Gifford () is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in
Indian River County
Indian River County () is a county located in the southeastern and east-central portions of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 159,788. Its seat is Vero Beach. It is Florida's 7th richest county and in 2000 w ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, United States. It is part of the
Sebastian
Sebastian may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Sebastian (name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint martyred in the 3rd century
* Sebastian of Portugal (1554–1578 ...
–
Vero Beach
Vero Beach is a city in and the county seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,354. Nicknamed "The Hibiscus City", Vero is situated about southeast of Orlando along the ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,511 at the
2020 census. Gifford has a rich
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
history and is noted as the hometown of several African-American landscape artists who were members of
The Highwaymen. Gifford is one of the poorest communities in Florida.
History
The settlement of Gifford was organized in the mid-1880s, according to the Indian River County Historical Society. The area was named as the Woodley precinct in the 1900 census, and as a settlement village for black families, the community grew. By 1893, the early settlers of Gifford had been joined by black laborers who had come to work on
Henry Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...
's new railroad project, the
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México.
Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...
. The residents named the small agricultural community Brownsville after farmer William Brown who settled there in 1880s, but another town in North Florida carried the same name. Instead, the community was named after Charlie Gifford, the railroad's stationmaster and Henry T. Gifford's son.
The town's first school was built in 1898, but only served white children. In 1901 William Edward Geoffrey, a black man from
Darlington, South Carolina
Darlington is a city located in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. In 2010, its population was 6,289. It is the county seat of Darlington County. It is part of the Florence, South Carolina metropolitan area.
Darlington is known f ...
who had come to work on the railroad, set up school for black children.
The school served as the heart of the community and remained Gifford High School until integration, and the last graduating class was in 1969, before transitioning into the middle school.
In 2018, the Historic Macedonia Church was converted into the Gifford Historical Museum by the Gifford Community Cultural & Resource Center (GCCRC).
One of the highlights of Gifford is the Victor Hart Sr. Community Enhancement Complex located at the northern end of 43rd Avenue. The complex was renamed in 2017 to honor Mr. Hart for his work and outreach in the community.
Geography
Gifford is in eastern Indian River County, on the west side of the
Indian River, a tidal channel. It is bordered to the south by
Vero Beach
Vero Beach is a city in and the county seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,354. Nicknamed "The Hibiscus City", Vero is situated about southeast of Orlando along the ...
, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
; to the north by
Winter Beach; and to the east, across the Indian River, by
Indian River Shores.
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...
passes through the center of Gifford, leading north to
Sebastian
Sebastian may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Sebastian (name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Saint Sebastian, a Christian saint martyred in the 3rd century
* Sebastian of Portugal (1554–1578 ...
and south through Vero Beach to
Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Florida’s Atlantic Coast. It is also known as the Sunrise City. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
.
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
at Exit 147 is west of Gifford.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the Gifford CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 6.79%, are water.
Demographics
2020 census
2000 Census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 7,599 people, 3,036 households, and 1,897 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 3,595 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 38.70%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 57.43%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.16%
Native American, 0.25%
Asian, 1.96% from
other races, and 1.50% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 6.67% of the population.
There were 3,036 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $29,438, and the median income for a family was $35,354. Males had a median income of $25,716 versus $18,821 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was $19,910. About 19.6% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.
Victor Hart Sr. Community Enhancement Complex.jpg, Victor Hart Sr. Community Enhancement Complex
Gifford Historical Museum.jpg, Gifford Historical Museum
Guy Colley Grocery & Deli.jpg, Guy Colley Grocery & Deli
Notable people
*
Jade Cargill
Jade Cargill (born June 3, 1992) is an American professional wrestler. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. She is a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. She is also known for her career in All Elit ...
, professional wrestler
*
Muni Long
Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long”; formerly known as Priscilla Renea), is an American singer and songwriter from Gifford, Florida. Under her birth name, she signed wi ...
, singer/songwriter
*
Harold Newton, landscape artist
*
YNW BSlime
Brandon King (born April 10, 2007), better known by his stage name YNW BSlime (initialism for Young Nigga World BSlime) is an American rapper and singer. He is the younger brother of fellow rapper YNW Melly.
Early life
Brandon King was born ...
, rapper
*
YNW Melly
Jamell Maurice Demons (born May 1, 1999), known professionally by his stage name YNW Melly (initialism for Young Nigga World Melly), is an American rapper and singer. He rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his single "Murder on My Mi ...
, rapper
References
External links
Official Website of the Indian River County
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Indian River County, Florida
Unincorporated communities in Florida
Census-designated places in Indian River County, Florida
Census-designated places in Florida
Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida