Temple Terrace, Florida

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Temple Terrace
1920s Temple Terrace postcard
1920s Temple Terrace postcard
Nickname: "The Terrace"
U.S. Census map of Temple Terrace, Florida
U.S. Census map of Temple Terrace, Florida
Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida
Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°02′07″N 82°23′21″W / 28.03528, -82.38917
Country Flag of the United States United States
State Flag of Florida Florida
County  Hillsborough
Founded 1920
Incorporated May 28, 1925
Government
 - Mayor Joe Affronti
Area
 - City 6.9 sq mi (17.9 km²)
 - Land 6.9 sq mi (17.8 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation 59 ft (18 m)
Population (2000)
 - City 21,694
 - Density 3,051.2/sq mi (1,177.3/km²)
 - Metro 4 million
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 33617, 33637, 33687
Area code(s) 813
FIPS code 12-71400[1]
GNIS feature ID 0292103[2]
Website: www.templeterrace.com

Temple Terrace is a city in north-central Hillsborough County, Florida. According to the city's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 23,405. It is the third and smallest incorporated municipality in Hillsborough County, incorporated in 1925. The community is known for its rolling landscape, scenic Hillsborough River, and majestic trees; it has the most grand live oak trees of any community in central Florida.

Exploration of the Temple Terrace area dates back to 1757 when Spanish explorer Don Francisco Maria Celi of the Spanish Royal Fleet made his way up the Hillsborough River to what is now Riverhills Park in search of pine trees to use as masts for his ships. Here, in the extensive Longleaf Pine forest, he erected a cross in what he named "El Pinal de la Cruz de Santa Teresa." Confirmation of the fleet's travels is found in its map and log book. An historic marker and a replica of the cross erected to honor St. Theresa is found in the Park today. In the late 1800s/early 1900s, the many pine trees made the area popular for turpentine manufacturing and logging.

Longleaf Pine forest: 1921 Burgert Brothers photo of Temple Terrace pre-development
Longleaf Pine forest: 1921 Burgert Brothers photo of Temple Terrace pre-development

The area now known as Temple Terrace was originally part of the exclusive 16,000-acre (65 km²) hunting preserve of Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer (Mrs. Potter-Palmer) which was called "Riverhills Ranch". One of the original buildings from the preserve remains and is today called the Woodmont Clubhouse. After Mrs. Potter-Palmer’s death in 1918, the family sold its holdings (a member of the Potter-Palmer family retained a seat on the Board) to Burks Hamner, Vance Helm, Maude Fowler, and D.Collins Gillette who formed two development corporations—Temple Terrace Estates, Inc., who developed the golf course and residential areas; and Temple Terraces, Inc., who developed 5,000 acres (20 km²) of orange groves that originally surrounded the City to the west and north, the largest orange grove in the world in the 1920s. D. Collins Gillette oversaw Temple Terraces, Inc. and owned the first and largest citrus nursery in Florida, Buckeye Nurseries, and was also instrumental in bringing the Temple orange into the US from Jamaica. In 1924 part of the 5,000-acre (20 km²) area platted as Temple Terraces, Inc. was developed into the present day neighborhood of Temple Crest, immediately adjacent to Temple Terrace to the west, hugging the Hillsborough River. In 1961, Temple Crest was annexed from the county to become part of the City of Tampa, Florida. Nearby Busch Gardens was also originally part of Mrs. Potter-Palmer's original 16,000-acre (65 km²) ranch.

1920s postcard of "World's Greatest Citrus Grove"
1920s postcard of "World's Greatest Citrus Grove"

The town was named for the then new hybrid Temple orange (named after William Chase Temple, founder of the Temple Cup) and the surrounding terraced terrain, several of the original homes also had terraced yards. Temple Terrace was the first place in the United States that the new Temple orange was grown at scale. In 1925, the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club (still in existence) hosted the first ever Florida Open (billed as the "Greatest Field Of Golfers Ever to Play in Florida"). "Long" Jim Barnes was resident professional of the course at the time and every major golfer of the day competed in the event except Bobby Jones, Leo Diegel won the tournament. Golf course architect was Tom Bendelow who also designed Medinah #3 in Chicago. Temple Terrace is one of the first planned golf course communities in the United States (1921) and was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style by renowned New York architect Dwight James Baum (architect of John Ringling's Ca' d' Zan and the Hotel El Verona in Sarasota, and the West Side YMCA in New York City) and noted Tampa architect M. Leo Elliott (Centro Asturiano de Tampa and Old Tampa City Hall).

The Vision: 1922 Temple Terrace Master Plan (looking Northwest) Recently discovered colorized photograph showing the “world’s largest citrus grove in the 1920s” (5000 acres of Temple oranges) to the west and north surrounding the Mediterranean Revival golf course community, one of the first planned golf course community’s in the United States. The Hillsborough River is in the foreground, Bullard Parkway shows the bridge crossing the river, 56th Street does not exist, and Nebraska Avenue is on the left horizon.
The Vision: 1922 Temple Terrace Master Plan (looking Northwest) Recently discovered colorized photograph showing the “world’s largest citrus grove in the 1920s” (5000 acres of Temple oranges) to the west and north surrounding the Mediterranean Revival golf course community, one of the first planned golf course community’s in the United States. The Hillsborough River is in the foreground, Bullard Parkway shows the bridge crossing the river, 56th Street does not exist, and Nebraska Avenue is on the left horizon.

There are twelve buildings designed by Elliott remaining in the city, the largest collection of his work anywhere. In addition, there are at least twenty buildings in the city designed by architect Dwight James Baum, which is also thought to be the largest collection of his work existing.

Many of Temple Terrace's residents teach or work at the nearby University of South Florida and the close-knit community has strong ties to that institution (the USF campus was also originally part of Mrs. Potter-Palmer's original 16,000-acre (65 km²) ranch).

Temple Terrace is also home to Florida College, a private liberal arts Christian college founded in 1946, which occupies some of the community's oldest buildings. Billy Graham attended Florida Bible Institute, which owned the property now occupied by Florida College, in the late 1930s. In his autobiography he writes he received his calling on the 18th green of the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club. A Billy Graham Memorial Park is on the east side of the 18th green on the river.

Eureka Springs Park is located to the east of Temple Terrace, it is Hillsborough County's only botanical garden. The 31 acre park was started by Russian imigrant and amateur horticulturalist Albert Greenberg who donated his park to the county in 1967. Poet Robert Frost and other famous personalities made it a point to visit Greenberg in the years pre-WW2.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Temple Terrace is located at 28°2′30″N, 82°22′57″W (28.041546, -82.382519)[3]. The city is bounded by Tampa to the west, Del Rio to the south, New Tampa to the north, and rural Hillsborough County, near Interstate 75, to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²)— 6.9 square miles (17.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.15%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 20,918 people, 8,671 households, and 5,350 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,051.2 persons per square mile (1,177.3/km²). There were 9,359 housing units at an average density of 1,365.1 houses per square mile (526.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.46% White, 11.16% African American, 0.37% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.34% of the population.

There were 8,671 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,508, and the median income for a family was $56,809. Males had a median income of $38,384 versus $32,107 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,515. About 5.4% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Hillsborough County, Florida
County seat: Tampa
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