Sarasota exploded during the frenzied Roaring ’20s, when dreamers, adventurers and get-rich-quick land speculators thought anything was possible.

In This Feature:

The Land Boom Decade That Changed Sarasota Forever

Promises of paradise, get-rich-quick promotions, buying, developing and reselling are the threads that weave throughout the entirety of the Sunshine State’s history, including Sarasota’s.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Sarasota's Skyline Rose in Stucco and Barrel Tile

The results left Sarasota with a built environment that was theatrical and forever marked by the speculative optimism that evaporated when the boom went bust in 1926.

11/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

John Ringling's Vision of St. Armands Circle Lives on Today

Ringling planned to turn the tiny, isolated archipelago into a grandiose European-style residential and shopping destination.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

From Sandwiches to Supper Dances, Sarasota's 1920s Dining Scene Offered a Buffet of Options

From the elegant Fountain Room at the El Vernona Hotel to an eight-course dinner for 75 cents, there was something for every appetite.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Take a Self-Guided Tour to See These Favorite 1920s Downtown Sarasota Landmarks

Despite the ever-changing skyline, there's still plenty of historic architecture to admire.

11/03/2025

In the 1920s, Sarasota Was Small, Southern and Segregated

But the very inequities meant to contain the Black community spurred a parallel world—self-sustaining, rooted and determined to endure.

11/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

The Birth of Venice

Even before the land boom hit Sarasota, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Fred Albee saw the potential for development in Nokomis and Venice.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd