Eight cypress beams salvaged from the 1998 demolition of Sarasota's historic Ringling Towers Hotel are being restored for a permanent display at the new Sarasota County History Center.

Ryan Tremblay, owner of Tremblay Wood Art, and fellow wood artist Tim Steller are carefully cleaning and preserving the century-old beams, some weighing as much as 400 pounds. The pieces still bear original paint from the 1920s and will form an indoor pergola at the History Center, expected to open in early 2027, WWSB reported Wednesday, Oct. 14.

"I feel like an archaeologist. I'm working on a big dinosaur bone right now with my little chisel," Steller told the station.

Beams survived demolition of historic Sarasota hotel

The beams once framed the grand lobby of the El Vernona Hotel, built in 1926 by developer Owen Burns at North Tamiami Trail and First Street.

Designed by architect Dwight James Baum, the hotel became one of Sarasota's prominent destinations during the city's early development.

Circus magnate John Ringling acquired the property around 1930, following the 1929 stock market crash, and renamed it the John Ringling Hotel.

The property later became known as John Ringling Towers. After the hotel closed around 1957, it was converted into apartments and reopened in 1964. The building closed again in 1980 and remained vacant until its demolition in June 1998, according to the Library of Congress.

Although the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preservation efforts failed to prevent its demolition.

Supporters had pursued fundraising, studies and a proposal to convert the building into a history center.

Josh Goodman, manager of the Sarasota County History Center, told WWSB that the historic designation did not guarantee protection.

"Being on the National Register doesn't actually slow down demolition of a historic building if the property owner is not actively trying to hang on to it," Goodman said.

Before demolition, crews salvaged photographs, furniture and eight decorative beams. The beams remained in storage for more than two decades.

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, now occupies the former hotel's site.

Wood artists preserve original paint and craftsmanship

Tremblay became involved in the restoration after discussing the Fruitville Library project with Sweet Sparkman Architects.

While reviewing the architectural plans, he noticed a rendering showing the salvaged beams incorporated into an exhibit at the new History Center.

He subsequently joined the restoration project.

Working in Tremblay's Sarasota wood shop, the two artists use handheld rotary tools, brushes and sandpaper to carefully remove accumulated dirt and staining while preserving the original painted surfaces.

"This is the original paint from John Ringling artists in the '20s that we're carefully restoring, hand sanding, hand brushing," Tremblay told WWSB.

The artists plan to seal the remaining paint and install the beams largely as they appeared in the original hotel.

Each beam requires at least three days of work.

Tremblay has completed other large-scale projects in the region, including work at Cornerstone Church in Lakewood Ranch and the renovated Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Steller creates illuminated wood art pieces by hand in his home studio.

Restored beams to become permanent History Center feature

The beams will form an indoor pergola in the main meeting room of the new Sarasota County History Center at 100 Apex Road, near Fruitville Road.

The approximately 30,000-square-foot facility will house genealogy collections, local history exhibits, research areas, digitization labs, meeting rooms and specialized archival storage, according to Sweet Sparkman Architects.

Tandem Construction is the project's contractor.

The History Center is part of a broader project that includes improvements and an expansion of the adjacent Fruitville Library.

The library reopened Thursday, Oct. 15, following nearly 10 months of closure for renovations. The approximately $28 million project includes updated furnishings, expanded public spaces and additional facilities still under construction, Your Observer reported.

Construction of the History Center is continuing, with an opening anticipated in early 2027.

Goodman said the restored beams will serve as a lasting reminder of a landmark that once helped define Sarasota's downtown.

"This will be up permanently. It's a permanent piece of our big meeting room," Goodman told WWSB.