Owen Burns
Encyclopedia
Owen Burns was born in Fredericktown
in Cecil County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was an entrepreneur
, banker, builder, and land developer who at one time owned the majority of Sarasota, Florida
and developed or built many of its historic structures, developments, roads, seawalls, and bridges. He became a leader in the community, contributing to its growth and development.
Born into a North Carolina family that dates to Francis Burns, who left Ayrshire, Ayr County, Scotland for America in 1734 with Gabrielle Johnston (who came to act as a colonial governor). Francis Burns was granted land by the king of England, which remains in family ownership. The county seat, Burnsville, North Carolina
is named for Owen's grandfather, Otway Burnes, Sr.
, a privateer
naval hero and legislator, and the town of Otway, in Carteret County, North Carolina
also is named for him. As a visitor, Owen Burns had come to Sarasota from Chicago
for its famed fishing and in 1910, settled there, and remained for the rest of his life. He also helped with the promotion of the developing community, contributing to the attraction of many around the country to Sarasota.
He married Vernona Hill Freeman, a woman he met while she was vacationing in Sarasota. He was so attracted to her that he courted her as she was returning home by rail to Massachusetts
and persuaded her to return to Florida in order to marry him. They were married in Sarasota on June 4, 1912, raising their five children in the community in a large home near the harbor. They also became the parents of the most important historian
for the community, Lillian G. Burns.
Lillian became a significant benefactor for the community as well, donating a large collection of historical materials and artifact
s related to her family and Sarasota to the county archive
s so that they would become resources that would be preserved and kept open to the public. She also taught researchers how to conduct effective interviews of historical figures and to create unbiased research, held free brown-bag luncheon lectures downtown, and conducted tours of the community that were enriched by her extensive, first-hand knowledge of its history.
Not only did Owen Burns become the largest landowner in the city, but he founded its first locally-owned bank, Citizens Bank of Sarasota, promoted the development of other businesses, participated in the founding of a board of trade that was the precursor of the Chamber of Commerce
, and built its bridges, sea walls, landmark buildings, and mansions. He urged the paving of roads such as Main Street. The list of buildings he built that have been placed on the local and the National Register of Historic Places
, is impressive. He platted the subdivision
s of Inwood Park and Washington Park.
He dredged the harbor and around Saint Armand Key
, Lido Key
, and Longboat Key. He also created new bay front points with reclaimed soils, enlarging Cedar Point to Golden Gate Point. He created novel developments such as Burns Court as rental quarters to attract tourists who could afford to buy second homes in Sarasota and built commercial establishments to generate additional impetus to the growing community, such as his Herald Square developments.
Now popularly known as Burns Square, Herald Square was on First Street before new street numbering was introduced. The historic Burns building forms a triangle as Orange Avenue and Pineapple Avenue diverge in the midst of what also is called "Little Five Points". This is where downtown began in the 1920s. Burns also built the first Herald (newspaper) building that now is called the Sarasota Woman's Exchange. The presence of the newspaper building lent its name to the square at that time, which now is unknown to many, hence the popular drift toward calling the building and the square by Burn's name. In 2001, a historic marker was placed on the site by the county that relates many details about Burns and his square.
The Owen Burns building at Herald Square has been restored recently, a second renovation by its owner of more than twenty years, Denise Kowal. In the first renovation she added new features to the exterior, such as balconies of wrought iron and stylish colors. The second renovation was a restoration, going back to the historic character of the building. Added features were removed and the original finish of the building restored, including its color. The building contains shops, a restaurant, offices, and apartments.
On what currently is First Street, near the hotel he named after his wife and his real estate office, Burns built the second Times Building (another newspaper). Nearby stands the Belle Haven
, which was built as an apartment building and was renovated to contain office spaces before being emptied to make way for a development now gone bad. After all around it has been demolished, a glimmer of hope remains that the charming historic building will be maintained. Burns also built the first Saint Martha's Church, which was named for the patron saint of his mother. He assisted in the founding of the Sarasota Woman's Club
, which now houses the Florida Studio Theatre, and, along with other community leaders such as Charles Ringling
, encouraged the 1921 creation of Sarasota County by separation from Manatee County.
