Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. 9 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1944.
“The Blalock House is a historic home in Venice, Florida, United States. It is located at 241 South Harbor Drive.”
Wikipedia article Blalock House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 103 National Register listings published here for Sarasota County · listed in 1989 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
The ground this property stands on, surveyed 44 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 122 fires within 5 miles of Blalock House between 1992 and 2020, burning about 872 acres in total. 45 started naturally. 7 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 45 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 23 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 16 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 11 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 7 |
| Debris and open burning | 6 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 3 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2001 | Natural | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 5 September 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 10 acres | Florida Forest Service | I75 MM192 (58) |
| 12 September 1997 | Natural | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 11 September 1998 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 9 August 2020 | Natural | 7.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | RANCH RD 2 (58) |
| 4 August 2009 | Natural | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | 58-KILPATRICK FIRE-0465 |
| 2 August 1992 | Natural | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 16 August 1996 | Natural | 5.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Blalock House: 5 producers, 1 past producer, 1 unknown. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Calcium, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sand. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deans Contracting - Section 35 Mine | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| Dot Sarasota - Cow Pen Slough Mine | Sand | Unknown | Sand | |
| Everglades Estates Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Everglades Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Laurel Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Laurel Pit Fla. Truck. & Excava. | Calcium | Producer | ||
| Rigby Pit | Calcium | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Venice, the town this property stands in, in 44 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 14 thunderstorm wind, 10 lightning, 7 tornado, 5 hail. The reports record 1 death and 8 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | 1 killed, $30,000 | A 77 year-old male died from the combined effects of a heart attack and hypothermia when his 21 foot fishing boat was overturned by two estimated 18-20 foot waves, approximately 10 miles southwest of Venice, Florida. The sudden and large waves were generated by estimated winds of 25 to 40 mph from a fast-moving cold front that extended from the Eastern Gulf of Mexico northeast across West Central Florida. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | 5 hurt, $10,000 | Video and eye witness reports suggested a wet microburst dropped near downtown Venice and produced light damage to 15 mobile homes in the Bay Indies and Ridgewood subdivisions, mostly to car ports and roofs. However, the winds blew out windows, caused five injuries, and sent patrons diving for cover under tables at a restaurant on the 500 block of East Venice Avenue. The Venice Fire Station Number 2 sustained roof damage and a training trailer behind the station was knocked on its side. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Venice | 1 hurt, $10,000 | A 23 year-old man trying to take down a flag suffered several broken bones when he was lifted and thrown 20 to 30 feet over the corner of a restaurants roof as he clung to the tethered line of the flagpole during a thunderstorm downburst.Thunderstorm winds also downed a large tree atop a home which caused roof, lanai and screen porch damage in Sarasota. |
| May 2005 | Lightning | Venice | 1 hurt | Lightning struck near a construction worker and injured him while he worked with power tools in the rain. |
| June 2001 | Lightning | Venice | 1 hurt | Lightning struck a stopped postal mail delivery truck and slightly injured a 54 year old male postal mail carrier inside the vehicle on Guadeloupe Avenue in the Bay Indies community of Venice. The victim noted that rain had begun as he stopped to check a mailbox, and then felt the hair on his arms stand up prior to the lightning strike. |
| January 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Venice | $350,000 | A National Weather Service damage survey, in coordination with Sarasota Emergency Management officials, concluded that a tornado in the high end of the F0 range, first touched down in the Lazy River mobile home park along U.S. Highway 41 and the Myakka River. The tornado continued to move east southeast and sporadically touched down in the Harbor Cove, Lacasa, Harbor Isles and Holiday mobile home parks along and south of U.S. Highway 41 before it lifted and dissipated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and Hikina Drive.The tornado caused moderate roof and structural damage to three weathered mobile homes and caused minor roof, porch, lanai and carport damage to an additional 300 mobile homes along its path. Also, a few large trees along the tornado path were snapped or toppled. |
| February 2006 | Lightning | Venice | $230,000 | Lightning started an attic fire and destroyed a home on Sugarwood Way. |
| February 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Venice | $200,000 | A tornado touched down and blew over several large trees atop homes which caused significant roof damage along Bellini and Picasso Roads near Casey Key.A resident with an anemometer located 50 feet above ground level reported a wind gust of 109 mph at the 1800 block of Casey Key. Several power poles, wires, trees and chimneys were downed by the tornado before it lifted and dissipated. |
| April 2001 | Wildfire | Venice | $100,000 | A controlled burn, that became a wildfire out of control, scorched over 5,000 acres of undeveloped land, destroyed at least one home, and forced an eight mile closure of Interstate 75 between exits 34 and 35, ten miles east of Venice, before it was extinguished. |
| March 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $80,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a 60 to 80 foot tree which fell atop and caused minor to moderate roof and structural damage to a home in the Country Club Estates along U.S. Highway 41, one mile southeast of Venice. Thunderstorm winds also caused minor roof and carport damage to three additional mobile homes in the Country Club Estates. |
