St. Armands in Sarasota in Sarasota County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
John Ringling Vision for St. Armands Key
Photographed By Dave W, March 18, 2023
1. John Ringling Vision for St. Armands Key Marker
John Ringling (1866-1936) foresaw a people-friendly place of broad boulevards, beautiful homes, classical statues, lush landscaping, elegant shops and restaurants, and a central park for musical performances. His travels to the Renaissance cities of Italy inspired this vision. The classical sculpture he saw combined the realistic portrayal of individual beauty and the humanistic aspects of idealized beauty. Sculpture was a key component of his vision as he began marketing lots on St. Armands Key in 1927. At that point it consisted only of the streets, boulevards, landscaping, statues, seawalls, subdivision plat, one commercial building and a handful of homes. Due to the intervening Florida land crash, the Depression, and World War II; it would be 30 years before the commercial and residential districts would be built-out.
"Save Our Statues" undertaken in 2007 and chaired by Key resident Edward Pinto; had the goal of preserving the Ringling- era statues dating to the 1920s and enhancing this legacy with 21 new classically-themed statues in white marble.
St. Armands Residents Association and its President, William Rex, thank the Business Improvement District, Ringling Museum of Art, City of Sarasota, St. Armands Circle Association, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Lido Key Residents Association and the
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 27° 19.125′ N, 82° 34.601′ W. Marker is in Sarasota, Florida, in Sarasota County. It is in St. Armands. Marker is at the intersection of John Ringling Boulevard and St Armands Circle, in the median on John Ringling Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 440 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota FL 34236, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alfredo Codona (a few steps from this marker); Karl L. King (a few steps from this marker); The Zacchinis (a few steps from this marker); Harold Alzana (a few steps from this marker); Dr. J.Y. Henderson (a few steps from this marker); The Nerveless Nocks (a few steps from this marker); Fay Alexander (a few steps from this marker); May Wirth (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sarasota.
Photographed By Dave W, March 18, 2023
2. John Ringling Vision for St. Armands Key Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 68 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 21, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
