- April 23, 2024
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Friends of Sarasota County Parks board member Roxanne Williamson and Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Director Carolyn Brown peak inside the Phillippi farm house. The first residence on the property, the structure is in the process of being restored.
Betsy and Mike Calhoun read on of the informational signs posted along walkways at Phillippi Park. The signs were posted as part of the 100th anniversary celebration.
Pamphlets explaining a brief history of the estate were placed on the chairs during the Phillippi Estate's 100th birthday celebration.
New College Professor of Archeology Uzi Baram laughs with New College students before the program began on Saturday. Baram led archeological digs on the site in January and spoke to attendees about the importance of preserving its history.
Oriana Reilly, Ximena Pedroza, Rachel Ceciro, Donnella Aldrich, McKenzie Cameron and Haiwen Yu show off their red clown noses. The noses were left over from the debut of the Circus! photo exhibit, which opened in the Edson Keith Manson on Friday night.
Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Director Carolyn Brown addresses attendees of Phillippi Estate's centennial celebration.
Sarasota County Commissioner Alan Maio attended the ceremony and spoke about the importance of parks to Sarasota County.
Oriana Reilly pulled a sheet of one of the informational signs posted around the property for the ceremonial unveiling of the placards.
George Luer, Commission Alan Maio, Parks Director Carolyn Brown, Sarasota County Manager of Historical Resources Robert Bendus and New College Professor Uzi Baram clap after the ceremonial unveiling of the historical signs.
Haiwen Yu explains the history of the Sarasota's indigenous people to attendees of Phillippi Estate's 100th anniversary. Haiwen, along with five other New College students attended the event to offer historical explanations to attendees.
The event also featured photographs from Sarasota's circus past in the Edson Keith Mansion.
Audre Godanowski looks at photos from the backlots Ringling Circus. Part-time Siesta Key resident Elizabeth Siegfried found the photos in a box while cleaning out her family's cabin. The photos were taken by Siegfried's grandmother Elizabeth Chapin.
Mary Ann David and Gracie Lamphere enjoyed the photos featured in the Circus! photo exhibit during the Phillippi Estate's centennial celebration.
Finn McBaine, 1, poses with one of the clown noses left over from the exhibit's debut the night before.
Reenactor Catherine Chesley plays the part of May Hanson Prodie, the second owner of the Phillippi Estate. Prodie died in 1986 and Sarasota County purchased the 60-acre estate soon after.
One hundred years seems like a significant amount of time to most people, but to New College Professor of Archeology Uzi Baram, 100 years seems like an instant.
Baram spoke on the historical significance of the Phillippi Estate during its 100th anniversary celebration on Saturday morning. Although, the event marked the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Edson Keith Mansion, Baram's address focused on the people that had called Sarasota home long before Keith laid the foundations for his historic residence.
In January of this year Baram lead an archeological dig on the site to explore a layer of shells underneath the soil, left over from Sarasota's indigenous people. Using the information learned during the dig and historical archives Baram worked with Sarasota County to install a series of signs on the property explaining the history of the property to park visitors.
"I want the next generation to have a greater opportunity to learn about the places they are at," Baram told eventgoers. "They are meant to educate the public about the land beneath their feet."
Baram was accompanied by six New College students who provided further explanation for attendees. After his address, New College student Oriana Reilly pulled off a sheet on one of the signs, symbolizing the next generation's stake in historic properties like the Phillippi Estate.
Baram said that he hopes the future generations will continue to benefit from the property, both because of its historical significance an the lessons Baram hopes they will learn from their common origins.
"It's potential is still growing, hopefully confront the xenophobia and racism that should not be our future," Baram said. "History becomes the social glue that keeps diverse communities together."