| April 1993 | Tornado (F0) | Venice | $50,000 | A brief touchdown of a tornado damaged three mobile homes' roofs and porches. Tore off a porch roof of a residence and threw it across the street into a parked car. Several other homes received minor damage, along with outbuildings being damaged or destroyed. Two screen enclosures were destroyed. Several trees were uprooted. |
| May 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Venice | $50,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds ripped a carport off a mobile home. A Coast Guard Auxiliary member reported a wind gust to 81 mph. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $40,000 | The Sarasota County Emergency Management reported that thunderstorm winds tore off the roof of a mobile home. The wind blown debris from the mobile home caused minor damage to eight additional nearby mobile homes. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Venice | $15,000 | Lightning struck a radio antenna of a boat just after the fire works display ended. The lightning zig-zagged through the cabin and blew the guts out of a marine and AM radio. No injuries were reported but the captain of the boat said his ears were ringing for three hours due to the thunder. |
| June 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | South Venice | $10,000 | A National Weather Service survey found a narrow path of damage starting near the coast of Venice and moving northeast towards Highway 41. Damage included a few uprooted trees, including one large oak tree, numerous large branches down, minor roof damage to a couple houses and general light damage to a few car ports, pool cages, and fences. Damage was roughly estimated at $10,000. |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Venice | $10,000 | Lightning struck the radio tower of the police station. Five antennas and a computer system were damaged. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Venice | $5,000 | Broadcast media relayed public video from a home webcam of a brief surface circulation of what was most likely a gustnado in the residential community of Ventura Village. Available radar at the time suggested the circulation formed along the leading edge of outflow generated by nearby thunderstorm. Minor tree damage resulted along with damage to a few vehicles caused by airborne debris mainly consisting of loose plastic trash receptacles used for public garbage disposal services. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $5,000 | The Venice Police Department reported that thunderstorm winds downed several power lines on South Harbor Drive in Venice. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $5,000 | The Sarasota Emergency Management reported thunderstorm winds downed several power lines two miles northwest of Venice. |
| February 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 50 mph caused minor damage to a few lanais and carports in Venice. |
| August 1996 | Lightning | Venice | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Venice | $3,000 | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Venice | $2,500 | Lightning struck the Venice Municipal Airport knocking several holes into Runway 13-31 and shutting it down to air traffic for three hours while repairs were made. The time was estimated. |
| May 2003 | Lightning | Venice | $2,000 | Lightning started a small fire in the kitchen of a home in the 900 block of South Nokomis Avenue Friday morning. The lightning hit the ground out back, ran through the water line to a PVC pipe in the wall and caught the insulation on fire. |
| August 1996 | Heavy Rain | Venice | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Venice | - | A short lived tornado touched down near Wellfield Park and crossed E Venice Ave before pushing through a Publix across the street. |
| March 2010 | Heavy Rain | Venice | - | A C-MAN station in Venice reported 4.55 inches of rain throughout the event causing minor flooding. In addition, other mesonet stations received 4.32 inches of rain 1 mile southwest of Venice and 4.08 inches about 2 miles north-northwest of Englewood. |
| August 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Venice | - | A pilot reported several waterspouts just offshore of Venice. A trained spotter reported that one of the thin waterspouts that briefly moved onshore as a tornado before dissipating. No damage was reported. |
| October 2005 | Heavy Rain | Venice | - | Venice recorded 7.45" of rain and 2 miles north of North Port recorded 6.42". |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | - | A local utility reported numerous trees and power lines down across the city of Venice. |
| May 2000 | Wildfire | Venice | - | Lightning ignited a wildfire that consumed nearly 7,000 acres of brush and scrub trees along a rural and sparsely populated strip of Interstate 75 between exits 33 and 34 in the Carlton Reserve of southern Sarasota county. The wildfire forced closure of Interstate 75 between exits 33 and 34 twice for a total of nearly 36 hours. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Venice | - | A Skywarn Spotter reported dime sized hail in Venice. |
| May 1999 | Lightning | Venice | - | Lightning struck and burned over 800 acres of brush and scrub trees north and between exits 34 and 35 of Interstate 75 and the south of Carlton Reserve. |
| May 1999 | Lightning | Venice | - | Lightning ignited and burned nearly 100 acres of brush and scrub trees from Center Road south to near U.S. Highway 41 and State Road 777 in southern Sarasota county. |
| July 1999 | Waterspout | Venice | - | A waterspout was reported by a airplane pilot and the Sarasota County Emergency Management two miles south of Venice. |
| July 1998 | Waterspout | Venice | - | An aircraft reported a waterspout one mile west of Venice. |
| August 1995 | Hail | Venice | - | Golf ball-size hail fell on Bay Street and U.S. 41 in Osprey. |
| February 1998 | Waterspout | Venice | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Venice | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Venice | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Tornado (F0) | Venice | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Venice | - | no account filed |
United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Levillain-Letton House | under 500 feet | 1989 |
 | Armada Road Multi-Family District | under 500 feet | 1989 |
 | Triangle Inn | 0.2 miles | 1996 |
 | House at 710 Armada Road South | 0.2 miles | 1989 |
 | Valencia Hotel and Arcade | 0.2 miles | 1994 |
 | Hotel Venice | 0.3 miles | 1984 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 89000235 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Sarasota County | All 103 listed properties in this county. |
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