SARASOTA — More than a hundred Suncoast residents recently toured two restored bungalow residences built by Owen Burns in 1925.
Burns is best known for being hired to build John & Mabel Ringling’s estate, the Ca’ d’ Zan.
The self-guided tour was sponsored by owners Jim and Susan Davis, Tidmore-Henry Associates, and the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation.
In addition to the residences, an original garage was converted into a one-bedroom carriage house while the other garage is being converted into office space.
The homes were designed by architect Thomas Reed Martin in the Mediterranean Revival–Spanish Eclectic Style. Built with concrete block and stucco finish, the bungalows measured 26 feet by 40 feet of floor space and were topped with flat roofs and molded roof parapets.
Co-owner Susan Davis provided guests with a brief history of the buildings, located at 443 and 447 Burns Court, and talked about the process they followed in modernizing them.
Following her presentation, the couple were presented with bronze plaques that tell the history of the buildings. The plaques were presented by Tony Souza, an SAHP board member who also serves as chair of Sarasota’s city and county historic preservation boards