Casselberry, Florida
Encyclopedia
Casselberry is a city in Seminole County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 22,629 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2009, the city had a population of 24,792. It is usually considered a suburb
in the Orlando
–Kissimmee
-Sanford
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²). 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.06%) is water. However, "Where is Casselbery?" is more a common question than one might think. These are the municipal bounadaries, and they have extended from years of annexation into other areas that were previously unincorporated Seminole County. Addresses carry the name of the city handling the mail, not necessarily the name of the city in which the property is located. In certain instances, "Casselberry" is actually known as Maitland, Winter Park, and Winter Springs. Likewise, some parts of what is called Casselberry do not lie within the city.
Casselberry features over 30 lakes and ponds, the largest being Lake Howell, the Triplet Chain of Lakes, Lake Kathryn, and Lake Concord.
settlement in the 1800s Native American
groups inhabited the Seminole County
area, including land in present-day Casselberry. A blockhouse
known as Fort Concord was constructed on the shores of Lake Concord in 1849 to protect local settlers during conflicts between the Seminole Wars
. After the Homestead Act
was passed in 1862, settlers began homesteading
the land around Lake Concord and the Triplet Chain of Lakes. Annie E. Griffin of Eastman, Georgia
plat
ted the area’s first subdivision
in 1889 after inheriting the land from her deceased husband. An African-American community cemetery
, called Evergreen Cemetery, was established in 1903 under the care of a group of trustees from surrounding communities. In 1925, Gordon J. Barnett of New York
came to Altamonte Springs
and acquainted himself with all aspects of the local fern
industry and soon opened his own fernery
. Barnett then began a housing development west of Lake Concord called Fern Park Estates, composed of small lots and including a fernery for individual owners.
In 1926, Hibbard Casselberry of Winnetka, Illinois
was visiting his wife’s aunt in nearby Winter Park, Florida
when he met Gordon Barnett and signed on as his exclusive sales agent for Fern Park Estates. Casselberry and Barnett split soon after but Casselberry purchased land surrounding Fern Park Estates and began platting his own subdivision: Winter Park Ferneries. The area became known as Fern Park
and a post office
was established under that name in 1928. Casselberry continued to develop and expand his fernery and real estate
business throughout the 1930s while Barnett was elected to the Florida House of Representatives
in 1937. When Barnett introduced a bill
to incorporate the Town of Fern Park it was passed and moved to the senate before Fern Park residents could petition the bill, and then Barnett withdrew it.
Hibbard Casselberry convinced the residents of Fern Park that the best way to avoid property taxes was to incorporate their own tax-free town. A town meeting was held on October 10, 1940 where the tax-free Town of Casselberry was officially incorporated, including parts of Barnett’s Fern Park Estates. As more property was brought into the city limits of Casselberry, the area of Fern Park was pushed further south towards SR 436. With the beginning of World War II
the ferneries were declared non-essential and Hibbard Casselberry secured government contracts for the manufacturing of bandoliers, bomb parachutes, and hospital tent liners. The city returned to the fern industry after the war but also continued work in textiles and Johnson Electronics became a major employer for the city in the 1950s.
Despite the fact that Casselberry was an incorporated town and Fern Park remained unincorporated the United States Postal Service
refused to grant Casselberry its own post office due to a policy prohibiting the naming of post offices after living persons. Casselberry established a contract post office in 1957 at its own expense and the town was finally granted a post office in 1959, although Hibbard Casselberry lived another ten years. The City of Casselberry was incorporated on July 25, 1965 and Casselberry’s citizens eventually voted to have property taxes in 1976. Casselberry’s first city hall
was dedicated in 1970 and comprises part of the current municipal complex.
of 2000, there were 22,629 people, 9,746 households, and 5,740 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,396.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,311.9/km²). There were 10,450 housing units at an average density of 1,568.5 per square mile (605.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.65% White, 5.38% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.90% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.17% from other races
, and 2.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.13% of the population.
There were 9,746 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,627, and the median income for a family was $45,354. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $24,778 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,626. About 6.2% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 22,629 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2009, the city had a population of 24,792. It is usually considered a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in the Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
–Kissimmee
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
-Sanford
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Casselberry is located at 28.660275°N 81.323264°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²). 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.06%) is water. However, "Where is Casselbery?" is more a common question than one might think. These are the municipal bounadaries, and they have extended from years of annexation into other areas that were previously unincorporated Seminole County. Addresses carry the name of the city handling the mail, not necessarily the name of the city in which the property is located. In certain instances, "Casselberry" is actually known as Maitland, Winter Park, and Winter Springs. Likewise, some parts of what is called Casselberry do not lie within the city.
