The Hugh Given House

2024 Six to Save

This modest 750-square-foot residence from 1951 was one of the first houses in the neighborhood of Lido Shores, which was developed in the 1950s and 1960s by Philip Hiss (1910-1988), who stipulated in his sales agreements that clients must build in the “tropical, modern style.” The neighborhood was described in a 1954 HOUSE + HOME article as a “fine and diverse exhibit of Modern American Architecture as any development in the United States” and is today celebrated by enthusiasts of the style.

Hiss was an amateur architect and would frequently provide quick sketches to his clients indicating a possible layout for the site, usually L-shaped around a pool. In this case, Hiss suggested a simple 34 x 22-foot wooden rectangle, with a flat roof, clerestory (high) windows on the street and full-height glass looking out to Pansy Bayou, along with a matching carport. In 1984, architect Don Blivas designed and constructed a 1,700-square-foot addition that respects the vintage property by being made out of the same material, maintaining the same height and creating an open courtyard between the two.

The The Hugh Given House on 238 Morningside Drive is under threat due to “demolition by neglect.” Mr. Blivas passed away in 2023 and the inheritors of this property, who do not live in Sarasota, have not maintained it since. The City of Sarasota has posted multiple code violation notices that have not been addressed by the homeowners. The carport is visibly falling apart and flooding damage after Hurricanes Helene and Milton has not been mitigated.