HISTORIC SPANISH POINT
CONNECTING YOU TO 5,000 YEARS OF HISTORY EVERYDAY AT HISTORIC SPANISH POINT
Historic Spanish Point, an accredited museum and National Register site, celebrated its silver anniversary
of being open to the public in 2007. Owned and operated by Gulf Coast Heritage Association, Inc, the
museum on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey, Florida connects you with the history of southwest coastal
Florida. In 1975 the 30-acre site became the first in Sarasota County to be listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, and in 1980 it was donated to the not-for-profit association by the heirs of Mrs. Potter
Palmer. In April of 1982 the museum opened to the public. Accreditation by the American Association of
Museums was awarded to Historic Spanish Point in 2002, placing the museum in the top 5% of institutions
nationwide who have achieved this level of excellence.
As this region’s premier historic site museum, Historic Spanish Point actively preserves and interprets its
valuable archaeological record. Prehistoric people occupied the site as early as 3,000 BC and lived along
the shoreline for nearly 4,000 years. Evidence of their daily lives can be found in the prehistoric middens
that comprise much of the landscape. For several generations, they buried their dead in a burial mound
and at one point ceremonially interred an alligator. These middens and burial mound constitute one of the
largest intact prehistoric sites along Florida’s west coast.
The rich heritage of human history continued in 1867 when the Webb family of Utica, New York
established their homestead. John G. Webb named the land “Spanish Point” because a Spanish trader
he met in Key West told him about the elevated shores on the bay. The citrus crop was so fertile that the
family built a packing house, one of the first on the gulf coast. To transport the produce to Key West and
Cedar Key, they built their own boats. The Webbs encouraged winter boarders to come and stay with
them, thus establishing the first tourist resort in Sarasota.
In 1910 Chicago socialite and businesswoman Mrs. Potter Palmer came to Sarasota. She purchased tens
of thousands of acres for cattle ranching, citrus and real estate investment, and chose the Webb
homestead for her own 360-acre estate known as “Osprey Point.” The pioneer buildings were preserved
and repurposed and she connected them with lavish formal gardens and lawns. Many of these garden
elements have been restored at Historic Spanish Point.
Mrs. Potter Palmer is fondly remembered by Gulf Coast Heritage Association because it was her generous
family who deeded the 30-acre historic site to the association. Since opening to the public in 1982, major
projects have been undertaken including restoration and reproduction of the pioneer buildings, as well as
revitalization of the many gardens. The rich archaeological heritage on the site was not overlooked,
however, and in 1992 A Window to the Past was opened. This major exhibition is uniquely located inside
one of the prehistoric shell middens. Glass walls and a multimedia presentation educate visitors about the
features of a midden, the objects found within its layers and its importance to the prehistoric people who
built them.
One of the most significant restorations at Historic Spanish Point was the Visitors Center housed in the
Osprey School. Built in 1927 and designed by, M. Leo Elliott, a prominent architect from Tampa, this
Spanish Colonial Revival style building is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was used
as a school and education facility until 1989. With renovation completed in 1996, the Visitors Center now
houses an orientation theater, museum store, an exhibit gallery, meeting rooms and screened porches for
picnicking.
Today Historic Spanish Point is operated by a professional staff supported by hundreds of dedicated
volunteers. The museum is open to the public seven days a week and visited by over 28,000 a year. The
mission of Gulf Coast Heritage Association is to connect people of today with 5,000 years of human
history in southwest coastal Florida by collecting, interpreting, and preserving the objects and traditions
significant to the region’s past.
General admission rates; $9 adults, $8 Florida residents and Seniors age 65+, $3 kids 6-12 (kids under 6
are free)(Members Free Every Day).
The museum is open Mon.-Sat. 9am to 5pm and Sun. 12pm to 5pm. 337 N. Tamiami Trail in Osprey, FL.
Please visit: www.historicspanishpoint.org for more information, or call 941-966-5214.