National Register of Historic Places

Edwards Theatre

Sarasota, Sarasota County, Florida
Listed
March 22, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84003835

About this property

The Sarasota Opera House (originally the Edwards Theatre) is a historic theater building used as an opera house at 61 North Pineapple Avenue in Sarasota, Florida. The building was the vision of A.B. Edwards, the first mayor of Sarasota. It opened on April 10, 1926, with a three-story entrance containing eight shops on the ground floor, 12 offices on the second floor, and 12 furnished apartments on the third. The theatre's auditorium contained an orchestral pipe organ. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune hailed Edwards for "having admitted Sarasota into a fairyland of costly decoration, rich furnishings and never to be forgotten artistry." The building was designed by Roy A. Benjamin in Mediterranean Revival Style Architecture and constructed by the GA Miller Construction Company. The theatre is the home of the Sarasota Opera Association, Inc., which owns the building. The Association is the parent body that runs the Sarasota Opera. It has 1,119 seats.

Location

57 N. Pineapple Ave.
Sarasota, Sarasota County, Florida
27.33698, -82.54369

Categories

ARCHITECTUREPERFORMING ARTS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Edwards Theatre

This page lists Edwards Theatre. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Edwards Theatre report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Sarasota Woman's Club
Industrial
0.1 mi
American National Bank Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Kress, S.H., Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Frances-Carlton Apartments
Industrial
0.1 mi
DeCanizares, F.A., House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Edwards Theatre listed on the National Register?

Edwards Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 22, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Edwards Theatre?

Edwards Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Edwards Theatre?

The period of significance for Edwards Theatre is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Edwards Theatre?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Edwards Theatre will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Sarasota County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Sarasota County.

Explore SarasotaCounty ›

More historic places in Florida

Browse all historic places in Florida.

View Floridahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Florida history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Floridahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Edwards Theatre will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report