Homeowners and Construction Contractor Honored at Sarasota County Heritage Awards for Restoration of Cottage at Point of Rocks
SARASOTA, Fla. – The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation announced their annual Sarasota County Heritage Awards over the weekend. The restoration of Cottage at Point of Rocks, restored by Ramate Construction, earned one of only four awards.
The Heritage Awards celebrate the best historic preservation projects in Sarasota County.
The homeowners retained Ramate Construction as the design/build contractor on this important project. The original plan for the cottage was to replace roofing materials and restore or replace some rotted exterior wood siding. From there, seek historic designation.
Repair to Restoration of Cottage at Point of Rocks
The relatively simple repair evolved into a full-scale restoration as the construction team found serious structural problems. First, many of the rafters had decayed and had to be replaced or strengthened. In addition, the degraded portions of the structure extended beyond the wood siding to the exterior walls. Then, as the construction team disassembled the cottage to repair and restore it, they found that it had been cobbled together. This had not been done with building materials. Instead, bits and pieces of lumber that had been available during the original construction in about 1935.
“Thanks to the homeowners, the Cottage continues to convey a strong sense of what Point of Rocks was like 50 to 70 years ago,” said Ramsey Frangie, owner of Ramate Construction. “There are few of these structures left that preserve that sense. The owners had to make the difficult decision to continue with a restoration that was considerably beyond their original plans. Their neighborhood and community are fortunate that they decided to proceed.”
Meeting the Historical Standards
The unexpected extensiveness of the restoration and the coronavirus pandemic created a perfect storm. As a result, the timeline and process of applying for historical designation were interrupted. The homeowners, Frangie, and Lorrie Muldowney of Creative Preservation met with the Sarasota County Historic Preservation (HP) staff several times over the course of the project to ensure the restoration work would meet the required standards.
Although there was no formal relationship between the County HP department and the project, everyone involved understood the importance of the restoration and the cottage’s potential designation.
In an unusual occurrence, the historic designation application was submitted prior to the completion of the restoration. However, after a thorough review by both County HP staff and HP board members, the designation was granted.
The restoration started in the summer of 2019. It was completed in February 2022. The extended legnth of time was due to permitting delays and the pandemic
Nominations for the Gregory A. and Eleana Najmy Hall Adaptive Use and Historic Preservation Awards are judged for their success in the areas of rehabilitation, restoration, or adaptive use of a historic building in Sarasota County. In addition to the impact of the project on the community. Nominated projects must be completed in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation.
About Ramate Construction
Since 1994, attention to detail and solid client relationships have earned Ramate Construction a reputation as one of the top custom builders in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. We provide design and build services for residential and commercial properties — from new build construction, refurbishments, and interiors to restorations.
Most importantly, we seek to add significant value at all times, delivering projects to the highest standards with the most cost-effective methods, at no compromise to our clients’ needs. Through our sister companies Helical Foundations and Helical Seawalls, we provide nearly every new build, replacement, and restoration services our clients require. www.RamateConstruction.com