Ringling Circus Brother Built This Newly Listed Florida House in 1918 Complete With a Speakeasy
Alfred Ringling commissioned the Sarasota house, now listed for $2.5 million, solely for entertaining and hosting guests.
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A Sarasota, Florida, home built for one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus is now up for sale, asking nearly $2.5 million.
The Gulf Coast home was built in 1918 for Alfred Ringling and his family as their “entertaining house,” according to listing agent Ryan Ackerman of Coldwell Banker Realty. A grander home where the family actually resided was built next door. Alfred Ringling, however, died in 1919 before he got to enjoy the property.
Because the home was built solely for entertaining and hosting guests, its main living space, designed as a ballroom, has 20-foot ceilings, and large bedrooms were built on the ground floor of the home. There’s also one very period-specific detail.
“The home was built during the Prohibition era, so there’s an area that was a speakeasy,” said Ackerman, who brought the home to the market in mid-March.
The speakeasy room is upstairs, with a slanted ceiling and a sink. It’s currently used as an art studio, though it could serve any function that’s needed by the next owners, whether that’s a home office or an additional bedroom.
There are many other original details, including the pine floors, baseboards and windows with hand-poured antique glass that open by a pulley system. There’s also original picture rails throughout, and the home’s paneled walls were made with the siding from the Ringling family’s train cars.
“All of the owners who have owned this home since Alfred Ringling have really kept true to the home in terms of its bones,” Ackerman said.
The home last traded hands in 2022, when Michele Vandendooren, founder of eye care company Low Vision Works, bought it for $1.6 million, according to records on PropertyShark.
Vandendooren said she felt a responsibility to preserve the historic home. “I see myself as a caretaker. It’s a home that deserves to be protected and loved,” she said in an email.
She “gently” modernized the home where needed, redoing the pool area and decking as well as the entire kitchen area, which includes the laundry room and a coffee bar, Ackerman said.
Located steps from the Sarasota Bay, the 4,782-square-foot home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one partial bathroom . There’s a detached two-car garage, and the pool area also has a hot tub and a fire pit.
Alfred Ringling was the middle of seven brothers, though only five were involved with the circus, founded as the Ringling Bros. World’s Greatest Shows in 1884.
In 1919, the Ringling brothers acquired P.T. Barnum and James Anthony Bailey’s circus to become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which closed in 2017. The circus relaunched in 2023 without animal acts.
While the first iteration of the Ringling Brothers Circus was founded in Wisconsin, brothers John and Charles moved it to Sarasota. In the 1920s, John Ringling had an extravagant mansion built as his family’s winter retreat, known as Cà d’Zan.
It’s now a historical site that’s open to the public and is part of the Ringling Cultural Center, which also includes an art museum and a circus museum and is located just 2 miles south of Alfred Ringling’s home.
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Mirvac’s 45-level Trielle has topped out at Yarra’s Edge, pairing riverfront apartments with wellness facilities, private dining and resident services.
3 min
Mirvac has topped out Trielle at Melbourne’s Yarra’s Edge, with more than 70 per cent of the riverfront development sold and approximately 80 per cent of purchasers intending to make their apartment a home.
The figures, released on September 22, point to an owner-occupier audience for one of the precinct’s final residential towers. Mirvac began developing Yarra’s Edge in 2003, and its latest addition occupies one of the remaining absolute riverfront sites.
Mirvac CEO of Development Stuart Penklis said existing residents were among those moving up within the neighbourhood.
“Many purchasers already have a connection to Yarra’s Edge,” Mr Penklis said, describing buyers whose changing needs were encouraging an upgrade within the precinct.
“As one of the final residential towers within Yarra’s Edge, Trielle represents the culmination of more than two decades of creating one of Melbourne’s most established and sought-after waterfront communities,” Penklis said.
“Positioned on the Collins Street axis with absolute river frontage, Trielle offers residents a rare opportunity to enjoy sweeping views across the Yarra River, Melbourne skyline and Port Phillip Bay, while remaining seamlessly connected to the CBD. With Trielle now more than 70 per cent sold, we’re continuing to see strong demand from buyers seeking quality homes in established locations.”
The developer also flagged a penthouse and sub-penthouse collection with larger layouts, premium finishes and broad outlooks. The planned wellness centrepiece, The Oasis, encompasses a 900-square-metre elevated urban rainforest.
Mirvac General Manager Residential Development Victoria Elysa Anderson said Trielle had resonated strongly with buyers seeking a rare lifestyle offering in Melbourne.
“Opportunities to secure a new luxury residence on a riverfront site of this calibre are incredibly rare, particularly within a community like Yarra’s Edge,” Anderson said.
“What makes Trielle unique is the combination of exceptional views, world-class residential facilities and the lifestyle that already exists around it. Residents are buying into a mature waterfront community with parks, promenades, dining, wellness and strong community connections already in place.”
The 45-level tower brings a substantial new presence to that waterfront. Its residential offering spans one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, with Signature, Prestige and Sub-Penthouse collections accommodating different household sizes. The north-facing position connects the apartments visually to the river and city beyond.
Seven storeys above the promenade, the planned Oasis combines planting and a running stream with a Scandinavian-inspired wellness club developed with spa specialist Naomi Gregory. Facilities include a 25-metre lap pool, hot magnesium pool, sauna, hydrotherapy, a gym, yoga and Pilates room, and treatment spaces.
The amenity extends beyond exercise. Residents will have access to The Biblioteca library and workspaces, ground-floor work pods, and The Salone piano lounge. A private Chef’s Table dining room offers a setting for larger gatherings, while a cinema, games room and sports lounge broaden the entertaining options. Concierge services and a dog-wash area support everyday routines.
Trielle comprises a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences. Reflecting strong demand from owner occupiers, approximately 80 per cent of purchasers to date intend to live in their homes, highlighting the project’s appeal to those seeking a long-term waterfront lifestyle.
Mirvac has recently delivered The Albertine, a premium apartment development on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, and is nearing completion of Prince & Parade in Brunswick, further strengthening its portfolio of thoughtfully designed apartment communities in some of Melbourne’s most sought-after urban locations.
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