Sunday Favorites: Newtown and Overtown

SARASOTA – Last week we left off with the early establishment of two segregated black communities in the Sarasota area. Overtown and Newtown had a variety of businesses that served African-Americans at a time when they were treated as second-class citizens throughout most of Florida.

Overtown began as "over-town," a slang term meaning next to the downtown area. Overtown was a 20-acre segregated district about five blocks north of downtown Sarasota where most black residents lived and worked. Locals also referred to the district as "Black Bottom" or the "Rosemary District."

Black Americans living in different parts of Florida began migrating to Sarasota because it offered economic opportunity. Sarasota had been established as a tourist destination and there were jobs available in that industry as well as construction jobs – much of Sarasota was built by black laborers. As the Sarasota area grew, other opportunities emerged. The land boom in Florida was not just good for developers; their prosperity tricked down into the black community.

By the 1920s, Overtown was a thriving residential and business district with its hub located on the corner of Central Avenue and present-day Sixth Street. African-American owned restaurants, cafŽs, clubs and a movie theatre populated the area. Because of Jim Crow laws residents were not allowed to shop at white-owned stores, so out of necessity, black businesses began popping up. A fish market, grocery store, blacksmith and many other businesses also offered goods and services to black residents. There was even a baseball park at 501 Lemon Avenue, according to a 1916 city directory.

Overtown's up-and-coming club scene intrigued many famous jazz musicians. However, they often avoided the area for lack of accommodations. In 1926, the first black hotel, the Colson Hotel, opened at 1428 Eighth Street. It was named after Sarasota pioneer Lewis Colson.

The community also provided residential housing for the black population. Most people lived in modest one-story, wood frame houses that featured a front porch. However, the homes were usually owned by white landlords, many of whom did not feel the need to keep up their rental properties.

One of Overtown's most successful businesses was the Hudson-Essex Automotive Dealership. During peak of the land boom, the dealership sold more cars than any other dealership in the country, according to the National Registrar of Historic Places. Other prosperous businesses included Superior Printing Co., Sarasota Ice Cream Co., Community Filling Station, Kluver & Cladin Billiards, Rolfe's Dry Goods and Leader Department Store.

Overtown's close proximity to downtown caused some concern among the white population. As early as 1916, people visiting loved ones in the segregated Rosemary Cemetery complained of having to walk through Overtown to get there. Other white residents voiced safety trepidations. A Sarasota developer picked up on the hostility and opened a four-acre subdivision just north of Sarasota City Limits.

Circus owner Charles N. Thompson and his son Russell said they developed a "new town" not to earn profits but "to provide the Negroes with better places in which to live," according to "Newtown Alive," a local history developed by Vicki Oldham. The area became known as Newtown and boasted 240 lots available for residential homes as well as land for two churches and a school.

In 1925, Booker Grammar School opened. It was the first public school for black students. Up until that time, children were home-schooled or educated at their church. In 1935, a high school was added.

By this time there was less need for a black business district because restaurants and major retailers like J.C. Penny and Sears and Roebuck (both located in downtown Sarasota) began giving limited shopping privileges to African Americans. However, most of the time black residents were served out of the back door at food establishments and were not permitted to try on clothing at retail shops.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the thriving community Overtown was depleted as many families migrated to the newly-founded "Newtown." Historians debate whether the move was political due to pressure from white developers or if it was a preferable scenario for black families because of special financing opportunities implemented and newer cement block housing. In a documentary called "The Triumphant Struggle," local resident Fannie Bacon recalls a new house in Newtown selling for $69 down and $69 per month. For many people it was an opportunity to finally own land and escape the dilapidated housing provided by "slum lords."

The growth of Newtown was also caused by environmental factors. With developments going up all around the Overtown community, there was simply nowhere else for blacks to build in the city. But there were tradeoffs to living in Newtown; for example, unlike Overtown, the streets in the new development were dirt and many homes did not have electricity.

The 1960s brought about the striking down of segregation laws and many families and residents took the opportunity to move to other areas of the city. While Newtown continued to operate as a mostly black community, Overtown was lost to downtown development.

Today Overtown is nothing more than a fond memory or a page in the history book. But the next time you travel down Central Avenue, try to imagine a bustling town with jazz music playing from the windows of a flashy club on a Saturday night.