Historical Marker to be Dedicated at Riverview High

The Sarasota County Historical Commission will recognize  with the dedication of a new historical marker at the school at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4.

According to a county news release, the marker will recognize the historical significance of the original Riverview High School, which opened in 1958 and was designed by noted architect Paul Rudolph.

The original Riverview High School consisted of modern steel and glass structures set among tall native pines in one of Sarasota’s then developing suburbs, the release said. With its distinctive design, the school helped define a sense of community in this neighborhood during its 50 years of existence.

Rudolph left Sarasota in 1957, the same year that he designed Riverview High School, to accept an appointment to lead the architecture school at Yale University, according to the county. 

The historical marker for Riverview High School was requested and funded by the Sarasota County School Board and school district administration. The marker text was prepared by architect and Rudolph scholar Joseph King. The original structures that comprised Riverview High School, much altered over time, were demolished in 2009 to make way for the remodeled school.

“This marker for the original Riverview High School is particularly significant as it is the first historical marker dedicated for a post World War II architectural resource,” said Lorrie Muldowney, historic preservation specialist with the Sarasota County History Center. “Rudolph influenced many of his younger colleagues in Sarasota, a remarkable group of designers that collectively became known as the Sarasota School of Architecture.”

Members of the Sarasota County Historical Commission will dedicate the marker along with representatives of Sarasota County government and the Sarasota County School Board. The marker dedication is open to the public.  

If you go:

When: Oct. 4, 9 a.m.

Where: Riverview High, 1 Ram Way