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Tarpon Seeking Help With Historical Building Survey

Fred Fox/TAMPA TRIBUNE, 2001

Safford House, built by town founder Anson P.K. Safford in 1883, is one of the historic buildings of Tarpon Springs. The city is updating its historic building survey.

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: January 10, 2009

TARPON SPRINGS - City planning officials are asking for help in identifying historical property.

The city is conducting a survey of historic buildings, the first since 1988, planning officials said. The city's historic district was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1990.

The city has hired a consultant to help identify and evaluate buildings within the historic district and structures more than 50 years old in the vicinity of Spring Bayou. This part of the city is commonly known as the "Fruit Salad District" because the names of several of its streets contain fruit.

The focus of the 2009 Tarpon Springs Historic Properties Survey is encouraging preservation of the city's older buildings. City officials want additional information on buildings that have already achieved historic status and any of historic significance that might have been missed during the survey done two decades ago.

The 2009 survey will result in a historical and architectural analysis of the community and a description of each building that meets Florida Master Site File criteria.

A Master Site File contains information and field surveys on archeological sites and historic buildings in the state. The Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation administers the site files.

The information gathered from the survey provides a basis for making decisions about preserving historic buildings, and is useful for planning activities.

The public can give any information they have about buildings that might have historic provenance at a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, in Craig Park.

Information is specifically needed about the date of construction, original owner, architect and builder of each qualifying building. Residents or homeowners who wish to offer information can call the city's Planning and Zoning Division or attend the community meeting at the museum.

The field survey and compiling of historical information will begin this month and is scheduled to be completed by June.

The City Commission awarded the contract for the project to Janus Research, a Tampa-based cultural resource management firm. Janus Research will make a presentation about the historic survey at the Jan. 13 commission meeting. The survey is supported by a matching grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

District data

•The Tarpon Springs Historic District encompasses roughly 700 acres.

•It contains 145 buildings consider to be of historic significance.

•The district's boundaries, roughly, are: Read Street, Hibiscus Street, Orange Street, Levis Avenue, Lemon Street and Spring Bayou.

Source: The National Registry of Historic Places

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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