The Chidsey Library or Chidsey Building is a historic building located in

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

at 701 North

Tamiami Trail The Tamiami Trail () is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) from State Road 60 (SR 60) in Tampa to US 1 in Miami. A portion of the road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90 (SR 90). The north– ...

. The building was home to the city's first public library from 1941 to 1976.

History

The library's design was done by Martin Studio of Architecture consisting of

Thomas Reed Martin Thomas Reed Martin (born April 28, 1866 in Menasha, Wisconsin - died February 1949) was an architect who was brought to Florida by one of its major developers during the turn of the twentieth century. He designed some 500 residences and vari ...

and Frank C. Martin. The Chidsey Library opened in May 1941 as the City of Sarasota's first public library building. The building was dedicated to John and Ida Chidsey in November 1941 as they made the building possible by helping pay for the majority of the cost for the project which was approximately $25,000, . In 1974,

Sarasota County Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Sarasota– Bradenton, ...

assumed responsibility of all public libraries throughout the county. The building was used as a library until 1976, when library operations moved to Selby Library at 1001 Boulevard of the Arts. At the same time, Sarasota County Historical Resources moved into a portion of the Chidsey Library. The county's Historical Resources fully occupied the Chidsey Building in 1998, when library operations moved to its current location at

Selby Public Library The Selby Public Library was the first library in Sarasota County, Florida and was established in 1907. The current building is the largest public library in Sarasota County and serves the downtown district of Sarasota, Florida. History The Selby ...

References

External links

Sarasota County listings
a
National Register of Historic Places

Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
{{Sarasota, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Sarasota County, Florida Buildings and structures in Sarasota, Florida 1941 establishments in Florida Library buildings completed in 1941 Former library buildings in the United States Museums in Sarasota, Florida Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Works Progress Administration in Florida