Historic Spanish Point

Osprey, Florida: This thirty acre peninsula on the edge of Little Sarasota Bay has been home to humans for over 5,000 years. From early prehistoric natives in 3000 B.C. to the wealthy Palmer family in the 1900’s, much of their way of life has be preserved in this living museum.

Through careful excavation of the middens on the property, it has been determined that life on the point dates back to around 3000 B.C. The site was occupied prehistoric natives from the Late Archaic period through the Late Woodland period. Excavations indicated that the prehistoric natives lived on the land until around AD 1100.

The point remained vacant until 1867 when John Webb moved his family here from New York. Webb learned of the area from a Spanish trader he met in Key West. IN honor of the trader, Webb named the land Spanish Point. They began to grow citrus and built a packing house to shop the fruit to markets in Cedar Key and Key West.

The Webb family marketed Spanish Point as a getaway from the cold weather of the north. In 1885, they opened the Webb’s Winter Resort, which was the first resort in the area. This was the beginnings of seasonal residents that are the staple of Florida travel today.

Spanish Point continued to develop into the late 1880’s. In 1881, a post office was requested. At this time, the Postal Service indicated that they could not use the name Spanish Point, so Webb had to come up with a one word name for the area. Then result was the present day name of Osprey, Florida.

By the 1900’s the family decided to sell parcels of Spanish Point. In 1910, Bertha Palmer purchased thousands of acres in Sarasota County, including Spanish Point. She intended to use the land for cattle, citrus groves and development. Spanish Point was part of the 350 acres she sought for her estate.

Palmer added her touch to Spanish Point and transformed the Pioneer’s homestead into her “Osprey Point” estate. She added lovely gardens throughout the property while continuing to preserve the history of the Webb family.

Bertha Palmer passed away in 1918 and the estate was taken care of by her family. In 1959, her grandson endorsed the excavation of the site by archeologists. Then in 1976, family members lobbied for the site to be added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming Sarasota County’s first entry on the list.

The Palmer Family donated Spanish Point to the Gulf Coast Heritage Association in 1980. Today the site can be toured and guests can take a look back into what life was like. The current historical preservation consists of several original and reconstructed buildings and gardens. The tour consist of:

• Visitor’s Center; housed in the old Osprey School built in the 1920’s, contains the starting point for the tour and an informative video.
• Burial Mound; remains of prehistoric natives from 300 A.D to 1000 A.D.
• Duchene Lawn &Classic Portal; Palmer’s formal lawn with a classic portal.
• Lychee Field; site of Gordon Palmer’s nursery in the 1950’s.
• Butterfly Garden
• Fern Walk
• Guptill House; home of Frank and Lizzie Webb Guptill built in 1901.
• Pioneer Boatyard
• Archaic Midden; oldest on property, dates back to 3,000 B.C.
• Jungle Walk & Aqueduct
• Cock’s Footbridge; built over Webb’s Cove in 1890’s, connected the north and south ends of the property.
• Lizzie G; replica of 1890’s sailboat.
• Point Cottage; built in 1931 by Potter Palmer III.
• A Window to the Past; museum inside a Midden showing the excavation process, the layers of the Midden and what is found during the process.
• Shell Ridge Midden
• Sunken Garden and Pergola; formal garden built by Palmer between 1912-1915.
• White Cottage; built in 1884 by Webb and became the Webb’s Winter Resort.
• Webb Packing House; reconstruction of the citrus packing house used by Webb for prepping fruits for transport to market.
• Magic; replica of Webb’s sailboard used to entertain guests of the resort.
• Mary’s Chapel; reconstruction of the chapel named for Mary Sherrill, contains stained glass from the original building.
• Pioneer Cemetery; final resting place for the Webb family and other area residents.
• Palmer Water Garden; added to estate in 1910-1918, contains native ferns, plants and trees.

Historic Spanish Point offers guided tours, educational programs and special events throughout the year that enhance will your experience.

For more photos, click the photo above or visit my Historic Spanish Point photo page.