ARCHITECTURALHistory
COMMUNITY
Left: The Ringling Estate. Top: Peter Paul Rubens' works in Ringling Collection.
Below: John Ringling in front of his beloved estate.
The Ringmaster's Legacy
By Barry Stein
O
n May 31, 1866, a boy was born in McGregor,
Iowa, who would someday grow to be larger
than life. John Nicholas Ringling made a
profound impact on the world with his
"Greatest Show on Earth." It's fitting that his influence
on his beloved adopted hometown of Sarasota would be
just as impressive. Since the 1920s and for generations
that followed, circus fans, real estate investors, artists,
performers, students and tourists have been drawn to
Sarasota, Florida, thanks to John Ringling.
Maybe it was how Ringling started out as a clown that
drove his need to be taken seriously. Perhaps it was his
appetite for the sensational that would present his larger
than life vision. Simply put, he was one of the world's great
visionaries and showmen, who saw what others had done
and how he could do it better.
In 1901, Sarasota officially came to life with the
establishment of a post office and electricity lit the town for
the first time. While the east coast of Florida was booming
with resorts, this picturesque west coast region south of
Tampa remained relatively quiet and undeveloped. As
others looked to the east coast, Ringling looked west.
Typical of Ringling's nature, he saw what others did not
and set out to make Sarasota uniquely his own.
In the winter of 1907, the Ringling circus purchased the
Barnum & Baily show, becoming the largest circus in the
62 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE
