Palm Tower, at 1343 Main St., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, marking a century as a vibrant commercial hub in the heart of downtown Sarasota.
Completed in 1925, Palm Tower has been a witness to – and an integral part of — Sarasota’s remarkable transformation and growth. Most notably, for decades the seven-story Hotel Sarasota that occupied the building was the social and cultural epicenter of the community, hosting gatherings, events and luminaries.
Built by W.H. Pipkorn of Milwaukee, Wisc., the hotel was considered Sarasota’s first “skyscraper.” Located within walking distance of the city’s fishing pier and various amenities, the hotel contained a spacious ground-floor lounge, an elegant lobby and a first-class dining room.
In 1944, the hotel garnered local headlines when it was sold to Leroy T. Fenne in what was touted as the highest-priced real estate transaction in Sarasota in nearly two decades, selling for more than $100,000…