Community members gathered on Tuesday, December 2, at Cherokee Park, 67 Cherokee Street, for the dedication of the William Goff/Tamiami Lodge historical marker. The new addition is the latest to Sarasota County’s long-running Historical Marker Program.
Speakers included Sarasota County Commissioner Ron Cutsinger, Libraries and Historical Resources Director Dr. Renee Di Pilato, History Center Manager Dr. Josh Goodman, Sarasota County Historical Commission Chair Dr. Mark Pienkos, and Betty Nugent of the Englewood Museum. Each highlighted the importance of preserving Englewood’s early history and the contributions of the Goff family.
The new marker recognizes one of Englewood’s earliest settlers, William Goff, and the Tamiami Lodge, which welcomed visitors to the area in the early twentieth century. The lodge site and former Goff property were acquired by Sarasota County in 2006 and now operate as Cherokee Street Park. The marker joins more than 80 others installed by the Sarasota County Historical Commission since the 1970s.
Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources and the Historical Commission jointly review and verify historical marker applications before final approval by the Board of County Commissioners. Journalists can learn more about the program at scgov.net.
