ANNA MARIA – Like so many others on Anna Maria Island, the ground-level house at 101 Mangrove Ave. that long served as home to the late Jack and Betty Dietrich and their family has been demolished.
The demolition took place March 25-27.
Jack, a former principal at Anna Maria Elementary School, passed away in August 2022 at the age of 92. Betty passed away in February 2010. Betty’s father built the home in 1925 and it was renovated and expanded over the years. The property is located at the beach end of the street, near a beach access point.
The former Dietrich property is now owned by 101 Mangrove LLC, which lists Adam Guy, of Columbia, Missouri, as its manager. In March 2023, Guy and the LLC purchased the property from the Dietrich children for $3.6 million.
Between the time of the sale and the demolition, the home was a short-term vacation rental. After the sale, the Dietrich children – Beth Conner, Jan Smith and Greg Dietrich – rented their parents’ former home on two different occasions to spend some final time there together before it was gone.
After receiving photos of the demolition taking place, Conner, via text message, said, “So sad. My grandfather built that house in 1925 for his family to summer there. Many generations have so many wonderful memories there. It was the gathering place for our family and friends. Selling it was one of the most difficult things my siblings and I have ever had to do. We’re so grateful for having grown up there and sharing it with our children and friends. The house and the famous porch were a family affair. If you were there, you were family. The memories are too many to count and will be with us until we are torn down ourselves.”
After the house was demolished, a family friend grabbed five pieces of wood from the pile of rubble to give Conner the next time she visits.
Family friend and former Anna Maria resident Rick Lewis spent many hours on the Dietrichs’ porch.
“They had family get-togethers, birthdays and holiday parties, but one thing that was huge for many years was the parties on “The Porch,” during football games. Of course, it was the Bucs and the ‘Noles games, but there were always big games to be celebrated. FSU vs. Miami was a big draw, but the big daddy of them all was FSU vs. UF. Those games would bring 15 or more fans from both sides. So many highlights and the memories will never go away,” Lewis said.
