Featured Article: The Santa Rosa Hotel

The Santa Rosa Hotel: Echoes of Elegance & Change in Sebring

509 North Ridgewood Drive, Sebring was once the address of a hotel that saw dreams, visitors, storms, ambitions, and now just a memory.

A Bright Beginning (1923–1926)

In the early 1920s, Sebring was in its boom years. Florida was calling to visionaries, land speculators, tourists; communities were building fast. In that moment of optimism, prominent local businessman Aaron Withers commissioned the building of the Santa Rosa Hotel. 

It opened in 1924 as a two-story, 30-room hotel meant for travelers with short stays and businessmen wanting proximity to downtown. It was built at a cost of about $75,000 which at the time was respectable sum at the time.

Just two years later, in 1926, as Sebring’s population grew and demand rose, the hotel underwent expansion: a third story was added. This addition was as much about meeting lodging demand as it was a symbol of confidence in Sebring’s future.

Architecturally, the Santa Rosa reflected styles of its era. The Masonry Vernacular framework provided sturdy, simple structure, while touches of Mediterranean Revival added a flourish, stucco, arches, shaded porches, elements well suited to Florida’s climate and aesthetic mood of the times.

Life, Guests, and Community

In its early decades, the Santa Rosa was more than simply a place to sleep. It was a crossroads: of people passing through Sebring, of locals meeting for meals in its restaurant, of small business deals, vacations, and the comings-and-goings that give a town its character.

Though much of its daily story isn’t documented in grand headlines, the rooms, lobby, and dining areas must have carried laughter and footsteps, the aroma of morning coffee, the rustle of newspapers. Families might have stayed during racing events or fairs. Business travelers stopping on their way to other Florida destinations.

Renovation and Adaptation (1988)

By the late twentieth century, the hotel, like many historic buildings, needed care. In 1988, Jan and Don Bowden bought the Santa Rosa and undertook major renovation. The interior was gutted and reimagined. After the renovation, the hotel reopened with 21 single and double rooms, four suites, and a formal dining room. 

This revival was not just structural, it was a reaffirmation of the hotel’s place in Sebring’s identity. For a while, it again welcomed guests, provided a local gathering place, and stood as one of the oldest commercial buildings still serving the downtown. 

Storms, Vacancy, and Threats

Nature and time, however, took their toll. In 2004, multiple hurricanes damaged the building. After that, keeping the hotel open became increasingly difficult.

Since then, the Santa Rosa has remained largely vacant. Various plans to convert it into apartments have come and gone, but none fully materialized. 

Recognition came in 2017 when the hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation acknowledged the Santa Rosa as a representative of mid-1920s tourist hotels built during Florida’s land boom, and one of Sebring’s oldest surviving commercial buildings. 

As of 2024, there was a contract to demolish the building, with an estimated demolition cost. This sparked community concern and debate over what should happen to this relic. However, despite the concerns, the Santa Rosa Hotel was demolished.

Interested in learning more about the Santa Rosa: Stop by the Sebring Historical Society to find:

1. Historic photos

   • Early 1920s/30s of the Santa Rosa exterior and lobby

   • Expansion phase (third floor addition)

   • Mid-20th century guests, restaurant/mingling

   • The 1988 renovation: before-and-after shots

   • Post-2004 hurricane damage

2. Contemporary images

   • Current exterior showing condition

   • Architectural details (fascia, window frames, decorative elements)

   • Interior (if accessible) showing deterioration or preserved elements