Not long ago in this 1800's building, the Coffee Cup restaurant served as a gathering place in Ruskin, a place to share coffee, homemade pies and good fellowship.

Today all that remains of the Coffee Cup is a cleared bit of land, fond memories and a longing for what might have been, if only the building had been saved.

Another Ruskin building of community historical and cultural significance is the Ruskin Theatre. It sits empty, forlorn and threatened. It is located in the heart of Ruskin along the highway US 41's Tamiami Trail. But is the Ruskin Theatre still in the hearts and memory of Ruskin residents?

The newly formed Ruskin Historical Society not only believes that historic Ruskin buildings should be saved for future generations, we believe that they CAN be saved.

Some historic Ruskin buildings are already in good hands and are well cared for. These include the Ruskin College President's Home, under the care of the Ruskin Women's Club, and the A. P. Dickman House now owned by Drs. Mac Miller & Melanie Hubbard.

At risk, are homes and buildings that have historic value, but have little value to the present owners other than the underlying dirt. These are the properties and/or buildings which the Ruskin Historical Society wishes to bring into an Historical Trust.

The Ruskin Historical Society welcomes your comments and contributions. If you have stories, written articles or have photos relating to the history of Ruskin, please share those with us. We are not asking to keep the originals, only to make copies of them to be shared by everyone.

Please contact us for more information:

Fred Jacobsen
813 298-6028
fred@GoThere.com

Helen Solomon
813 766-8045
artelm7@cs.com

We are exploring ways that historic Ruskin buildings can be preserved, either at their present locations, or if need be, moved and preserved at a new location. As we all know, once a building has been approved for demolition, there is very little time to act to save it. We all need to be able to come together quickly when the time comes to act.

We encourage you to join our growing email list of concerned citizens to stay informed and to share what you know about Ruskin's historic buildings.

Email your contact information

Write to
The Ruskin Historical Society
P.O. Box 879
Ruskin, Florida 33575-0879