History of South Gate



This history of the South Gate plays a vital part in the identity of its residents. If you have lived in South Gate for many years, its history is a heartfelt reminder of days gone by.

If you have just come to call South Gate home, it is a way to learn more about the new community you have joined. We would love nothing more than to be able to share the history of South Gate with all who reside here. If you are interested in writing a brief history of the neighborhood to share with the community, please contact us!

From Citrus Grove to Subdivision


The following account is summarized from the South Gate Community Association's 35th Anniversary publication of 1991.)

In the mid-1950s, Sarasota developers Rolland King and Frank Smith purchased 1,240 acres of citrus groves that had orginally been planted by Bertha Honore Potter, the Chicago socialite who purchased 80,000 acres of land in Sarasota County beginning with her arrival in 1910. When King and Rolland began developing South Gate, the groves were being worked by Minute Maid. Some of the original citrus trees are still growing in the back yards of some South Gate homes.

King and Smith's original purchase was bounded approximately by Bee Ridge Road, Tamiami Trail, Beneva Road and Hyde Park Street. Besides South Gate, some of the land became Forest Lakes Country Club Estates and some became Village Green. South Gate Manor was a separate subdivision that is now considered part of South Gate.

Groundbreaking occured in 1955 for the first South Gate homes near Siesta Drive and School Avenue. The first three model homes opened in March 1955. The first home sold was at 2207 Siesta Drive.

The South Gate Post Office opened March 30, 1957. The South Gate Shopping Center, now Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate, opened that year, as did some of the shops in the South Gate Village Shops along Siesta Drive east of the Post Office.

The developers called a meeting to establish a community association on Jan. 1, 1956. On Feb. 13, 1956, 140 homeowners adopted the charter and bylaws of the South Gate Community Association. Soon thereafter, the developers began construction of the association hall and swimming pool on a five-acre site on Phillippi Creek at South Gate Circle. The South Gate Community Center was dedicated on Sept. 2, 1956, and the Association assumed management of the hall and pool, which continues to this day.

The hall was designed by Sarasota school architect Victor Lundy. The building and pool have been designated as historic by Sarasota County.

Source: http://www.southgator.com/about.htm
South Gate is sponsored by:
Chris Kernan

Coldwell Banker
Residential Real Estate, Inc.
5145 Ocean Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34242

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