Cottage in one of the oldest sections of Venice may be added to local historical register
VENICE – The Venice City Council will consider an application to place the structure at 721 Myrtle Ave. – known as Edgewood Cottage or Myrtle Cottage, on the city’s local register of historical resources. The cottage was built in 1930 and restored in 2021.
The two-bedroom, two-bath wood cottage with a tin roof is already listed as contributing structure to both the Edgewood Historic District and the John Nolen Plan of Venice National Historic District.
The council meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in chambers at Venice City Hall, 401. W. Venice Ave.
Here’s what you need to know about the John Nolen Plan, the Edgewood District and the cottage.
Historic John Nolen plan
Dr. Fred Albee hired landscape artist and planner John Nolen to design Bayshore Estates in Nokomis, as well as a community on land purchased in 1925 by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers that would become the city of Venice.
The BLE retained Nolen to continue that vision of a walkable mixed-use community.
Though the city is best known for the Mediterranean Revival homes on what is now known as the island of Venice, some of the earliest homes were built in Edgewood, envisioned as a lower and moderate income neighborhood.
The Edgewood Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Houses in the Groveland area date back to 1925 and are built on 50-foot lots, as platted by Nolen as part of his Venice master plan.
Edgewood is generally located along several blocks on either side of Groveland Avenue, east of the U.S. 41 Bypass.
The Nolen Plan itself was placed on the National Register in 2010.
Edgewood Cottage
Edgewood Cottage was built in 1930 and is considered an example of the frame vernacular style and representative of the style of affordable housing in Nolen’s concept plan.
Perry and Stephanie Granat purchased and restored the cottage in 2021.
In July , the Historic and Architectural Preservation Board recommended that it be placed on the city’s historical register.
In June, the city was notified by the National Park Service that it has officially been certified and accepted into the Certified Local Government program – which recognizes counties and municipalities for achieving certain standards in historic preservaton.
Because of that status, the city has access to technical assistance, training, and grant funds from the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice council to rule on cottage application for historical register
