Safety Harbor, Florida

Safety Harbor is a city on the west shore of Tampa Bay in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It was settled in 1823 and incorporated in 1917. The population was 17,072 at the 2020 census.

History

The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age. In June 2008, a 6,000-year-old spearhead was found at Marshall Street Park. The inhabitants of the area at the time of Spanish exploration were the Tocobaga people, who lived in villages around Tampa Bay. The adaptation of this culture relied on wild resources. Safety Harbor sites have yielded pottery, and artifacts of copper, shell, and stone. The Tocobaga were known for constructing various ceremonial and communal mounds to bury the dead. Most of these mounds were destroyed in the early 1900s due to development. However, one of these ceremonial mounds is still visible in Safety Harbor's Phillippe Park (''see photo''). Shells found in these mounds were used to pave city streets.

In 1528 Spanish explorer Pánfilo de Narváez landed in the area, followed by Hernando de Soto in 1539. Safety Harbor (formerly known as Worth's Harbor and Green's Springs) was first homesteaded by Count Odet Philippe, a French nobleman who is credited with introducing the grapefruit to Florida in 1823. The name Safety Harbor originated from the early 18th century, when pirates were a substantial influence in the area. Once ships reached this area of the bay, all threats from pirates were gone, and it was commonly referred to as a "Safe Harbor".

Springs

Safety Harbor is the home of the historic Espiritu Santo Springs, or "Springs of the Holy Spirit", a natural mineral spring. Its waters were given this name in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who was supposedly searching for the mythical "Fountain of Youth". Prior to the Spanish exploration of Florida, the Tocobaga and Timuquan tribes are believed to have fished and bathed in the spring's waters.

In the 20th century, Espiritu Santo water was bottled and sold commercially, and later a health spa and hotel were built over the springs. The Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, as it is now known, continues to be a prominent visitor attraction in Pinellas County. In 1964, the site was designated a Historical Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior and, in 1997, a Florida Heritage Landmark.

Geography

The city is located on the west side of Safety Harbor, a waterway connected to Tampa Bay.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.57%) is water.

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,072 people, 6,903 households, and 4,781 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 16,884 people, 7,073 households, and 4,750 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there are 17,203 people, 7,084 households, and 4,845 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,483 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city is 92.23% White, 4.14% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.68% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 3.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of 2000, there were 7,084 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85.

In 2000, the age distribution of the population is 21.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% age 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $51,378, and the median income for a family was $59,911. Males had a median income of $41,883 versus $31,165 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,632. About 3.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Library

The Safety Harbor Public Library was founded in 1938 by the Women's Civic Club of Safety Harbor with funds from the federal Works Progress Administration program (WPA). The library was originally housed inside the Community House located at 2nd St. N and 6th Ave N. On November 25, 1938, Daisy Cahow was appointed by the WPA as the First Librarian. To supply the library collection, the Women's Civic Club paid the transportation charges to borrow 50 books from the state and return them at regular intervals. As the collection was expanded it quickly outgrew the space. In 1946, Dr. Salem Baranoff, owner of the Safety Harbor Spa, purchased and donated two empty lots on 2nd St. N and 5th Ave N for the new library. Construction for the new building began on March 4, 1949 and the library opened in November 1949. The Women's Civic Club continued to operate the library in its new building, however, by 1978 it had become difficult for the club to provide adequate funding on its own. The property was deeded to the City of Safety Harbor in exchange for yearly funding, and the Civic Club continued to operate the library until October 1980 when full operation was taken over by the City. As the population of the city continued to grow, the library again outgrew the space and construction of a new building began in 1993 at its current location on 2nd Ave N with the new library opening on October 1, 1994. In February 2024, construction began on a second-floor addition to the current library.
Safety Harbor Public Library is part of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative.

Government

Safety Harbor is governed by an elected Mayor and City Commission. City governmental departments are administered by a City Manager, who is appointed by the City Commission.

Education

There are two public schools within the city: Safety Harbor Elementary School for grades one to five, and Safety Harbor Middle School for grades 6 to 8.

Infrastructure

The CSX railroad branch line from Tampa to St. Petersburg bisects Safety Harbor. Passenger trains last used the line in 1984.

Notable people

* Matt Geiger, NBA professional basketball player
* Calvin Heimburg, professional disc golfer on Disc Golf Pro Tour
* Alan Lomax, collector of folk music, folklorist, and writer
* Dave Martinez, MLB professional baseball player and manager
* Taffy Nivert, singer and songwriter with Starland Vocal Band
* Tom Rowland, mayor of Cleveland, Tennessee
* Robin Zander, musician with Cheap Trick

References

External links

City of Safety Harbor official website

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Cities in Pinellas County, Florida
Populated places on Tampa Bay
Cities in Florida