Thank you, Sarasota Magazine, for detailing the distinctive charm and history of The Pearsall House at 1905 Alta Vista Street. This remarkable home blends historical significance and original details like plaster molding, a wood burning fireplace and more with thoughtful renovations that expand the space for modern luxury living. Beyond the exquisite interior, there are numerous curated living spaces outside, including a covered patio and a marble-tiled terrace that extends directly from the designer kitchen for idyllic al fresco dining. This property is deserving of its attention in the press, both for its distinguished features and Avondale placement and for its notable provenance. Named for early Sarasota socialites William and Bessie Pearsall, the property is attributed to Thomas Reed Martin, the architect credited with Burns Court and other notable homes and buildings in the region.
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Sarasota’s Historic Pearsall House Lists for Just Under $4 Million
Not far from the new boxy high-rises elbowing their way into Sarasota’s skyline and nearby streets where hulking sugar-cube houses compete for square footage and a sterile brand of cool, the Pearsall House stands as a counter-argument.
At 1905 Alta Vista St. in Avondale, a cream stucco Mediterranean Revival house sits behind a brick walk, clipped landscaping and red-tile rooflines that still carry the silhouette of the 1920s. The house is known as the Pearsall House, after William and Bessie Pearsall, who bought the property in late 1925 during Sarasota’s land-boom years. It’s locally designated as historic and has long been attributed to Thomas Reed Martin, one of Sarasota’s most important boom-era architects, whose Mediterranean Revival work—including Burns Court—helped shape the city’s early architectural identity. The home is on the market for $3,975,000.
The Avondale neighborhood was replatted in 1924 with larger lots, wider streets and new infrastructure as it was repositioned as a more upscale suburban development West of the Trail. In that context, the Pearsall House is an expression of the architectural language that helped define Sarasota in the boom era. But the house isn’t stuck there. Hidden solar panels on the roof bring contemporary efficiency to a 1925 silhouette without altering what makes it recognizable.
The current owners, Kimberly and Bruce Peterson, didn’t come to the house casually. “We’re kind of like architecture junkies,” Kimberly says. Before moving here, they lived in Lido Shores, known for architecturally significant homes like this one. Bruce says they had long admired Mediterranean Revival houses. “We’ve always loved Spanish colonial revival houses,” he says. “We’d often admired them, but we’d never lived in one.”
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