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Terra Ceia Island homes in old Florida paradise south of Tampa Bay | Market Snapshot

Rich in natural beauty and history, Terra Ceia Island occupies the northwest corner of Manatee County, just south of I-275 and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The origin of its name is unclear. Some believe old Spanish cartographers labeled it “Land of Rosia,” referring to a Cuban fishing ranchero there. More recent explanations suggest that it is a misspelling of “terra cielo” (heavenly land) or “terra ceja” (land’s summit).

More than two-thirds of the island is a nature preserve. The rest consists of small farms and groves, and single-family homes. To get to the residential portion, west of State Road 19, turn left at the Marathon gas station onto Bayshore Drive.

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After a small sign – Welcome to Terra Ceia Island Historic Area – you’ll enter a charming, quaint, old Florida world, rife with lush, tropical greenery and homes both inland and along the shore.

The first known inhabitants of Terra Ceia Island were the Timucuan. Some of their shell mounds still exist.

Terra Ceia’s historic schoolhouse, built in 1894, on Center Road is now the Village Improvement Association Hall.
Terra Ceia’s historic schoolhouse, built in 1894, on Center Road is now the Village Improvement Association Hall.

In 1539, the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto camped with his men on the island for six weeks before exploring northern Florida. By the late 1700s, Cuban and Spanish fishermen came for seasonal fishing.

The first permanent settlers arrived on Terra Ceia Island in 1843. Joseph and Julia Atzeroth, originally from Bavaria, Germany, built a small log cabin and applied to homestead 160 acres.

As other families joined them, a thriving commercial district developed close to shore with stores and loading docks. In the decade after 1891, a post office, a bank, and a one-room schoolhouse opened. In 1901 one of Florida’s first women’s clubs organized as the Terra Ceia Village Improvement Association.

By the end of the century, there were more than 120 households. Most grew citrus, vegetables, and flowers. Terra Ceia’s produce became known throughout the world. Asters from the island were used in President William Taft’s 1909 inaugural parade.

When a storm surge flooded Terra Ceia in 1926, the salt water destroyed most of the agricultural fields. Then, the railroad closed its depot, and the Great Depression caused the bank to fail. For many years, the island was home to a few hardy families that chose to remain.

This six-bedroom home at 500 Bayshore Drive on Terra Ceia Island with a private dock on 2.08 acres is for sale. Asking price for the 6,350-square-foot home is $3.5 million.
This six-bedroom home at 500 Bayshore Drive on Terra Ceia Island with a private dock on 2.08 acres is for sale. Asking price for the 6,350-square-foot home is $3.5 million.

Today, the residential community of Terra Ceia features houses going back to the late 1800s, 1920s and ensuing decades, as well as recently built homes and brand-new construction. Large lots, most of them at least an acre, provide a sense of openness. Architecture varies, too, from Mediterranean style, to Key West, to Florida beach modern.

Many homes have two and three stories, with the upper floors for living quarters atop garages and storage spaces, in case of flooding.

“It’s a quiet community with lots of privacy,” said Cheryl Roberts, a realtor with Michael Saunders & Company. “There are no mail boxes by the homes. Everybody goes to get their mail at the post office, which is housed in the old bank building.”

The favorite means of getting around the island is golf carts. “You can see dogs riding on the carts,” she said. “At Christmas time, there is a golf cart parade.”

Roberts has a listing at 400 Bayshore Drive. The five-bed, four-bath, Key West-style home has two stories and 4,181 square feet of living space. Open front porches run the full length of the first and second floor. The asking price in $2.25 million.

This Terra Ceia Island home at 400 Bayshore Drive is full of old Florida charm and has a private dock area. It has five bedrooms, four baths, and is 4,181 square feet on a 0.77-acre lot with an asking price of $2.25 million.
This Terra Ceia Island home at 400 Bayshore Drive is full of old Florida charm and has a private dock area. It has five bedrooms, four baths, and is 4,181 square feet on a 0.77-acre lot with an asking price of $2.25 million.

The owner, Phil Fleming, who lives there with his wife Patty, has strong historical roots in Terra Ceia. His grandfather arrived in 1880 and owned a store and a long dock where steamboats loaded vegetables to take to the mainland before a railway arrived in the 1910s.

Fleming grew up on the island, fishing in canals and the surrounding bays. “When my dad moved to this property in 1953, it was woodland,” he remembered. “He built our house and had an old beach shack floated over here by barge from Anna Maria Island. He also started a small farm out back, where he grew tomatoes and sweet onions and planted the first peach trees in Florida.”

In 2008, Fleming tore down the family home and built the current house. He added a swimming pool in 2014 and constructed a dock across the road that reaches far out into Terra Ceia Bay. The old beach shack became his “man cave.” It has a full kitchen and bathroom and can be used as a guest cottage.

There is no HOA on the island, except in two small, newer enclaves. But the Terra Ceia Village Improvement Association has a private park with two pavilions, a playground and a boat ramp. Residents can enjoy its use it for an annual fee of $250. “We have parties and anniversaries there, and hold fundraisers to improve the island and the park,” said Fleming.

This four-bedroom, three-bath waterfront home at 1610 Bayshore Drive on Terra Ceia Island has an elevator. It is 4,200 square feet on a 1.07-acre lot and the asking price is $2.55 million.
This four-bedroom, three-bath waterfront home at 1610 Bayshore Drive on Terra Ceia Island has an elevator. It is 4,200 square feet on a 1.07-acre lot and the asking price is $2.55 million.

Residents include retirees, empty nesters and families with children. The district schools, Palm View (a K-8) and Palmetto High are within 2.5 miles. Buffalo Creek Middle School is about a 6-mile drive from the gateway to the community.

“In the last decade, a lot of younger people have moved here from St. Pete,” said Fleming. “There has been more building, too, but we’ve managed to keep big development – condos and high rises – out so far and preserve the island’s special character.”

Currently, there are eight homes for sale on Terra Ceia Island, including Roberts’ listing. They feature two to six bedrooms and range in asking price from $1,099,000 to $3.5 million.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Real estate: History runs deep in North Manatee waterfront community