Ballast Point is a neighborhood located in the city of Tampa, county of Hillsborough, and the

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Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is bordered by Hillsborough Bay, a section of the larger

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...

. The ZIP code serving the area is 33611. The boundaries are Gandy Blvd. to the north,

MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

to the south, Hillsborough Bay to the east and S. MacDill Ave. to the west. Also included are the homes and businesses on the west side of the street of S. MacDill Ave., Gadsden Park on S. MacDill Ave. and the adjacent ELAPP Property which is part of the South Tampa Greenway. The Ballast Point neighborhood is an official

City of Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

neighborhood, and is largely residential. This neighborhood is canopied by mature oak trees full of

Spanish moss Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides'') is an epiphytic flowering plant that often grows upon large trees in tropical and subtropical climates. It is native to much of Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the Southern Un ...

, and is nestled on the Hillsborough Bay. The neighborhood is home to th
Ballast Point Neighborhood Association

History

The Battle of Ballast Point took place on October 18, 1863. It was during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, just two days after the Battle of Fort Brooke began. A

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

raiding party, under Acting Master T.R. Harris, disembarked at Ballast Point, landing at the current intersection of Gandy Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard. Under the protracted diversionary bombardment of the city of Tampa and Fort Brooke by two ships, the USS Tahoma and the

USS Adela USS ''Adela'' was a steamer captured by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat in support of the Union Navy blockade of Confederate waterways. Service history Confederate blockade runner In ...

, the Union divisions marched 14 miles to the Hillsborough River near the site of today's

Lowry Park Zoo ZooTampa at Lowry Park (formerly known as Lowry Park Zoo or Lowry Park Zoological Garden) is a nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2009, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Parents Magazine, and is recognize ...

.Hull of Civil War Sloop Likely Found in Tampa River
/ref> They surprised, captured, and burned two notorious ships, the blockade runner ''Scottish Chief'', a steamship, and the sloop ''Kate Dale'' a few miles up the river. The ships were owned by the future mayor of Tampa, James McKay. Escaping capture by mere minutes, with members of his crew in tow, James McKay sped to the city of Tampa and warned all of the landing party and the fate of his ships. After the burning of the ships, the Confederate forces were alerted to the raiding party's location, and commenced pursuit. Harris's Union forces were surprised by a detachment of the garrison, the 2nd Florida Infantry Battalion. Casualties resulted in a brief but sharp exchange before the Union troops returned to sea. A confederate cavalry unit (Oklawaha Rangers) caught up with the Union raiders, finally and a full engagement ensued. The union soldiers came under direct fire as they boarded their

dinghies A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed by a larger vessel for use as a tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they differ from sailing dinghies, which ...

, in a tactical retreat. The Confederate defenders destroyed the steamer ''A.B. Noyes'' to preclude her capture.

Geography and climate

According to the Hillsborough Community Atlas, that lists the City of Tampa as their source of information, the neighborhood has a total area of 1.7 mi².

Demographics

According to the Hillsborough County Atlas, that lists the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

as their source of information, the neighborhood had a total population of 4,940. However, these records include census tracks that include the entire MacDill Air Force Base, and tracks west of MacDill Ave. that extend to Dale Mabry Hwy. There is a discrepancy on the City of Tampa website that states that Ballast Point is larger than the current boundaries declared by the Ballast Point Neighborhood Association.

References

External links

City of Tampa Ballast Point NeighborhoodBallast Point Neighborhood AssociationCity of Tampa Police Department Neighborhood Watch ProgramBallast Point Neighborhood WatchFlorida Memory Project photos of old Ballast PointHillsborough County Atlas - Ballast Point Neighborhood Association AreaUpdate to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields – State of Florida – Washington, DC – March 2011
{{Tampa neighborhoods , state=expanded Neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida Populated places on Tampa Bay