Ogden worked on numerous projects during his short time in Sarasota. One noteworthy building that Leadley Ogden constructed was the four unit Cornish Apartments. Designed by Clare C. Hosmer, in an Italian Motif, for Andrew Cornish a local realtor, this building has been locally designated as historic. Ogden was also credited with building a number of beautiful homes in the Italian Revival style which were designed by noted architect George Albee Freeman in the Indian Beach area. Another project in which he was involved was the Broadway Apartments designed by Dwight James Baum in the Central Park Subdivision. Today this building is known as the Belle Haven and is both locally designated and nationally listed as historic. These ventures along with the rapid turn-over of buildings allowed Ogden to boast in advertisements, "Built right in minimum time. You can say: "Yes, it's Ogden built".

But like so many cases in the boom time, there were also the projects that were never completed; one such project was Conrad Brothers proposed apartment building "The Patio". Also designed by Freeman, plans for this large scale apartment building were reported on twice in late 1925 by the Sarasota Herald. The Patio's proposed location was at the corner of Laurel Street and Ohio, it was never constructed.

In the first weeks of 1926 the real estate market boom which fueled the dramatic building boom collapsed, leaving funds for the completion of projects unavailable and many projects which were built "on speculation" went unsold. Apparently Leadley Ogden was unable to continue his business under these conditions and by the publication of the 1927,-26 City Directory Ogden had closed his business and left the city.

Leadley Ogden operated one of the largest and successful construction firms in Sarasota during the Florida Land Boom. During that time he built many structures both large and small which contribute today significantly to Sarasota's architectural heritage. Ogden's association with architects Dwight James Baum, George Albee Freeman, Clarence Hosmer and Fred J. Orr and his fine execution of numerous Mediterranean Revival Structures in Sarasota demonstrates his importance and influence as a generally recognized and important builder during Sarasota's Land Boom. The buildings that he is associated with have been listed on the Local and National Register which demonstrates the significance of his work.

The Thoms' Estate was locally designated by the City of Sarasota in 1993.

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