The Very Special Selby Foundation - Results of Two Very Special Residents

For a couple whose name is now well-known in Sarasota William and Marie Selby sparked little press coverage during their early years in the city.

The high school sweethearts married in 1908 in Marietta, Ohio, and the following year William (Bill) brought his bride to Sarasota's Belle Haven Inn, where the Orange Blossom building stands today (at the soutwest corner of Main Street and Palm Avenue). He had visited the area earlier and used the hotel as headquarters for hunting and fishing trips into the wilds of Florida.

During the first year of their marriage, Bill and Marie paid close attention to the first transcontinental automobile race between Seattle and New York City. That sparked them to travel the same course themselves in a well-stocked touring car with spare parts and camping equipment. They made the trip in six days less than the car that won the race! Marie Selby became the first woman to cross the country by automobile.

Read More...

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) 

Architect's Corner - Colonial Revival

The Colonial Revival style traces its origins to the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where many of the exhibit buildings sought to revive and interpret historical "colonial" types. These structures, rich in borrowed details, reflected the classical tradition that produced designs now known as "Georgian," "Federal," and "Jeffersonian."

The major elements of those styles were symmetrical facades, prominent porticos, molded details in bas-relief, rectangular windows with small panes, and fanlights over the main entry. Interiors were often integrated with exteriors through the application of Colonial details to major rooms and addition of features such as staircases and fireplaces.

The Colonial Revival style became popular at the turn of the 20th century. In Florida it exerted a strong influence on vernacular architecture. Colonial Revival style buildings, generally residences, rose two to two-and-a-half stories in height. They displayed symmetrical massing, exhibited a tall hip roof and hip dormers, and usually contained a one-story full facade entrance porch or veranda. One variant, the Dutch Colonial Revival, featured a gambrel roof.

Decorative elements included columns of various orders, balustrades, modillions and dentils. Centrally placed entrances featured transoms, fanlights, sidelights, plinth, fluted pilasters, hoods, pediments, and other detailing. Exterior fabrics included brick, weatherboard, drop siding, and shingles. Interior features associated with the style embraced urns, swags, fans, ellipses, paneled wainscotting, and detailing derived from the Classical orders, particularly columns and dentil courses.

A number of examples of Colonial Revival and a common subtype, the Dutch Colonial exist within Sarasota County. Constructed in the 1920s and '30s, the traditional design of this style exists in stark contrast to the fanciful Mediterranean Revival style architecture of the same era. Colonial and Dutch Colonial style buildings can be found scattered throughout Sarasota's older neighborhoods.

A fine example of this style is the McKaig House in Cherokee Park. Click here to get the full story on this home and it's original occupants. They were a wonderful coulple with total dedication to civic pride and helping young students, despite never having children of their own.

Yesterday's Sarasota Calendar

Every day of the year we highlight what took place in Sarasota's history, thanks to Whit Rylee and Tom Payne's extensive research and sense of humor. Frequently check our website's homepage to find out what occured today.

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

For example, this Thursday in 1921, the first meeting of the Sarasota County Commission took place. Renting space from the City in the Hover Arcade, the Commission set about the ordering of such essentials as equipment and record books. Among the first commissioners, appointed by Grovernor Hardee, was Frank A. Walpole whose strong lobbying efforts were held to be instrumental in getting Sarasota declared a county separate from Manatee County. The more you know...