1876 Oak Street – Dr. Walter Kennedy House
The Dr. Walter Kennedy House was built during the Land Boom period in a subdivision created by one of Sarasota’s major developers, from designs by one of the city’s foremost architects.
In February, 1925, Owen Burns, through his Burns Realty Company, platted the Washington Park subdivision. Subsequent to platting the subdivision, he created Washington Park Estates, Inc. as a holding company for the development. In October, 1925, he announced plans to construct ten residences within Washington Park, the first three of which were to be designed by Dwight Baum. Public records indicate that the house at 1876 Oak Street remained under Burns’ Washington Estates, Inc.’s ownership until February, 1930. However, beginning in late 1926, the home was occupied by Henry Williford and his family.
Henry L. Williford came to Sarasota in 1926 from Chicago where he had practiced law for fifteen years and served as attorney for the Morris Packing Company and Albert Pick and Company, two large Chicago firms. As a prominent Sarasota lawyer, Williford was called in as one of the attorneys in the estate litigation of Sarasota resident and circus magnate, John Ringling, having served as personal attorney for Ringling until the time of Ringling’s death in 1936. Williford also served two terms as State Attorney of the 27th Judicial Circuit.
In about 1930, the Willifords purchased a home in Sapphire Shores Subdivision on the northern outskirts of Sarasota and vacated the Oak Street property. About that same time. Burns was experiencing financial difficulties, as were many following the collapse of the real estate market in Sarasota and the subsequent stock market crash. Burns’ holding corporation lost title to the property and, subsequently, it was purchased through a tax sale by John Buckbee of New York City. Although Buckbee did not occupy the house, he maintained the property as a-rental until 1936.
From c.1933-1936, the house was rented by Judge Paul Albritton and his family. Albritton was a descendant of one of the oldest and one of the most prominent families in Florida.
His father had come to the Sarasota area from Polk County with his family in 1900 and founded what continues to be the largest citrus grove operation in Sarasota County. After serving as a Navy officer and flight instructor in World War I, Paul Albritton graduated in 1922 from Stetson University Law School. In 1924 he was appointed Sarasota County Judge, and in 1927, Circuit Judge, the youngest Circuit Judge in Florida. He served in that capacity until 1935 when he resumed his private law practice in Sarasota. He also served as the Secretary of the Sarasota Realty Board during the 1920s. Judge Albritton continued to play an important role in both political and civic affairs until his death in 1946.
Both the Williford and the Albritton families are identified with other homes in Sarasota. The house at 1876 Oak Street has historically been identified through its association with its third occupant/second owner. Dr. Walter C. Kennedy.
As chairman of the publicity committee of the Sarasota Livestock Association, Dr. Kennedy was also a progressive cattleman. The pride of his ranch land east of Sarasota near the Ringling Brothers Circus winter quarters was Hercules 102, the prize Charbraise bull, which is believed to be represented in the medallion affected on the chimney (see photo).
ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW
The Dr. Walter C. Kennedy House is a well designed and executed example of the Mediterranean Revival Style of architecture, utilizing construction materials and techniques of the period. During the Florida Land Boom in Sarasota from c.1923-1926, this was the most prevalent style expressed in local architecture. It is an excellent example of the work of noted architect, Dwight James Baum. The house and the garage/servant’s quarters were nominated and placed on the City of Sarasota’s Historic Register in 1990.
The Dr. Walter C. Kennedy House and adjacent garage/servant’s quarters are located at 1876 Oak Street in the Washington Park subdivision of Sarasota, Florida. Construction was completed in 1926. The buildings are of hollow clay tile construction with clay tile wall foundations. The residence is two stories in height and has an irregular plan. The hip roof, combined with a cross gable roof extension on the front facade, is surfaced with terracotta barrel tile. The detached two story garage/servant’s quarters is rectangular in plan and has a flat roof. Both the house and garage structure are excellent examples of the Mediterranean Revival Style and are notable for their size and details.