In 1925 he built the El Vernona Hotel, naming it after his wife. He also was the builder of Cà d'Zan
, the residence of Mable and John Ringling
. He had entered into a business partnership with John Ringling to develop offshore lands that Burns owned, a fateful decision that bankrupted him when his partner failed to live up to commitments on development agreements for the barrier islands (keys
). Shortly after the opening of the hotel, a land boom crash in Florida struck a fatal blow to his finances because of the unfulfilled partnership agreement. Ironically, it was the same former partner, John Ringling, who took advantage of the situation and purchased the hotel for a small portion of its value, although several years later, he also would follow Burns into financial ruin. All of the real estate sales for development of Lido Key were transacted through the Burns real estate
office that was adjacent to the hotel.
Retaining his interest in game fishing and boating
that had drawn him to Sarasota, Burns became the commodore of the Sarasota Yacht Club that he reorganized. The yacht club still thrives.
The centennial anniversary of the arrival of Owen Burns in Sarasota to become an important community leader, will be celebrated in the city in 2010. By a proclamation on November 2, 2009 that cited many of his achievements, the week ending with the anniversary of his birth on the last day of October, was declared Owen Burns Week by the city commission. Many special events to honor him also will be celebrated during November 8-14, which closely follows.
Fredericktown, Maryland
Fredericktown is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The Elf racing yacht was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1980....
in Cecil County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, banker, builder, and land developer who at one time owned the majority of Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
and developed or built many of its historic structures, developments, roads, seawalls, and bridges. He became a leader in the community, contributing to its growth and development.
Born into a North Carolina family that dates to Francis Burns, who left Ayrshire, Ayr County, Scotland for America in 1734 with Gabrielle Johnston (who came to act as a colonial governor). Francis Burns was granted land by the king of England, which remains in family ownership. The county seat, Burnsville, North Carolina
Burnsville, North Carolina
Burnsville is a town in Yancey County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yancey County.-Geography:Burnsville is located at ....
is named for Owen's grandfather, Otway Burnes, Sr.
Otway Burns
Otway Burns was an American privateer during the War of 1812 and later, a North Carolina State Senator.-Early life:...
, a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
naval hero and legislator, and the town of Otway, in Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....
also is named for him. As a visitor, Owen Burns had come to Sarasota from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for its famed fishing and in 1910, settled there, and remained for the rest of his life. He also helped with the promotion of the developing community, contributing to the attraction of many around the country to Sarasota.
He married Vernona Hill Freeman, a woman he met while she was vacationing in Sarasota. He was so attracted to her that he courted her as she was returning home by rail to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and persuaded her to return to Florida in order to marry him. They were married in Sarasota on June 4, 1912, raising their five children in the community in a large home near the harbor. They also became the parents of the most important historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
for the community, Lillian G. Burns.
Lillian became a significant benefactor for the community as well, donating a large collection of historical materials and artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s related to her family and Sarasota to the county archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s so that they would become resources that would be preserved and kept open to the public. She also taught researchers how to conduct effective interviews of historical figures and to create unbiased research, held free brown-bag luncheon lectures downtown, and conducted tours of the community that were enriched by her extensive, first-hand knowledge of its history.
Not only did Owen Burns become the largest landowner in the city, but he founded its first locally-owned bank, Citizens Bank of Sarasota, promoted the development of other businesses, participated in the founding of a board of trade that was the precursor of the Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, and built its bridges, sea walls, landmark buildings, and mansions. He urged the paving of roads such as Main Street. The list of buildings he built that have been placed on the local and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, is impressive. He platted the subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
s of Inwood Park and Washington Park.
He dredged the harbor and around Saint Armand Key
St. Armands Key
St. Armands Key is an island in Sarasota Bay off the west coast of Florida in the United States.A Frenchman named Charles St. Amand bought property on the island in 1893. His name was misspelled in land deeds, and this misspelled name is still used today....
, Lido Key
Lido Key
Lido Key is a barrier island of the coast of Sarasota, Florida in the United States. The island has sandy beaches that face the Gulf of Mexico. The island has a seasonal nightclub scene, as well as a park called "South Lido Park", which has a beach and a woodland trail...
