With dozens of restaurants, award-winning golf courses, tennis courts, and plenty of shopping to keep everyone happy, Anna Maria Island is the perfect place to call home. With gorgeous weather almost every day, you’ll enjoy breathtaking sunsets while sipping pina coladas on the oceanfront deck at any of the many restaurants Anna Maria Island has to offer. Perfect your swing on one of the dozens of perfectly manicured golf courses on and around Anna Maria Island. Or,get out on the water! Take a charter boat out for a day of deep-sea fishing or stand on the docks and try your luck a little closer to home. Rent a jet ski and head out for some carefree fun. The water is clear and the sand is sparkling white.
There’s plenty of unique, quaint shopping on Anna Maria Island. From beach-side boutiques to high-end shops, you’ll find everything you need to enjoy island living. You will learn to relax and enjoy your life as it comes; one gorgeous oceanfront sunset at a time!
Table of Contents
| Anna Maria Island Homes For Sale | History of Anna Maria Island | Map of Anna Maria Island |
| Market Statistics | Photos | Resources |
Anna Maria Island Homes For Sale
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Map of Anna Maria Island
Market Statistics
Photos
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History of Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria has the distinction of being the first Anna Maria Island city where settlers established homes. The first homesteader on the entire island was George Emerson Bean, a world traveler from Connecticut. He built his home near the present location of the Rod and Reel Pier in 1893 and homesteaded 140 acres, from the North Point (Bean Point) to what is now Magnolia Avenue, where the Island Community Center is located. His son, George W. Bean, became the first land developer and with John Roser formed the Anna Maria Beach Company. Streets and sidewalks were aid out; homes, businesses and a water system were built.
The Anna Maria Island Historical Society, formed in 1990, operates the Island Historical Museum at 402 Pine Avenue, adjacent to the Old City Jail. The museum was originally built as an ice house in 1920 and the jail was built in 1927. It was really used to detain Islanders who got too rowdy. It was open air and the mosquitoes almost carried them off. The Old City Jail is now a popular landmark and a favorite subject for photographers. This depiction is by local artist Joan Voyles.
In 1911, before there was a bridge, a dock was constructed into Tampa Bay at the end of Pine Avenue. Excursion boats made daily trips, docking at the pier bringing supplies and visitors to the island.
In 1913, John Roser built the first church on Anna Maria Island on Pine Avenue. The lighted cross on the steeple of Roser Memorial Community Church was a beacon for fishermen. Captain Mitch Davis, the first mayor of Anna Maria City, was elected in 1925, just after the city was incorporated. Following the incorporation, electricity was brought to the island.
The first school was built on Magnolia Avenue in 1930, where the Island Community Center stands today. The Island Players Theater, at the Gulf end of Pine Avenue, was a home in the farming community of Parrish before it was floated down the Manatee River in two sections on barges.
Transportation on the island was by horse and wagon until Cortez Bridge was built in 1921. The rickety, wooden bridge was replaced by a modern concrete structure in 1957. Another bridge was built at the same time in Holmes Beach linking the island to Bradenton. The mail was brought from the mainland in the early 30’s by a colorful character, Harry “Uncle Sam” Ditmas.
Resources