SETTING
The Dr. Walter C. Kennedy House is located just southeast of the city’s commercial core. The house occupies approximately four and one-half lots, comprising just less than one-half acre. The subdivision in which the house is located contains several 1920s Mediterranean Revival style homes varying from small one story cottages to larger two story examples of which the Kennedy House is the largest. The remainder of the housing stock within the immediate area consists of Bungalows, early Ranch style homes, and frame and block duplexes dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. These residences were constructed as infill to the subdivision which was never completed following the end of the Florida Land Boom. The Kennedy House faces onto Oak Street, a major east/west traffic artery through the neighborhood. The Oak Street median featured towering Washingtonia Palms, planted at the time the subdivision was laid out in 1925 .
The rear yard of the property is enclosed to the north and east by a 6-foot stucco wall, accessed by two wrought iron garden gates. The yard contains a plethora of plantings with over 300 genuses, many original to the site. The former head botanist of Marie Selby Gardens lived across the street, and is thought to be the source of many of the exotic plantings – including the night blooming cereus on the palm in the right-of-way. The most dominant flora is a tremendous Cuban laurel dating from the time of the house’s construction and reputed to be one of the largest of the species remaining within the city limits. The tree’s expanse covers virtually all of the rear yard. A swimming pool with an adjacent screened lanai was installed in 1992 at the extreme rear of the site beyond the garage/servant’s quarters. in 2013, brick walkways were installed within the garden areas.
EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION
The principal facade of the Kennedy house faces north, onto Oak Street. This facade is asymmetrical with the main entry door located slightly off center. The solid oak batten entry door is recessed within a small exterior entry foyer, behind an arched masonry quoin surround. The entry foyer has original clay tile flooring. A decorative stone quatrefoil shaped bullseye with a single square four-light metal casement is centered above the door. Steps to the front entry porch have handmade Spanish clay tile risers and wrought iron railings on either side.
A porch, with three full-height stuccoed and screened arched openings, is east of the front entry. Stuccoed vents decorate the upper portion of the exterior of the parapet of the porch.
To the west of the front entry is an entry court surrounded by a chest high stuccoed wall. The vine-covered courtyard includes a brick walkway bordered by tropical plants.
On the second floor of the main facade, above the flat roof of the first floor screened porch, is an open patio or roof garden enclosed by a stucco knee wall. A single French door accesses this porch from the master bedroom of the house. At the west end of the second floor a tiled pent roof, supported by pecky cypress beams and brackets, shelters paired casement windows.
A large stuccoed brick chimney is the focal point of the east elevation of the house. The house retains the original paired eight light steel casement windows on all elevations. Canvas awnings on the windows are a recent addition.
A small service porch with a tiled shed roof is located on the rear (south) elevation of the house. Although the porch was originally screened, it appears to have been enclosed sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s as indicated by the age of the 6/6 double hung sash windows. An entry door was located on the east wall of the porch projection.
A frame screened porch, resting on wooden posts, was added to the rear of the house in 1989, just west of the service porch. Paired French doors gave entry to the interior of the house from the porch. A kitchen extension with sliding glass doors replaced the screened porch in the late 1990s. A deck extension was added to the southwest corner of the building in 2015, bring the deck profile back to its original L-shaped wrap-around configuration.
A carport cover was added in 2019 to the Columbia Court parking area to protect vehicles from the enormous Cuban laurel’s semi-annual “berrypocalypse” (which usually occurs in May and September).
INTERIOR DESCRIPTION
All of the interior walls of the house are plaster and the floors are pine. Interior features include arched doorways, accentuated on both sides with quoining, between both the living and dining rooms and the interior entry hall. Walls in the living room are scored in random staggered block pattern. A stuccoed fireplace with engaged columns, a decorative tile surround, tile hearth and wood mantle is centered on the east interior wall of the living room. A French door opens from the living room to the front screened porch which feature an embossed terracotta tile floor.
A dogleg stair ascends to the second floor. Oak newel posts with round caps support the handrail at the top and bottom of the stairway. Outwork balusters, similar to porch railings, are utilized for balustrades.
GARAGE/SERVANT’S QUARTERS
The two story structure located southwest of the house originally provided parking for two cars on the first floor and servant’s or guest quarters on the second floor. In 1990, the entire interior first floor space was converted to an efficiency apartment, with paired French doors opening to the courtyard. The second floor, containing three rooms and a bath, is accessed by exterior stairs with a simple railing. A wood deck was added to extend off the top landing of the stairs in 1990. In 2012, a triptych living wall with planters and epiphytes was added below the second floor deck.