, and Longboat Key. He also created new bay front points with reclaimed soils, enlarging Cedar Point to Golden Gate Point. He created novel developments such as Burns Court as rental quarters to attract tourists who could afford to buy second homes in Sarasota and built commercial establishments to generate additional impetus to the growing community, such as his Herald Square developments.
Now popularly known as Burns Square, Herald Square was on First Street before new street numbering was introduced. The historic Burns building forms a triangle as Orange Avenue and Pineapple Avenue diverge in the midst of what also is called "Little Five Points". This is where downtown began in the 1920s. Burns also built the first Herald (newspaper) building that now is called the Sarasota Woman's Exchange. The presence of the newspaper building lent its name to the square at that time, which now is unknown to many, hence the popular drift toward calling the building and the square by Burn's name. In 2001, a historic marker was placed on the site by the county that relates many details about Burns and his square.
The Owen Burns building at Herald Square has been restored recently, a second renovation by its owner of more than twenty years, Denise Kowal. In the first renovation she added new features to the exterior, such as balconies of wrought iron and stylish colors. The second renovation was a restoration, going back to the historic character of the building. Added features were removed and the original finish of the building restored, including its color. The building contains shops, a restaurant, offices, and apartments.
On what currently is First Street, near the hotel he named after his wife and his real estate office, Burns built the second Times Building (another newspaper). Nearby stands the Belle Haven
Belle Haven
Belle Haven :*Belle Haven, a neighborhood in Greenwich, Connecticut*Belle Haven, Fairfax County, Virginia*Belle Haven, Accomack County, Virginia*Belle Haven Consultants...
, which was built as an apartment building and was renovated to contain office spaces before being emptied to make way for a development now gone bad. After all around it has been demolished, a glimmer of hope remains that the charming historic building will be maintained. Burns also built the first Saint Martha's Church, which was named for the patron saint of his mother. He assisted in the founding of the Sarasota Woman's Club
Sarasota Woman's Club
The Sarasota Woman's Club is a historic woman's club in Sarasota, Florida. It is located at 1241 North Palm Avenue. It was founded in 1913 and on January 18, 1985, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...
, which now houses the Florida Studio Theatre, and, along with other community leaders such as Charles Ringling
Charles Ringling
Charles Edward Ringling was one of the Ringling brothers, who owned the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was in charge of production and greatly admired by the employees, who called him "Mr...
, encouraged the 1921 creation of Sarasota County by separation from Manatee County.
In 1925 he built the El Vernona Hotel, naming it after his wife. He also was the builder of Cà d'Zan
Ca d'Zan
Ca' d'Zan, a Mediterranean Revival residence in Sarasota, Florida, was the winter home of the American circus owner, developer and art collector John Ringling and his wife Mable. Lovers of the Venetian aesthetic, the Ringlings chose the site overlooking Sarasota Bay for its vista, which reminded...
, the residence of Mable and John Ringling
John Ringling
John Nicholas Ringling now is the most well-known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the circus into what it is today.-Early circus life:John was...
. He had entered into a business partnership with John Ringling to develop offshore lands that Burns owned, a fateful decision that bankrupted him when his partner failed to live up to commitments on development agreements for the barrier islands (keys
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
). Shortly after the opening of the hotel, a land boom crash in Florida struck a fatal blow to his finances because of the unfulfilled partnership agreement. Ironically, it was the same former partner, John Ringling, who took advantage of the situation and purchased the hotel for a small portion of its value, although several years later, he also would follow Burns into financial ruin. All of the real estate sales for development of Lido Key were transacted through the Burns real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
office that was adjacent to the hotel.
Retaining his interest in game fishing and boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
that had drawn him to Sarasota, Burns became the commodore of the Sarasota Yacht Club that he reorganized. The yacht club still thrives.
The centennial anniversary of the arrival of Owen Burns in Sarasota to become an important community leader, will be celebrated in the city in 2010. By a proclamation on November 2, 2009 that cited many of his achievements, the week ending with the anniversary of his birth on the last day of October, was declared Owen Burns Week by the city commission. Many special events to honor him also will be celebrated during November 8-14, which closely follows.