South Side School - Sarasota, FL - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From the historical marker:

Southside School opened its doors to 170 students January 11, 1926, one of several schools builtin Sarasota County's land boom of the 1920's. 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 Elliot, 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.
Doris Brownell was Southside's first principal. During her administration the school's first PTA was organized and the school lunch program was started.

Sarasota's land boom was short-lived. Within months of Southside's completion, land values dropped. Sarasota's economic base rapidly declined, and the population dwindled. During the Great Depression which followed, Sarasota schools suffered. By 1933 Southside and the rest of the city's schools were closed for lack of money. Only those students who could afford tuition were allowed to return. Enterprising students developed money-making schemes. Coat hangers and cola bottles were collected and odd jobs were sought. During these hard times elementary students were permitted to attend classes barefooted.

After WWII Sarasota experienced renewed economic vitality and dynamic growth. By 1952 the population soared to 22,000 and Southside underwent the first of many expansions and improvements to meet continuing growth and changing needs. The school facilities later expanded to include a student-designed playground, a one-quarter mile track, a botanical garden, an outside stage and a media center.

Street address: 1901 Webber St Sarasota, FL USA County / Borough / Parish: Sarasota Year listed: 1984 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1925-1949 Historic function: Education Current function: Education Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/06/2012 debbado visited it 08/21/2010 TheGeoGnomes visited it 02/21/2010 BONSAIRAD visited it 02/05/2008 sfwife visited it

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