El Vernona Apartments-Broadway Apartments facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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El Vernona Apartments-Broadway Apartments
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Apartments in 2011
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sarasota, Florida |
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| Architect | Dwight James Baum |
| MPS | Sarasota MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003836 |
| Added to NRHP | March 22, 1984 |
The El Vernona Apartments-Broadway Apartments is a special old building in Sarasota, Florida. It's also known as the Belle Haven Apartments. This building is located at 1133 Fourth Street. On March 22, 1984, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. This means it's an important place recognized for its history.
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Discovering the El Vernona Apartments
This building has three stories and is shaped like the letter "L". It's made of stucco and cast stone, which are materials that look like fancy carved rock. The style of the building is called Mediterranean Revival. This style was popular for buildings that looked like they belonged in sunny places like Italy or Spain.
Who Designed and Built It?
A famous architect named Dwight James Baum designed these apartments. They were first called the Broadway or El Vernona Apartments. The name "El Vernona" came from the wife of Owen Burns, who was the person who developed the area. Today, many people call it the Belle Haven.
The building was made with strong materials like reinforced concrete and hollow tiles. A company called Ricketts and Haworth built it. The Burns Realty Company owned the apartments. They opened for people to live in them in March 1926. The building permit was given in October 1925. By March 1926, the building had 55 rooms and 20 furnished apartments ready. The total cost to build it was about $250,000.
A Special Location
The El Vernona Apartments are located right next to Sarasota Bay. This spot was like a grand entrance to a bigger area called the Broadway Development. This development included the El Vernona Hotel, which is now known as John Ringling Towers. It also had offices for Burns Realty and the main building for the Sarasota Times newspaper.
Owen Burns was the leader of this big development project. He asked Dwight James Baum to design the hotel, offices, and apartments. The whole area was carefully planned. All the new buildings were designed in the same Mediterranean Revival style. This made the area look very unified and beautiful.
Other Famous Buildings by Dwight James Baum
Besides the Broadway buildings, Dwight James Baum designed other important places in Sarasota. He designed the amazing home called Ca d'Zan for John Ringling. Owen Burns also helped build this house. Baum also designed the Sarasota County Courthouse. The El Vernona Apartments are special because of their design. They are also important because they connect to the famous architect Dwight James Baum and the local developer Owen Burns. The Broadway Apartment building is one of the best-preserved buildings designed by Baum in Sarasota.
About the Architect: Dwight James Baum
Dwight James Baum was a well-known architect from New York. He studied architecture and finished college in 1909. As mentioned, he designed many famous buildings in Sarasota. These include the Ca 'd' Zan for John Ringling and the Sarasota County Courthouse. He also designed homes for other projects by Owen Burns. After the building business slowed down in Sarasota, Baum worked as a helper for "Good Housekeeping" magazine.
The El Vernona Apartments (Belle Haven Apartments) were officially recognized as important by the city of Sarasota in 1984.