Casselberry features over 30 lakes and ponds, the largest being Lake Howell, the Triplet Chain of Lakes, Lake Kathryn, and Lake Concord.
History
Prior to EuropeanEuropean ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlement in the 1800s Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
groups inhabited the Seminole County
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
area, including land in present-day Casselberry. A blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
known as Fort Concord was constructed on the shores of Lake Concord in 1849 to protect local settlers during conflicts between the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
. After the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
was passed in 1862, settlers began homesteading
Homesteading
Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
the land around Lake Concord and the Triplet Chain of Lakes. Annie E. Griffin of Eastman, Georgia
Eastman, Georgia
Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,541 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dodge County...
plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the area’s first subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
in 1889 after inheriting the land from her deceased husband. An African-American community cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, called Evergreen Cemetery, was established in 1903 under the care of a group of trustees from surrounding communities. In 1925, Gordon J. Barnett of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
came to Altamonte Springs
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Altamonte Springs is a city in Seminole county in the U.S. state of Florida, which had a population of 41,496 at the 2010 census. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is in the northern suburbs of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the United States...
and acquainted himself with all aspects of the local fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
industry and soon opened his own fernery
Fernery
A fernery is a specialized garden for the cultivation and display of ferns.In many countries, ferneries are indoors or at least sheltered or kept in a shadehouse to provide a moist environment, filtered light and protection from frost and other extremes, some ferns native to arid regions require...
. Barnett then began a housing development west of Lake Concord called Fern Park Estates, composed of small lots and including a fernery for individual owners.
In 1926, Hibbard Casselberry of Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
was visiting his wife’s aunt in nearby Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
when he met Gordon Barnett and signed on as his exclusive sales agent for Fern Park Estates. Casselberry and Barnett split soon after but Casselberry purchased land surrounding Fern Park Estates and began platting his own subdivision: Winter Park Ferneries. The area became known as Fern Park
Fern Park, Florida
Fern Park is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,318 at the 2000 census...
and a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established under that name in 1928. Casselberry continued to develop and expand his fernery and real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
business throughout the 1930s while Barnett was elected to the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
in 1937. When Barnett introduced a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
to incorporate the Town of Fern Park it was passed and moved to the senate before Fern Park residents could petition the bill, and then Barnett withdrew it.
Hibbard Casselberry convinced the residents of Fern Park that the best way to avoid property taxes was to incorporate their own tax-free town. A town meeting was held on October 10, 1940 where the tax-free Town of Casselberry was officially incorporated, including parts of Barnett’s Fern Park Estates. As more property was brought into the city limits of Casselberry, the area of Fern Park was pushed further south towards SR 436. With the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the ferneries were declared non-essential and Hibbard Casselberry secured government contracts for the manufacturing of bandoliers, bomb parachutes, and hospital tent liners. The city returned to the fern industry after the war but also continued work in textiles and Johnson Electronics became a major employer for the city in the 1950s.
Despite the fact that Casselberry was an incorporated town and Fern Park remained unincorporated the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
refused to grant Casselberry its own post office due to a policy prohibiting the naming of post offices after living persons. Casselberry established a contract post office in 1957 at its own expense and the town was finally granted a post office in 1959, although Hibbard Casselberry lived another ten years. The City of Casselberry was incorporated on July 25, 1965 and Casselberry’s citizens eventually voted to have property taxes in 1976. Casselberry’s first city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
was dedicated in 1970 and comprises part of the current municipal complex.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 22,629 people, 9,746 households, and 5,740 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,396.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,311.9/km²). There were 10,450 housing units at an average density of 1,568.5 per square mile (605.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.65% White, 5.38% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.90% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.17% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.13% of the population.
There were 9,746 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,627, and the median income for a family was $45,354. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $24,778 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,626. About 6.2% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary
Parks and Recreation
The City of Casselberry maintains 17 parks ranging from small neighborhood parks to large centers for recreation. Some of these parks include:- Anniversary Park
- Branch Tree Park
- Crystal Bowl Park
- Dew Drop Park
- Lake Hodge Park
- Pawmosa Dog Park
- Plumosa Oaks Park
- Rotary Park
- Secret Lake Park
- Sunnytown Park
- Sunset Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Wirz Park