DeLand

The city was founded in 1876, and was named for its founder, Henry Addison DeLand. DeLand is home to Stetson University, Florida's oldest private college, as well as the Museum of Art - De land. The city was the first city in Florida to have electricity. On August 18, 2007, an EF-2 tornado made landfall in DeLand and the surrounding area. It reached a peak intensity of EF-3-16 (65 mph), with a track length of 26 miles (46 km) It was responsible for the deaths of 13 people and was the site of a major tornado outbreak. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 37,351. It is a part of the DeltonaDaytona BeachOrmond Beach metropolitan area, which was home to 590,289 people as of the 2010 census. The DeLand Municipal Airport serves as an uncontrolled general aviation reliever airport to commercial operations at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Orlando Sanford International Airport and Orlando International Airport. It has a total area of 17.6 square miles (0.6 km²), of which 17.2 square miles is land and 0.06 square miles or 1.2 km² is water. The area is drained by the St. Johns River, which runs through the city's downtown area. The City of DeLand was officially incorporated in 1882, and became the county seat of Volusia County in 1887. In 1900 it founded the first law school in Florida (which relocated to Gulfport in 1954).

History

The City of DeLand was officially incorporated in 1882, and became the county seat of Volusia County in 1887. It was the first city in Florida to have electricity. In 1900 it founded the first law school in Florida (which relocated to Gulfport in 1954). Its various sports teams are called the Hatters.Since 1992, the city has hosted the DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts, a two-day event held annually in the historic downtown area. As of 2009, the event has an annual attendance of more than 50,000 during the weekend. The city seal was briefly the object of a controversy in 2013, when the national group Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent the city a letter in which they argued that the seal unconstitutionally promotes Christianity. The controversy faded after the city refused to change the seal. It is located on the banks of the St. Johns River, near the town of St. Augustine. The town was originally known as Persimmon Hollow for the wild persimmon trees that grow around the natural springs, and was originally accessible only by steamboat up the St Johns River. The area was settled in 1874 by Captain John Rich, who built a log cabin. In 1877 DeLand built a public school for the town. In 1889, it was renamed John B. Stetson University in its patron's honor. In 2000, it became the first private college in Florida, founded by DeLand Academy.

Geography

DeLand is located at 29°144N 81°182W, in Western Volusia County. On February 2, 2007, DeLand and the surrounding area was the site of a major tornado outbreak. On August 18, 2020, an EF-2 tornado made landfall in DeLand, causing an estimated $7.4 million in damages over its 4.6 mile path. DeLand is drained by the St. Johns River. The city has a total area of 17.8 square miles (46.1 km²), of which 17.6 square miles is land and 0.5 km², or 1.06%, is water. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that DeLand has a population of 2,827. The population of DeLand in 2010 was 2,715. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city had 2,622 residents in 2010. The number of people living in the DeLand area is 2,071. The percentage of people in the city who are Hispanic or Latino is 2.7%. The city is located in the Florida Panhandle, in the western part of the state. It is located near the Florida panhandle. The town is located on the Florida Turnpike, which runs through DeLand. It has a latitude and longitude of 29.4 degrees north and 81.2 degrees south. The area has a water content of 1.0 square miles, or 0.19 square miles.

Demographics

As of the census of 2013, there were 28,237 people, 9,950 households, and 4,631 families residing in the city. There were 9,272 housing units at an average density of 584.2 per square mile (225.6/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 74.96% White, 19.18% African American, 0.22% Native American,0.81% Asian, 3.00% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.73% of the population. The city's population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there are 83.0 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there is 77.8 males. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was2.92. The per capita income for the city is $15,936. About 31.3% of those under age 18 are living below the poverty line, including 8.7 percent of those age 65 or over. In the city, the median income for a household was $28,712, and the median incomes for a family was $35,329.

Historic districts

The Garden District is a mixed-use neighborhood adjacent to downtown DeLand. The neighborhood was originally developed between 1900 and 1920. It fell into a long period of decline after World War II, and by the 1980s, had become blighted. In 2001, Michael E. Arth, a California artist, urban designer and filmmaker, bought 27 dilapidated structures, renamed the area the Garden District, and lobbied to create a new historic district. During the following eight years, he restored or rebuilt 32 homes and businesses, which have become the core of a neighborhood revival. The feature-length documentary film New Urban Cowboy: Toward a New Pedestrianism tells the story of DeLand and the Garden district. The film premiered in DeLand in January 2009 at the newly restored Athens Theatre. Previously, the film had appeared in seven film festivals and received the Audience Choice Award at the Real to Reel International Film Festival in 2008. The Garden District was officially known as Downtown DeLand's Historic Garden District. It is now known as the Downtown De Land Historic District, or simply as the 'Garden District' or the 'Downtown DeLand Historic District' It has a number of notable 19th-century buildings, including Woodland Boulevard, which is the city's main street. The area is home to the DeLand Conservancy, a non-profit organization that promotes the preservation of historic buildings in the city. It was founded in the 1970s by a group of former DeLand residents.

Education

Public primary and secondary education is handled by Volusia County Schools. Public high schools are handled by DeLand High School. Public colleges and universities are run by Stetson University and Florida Technical College. Public kindergartens and elementary schools are overseen by St Peters Catholic School and Saint Barnabas Episcopal School. Children's House Montessori School and Casa MontessorI School are also part of the school system.

Sports and recreation

DeLand hosts all home games for Stetson University Hatters athletic teams. The men's and women's basketball teams play at the J. Ollie Edmunds Center, an on-campus arena which opened in 1974. The Hatters baseball team plays at Melching Field at Conrad Park, a 2,500-seat ballpark located off campus just south of downtown DeLand. DeLand has been called the "skydiving capital of the world", with the majority of skydiving industries calling it home. The Central Florida Warriors of the USA Rugby League are based in DeLand and play in the U.S. Open Rugby Championship. The DeLand Red Hats, a Florida State League minor league franchise, played in the 1940s and 1950s and were based in the DeLand area. The town is also home to DeLand High School Bulldog football and soccer games, and serves as home of the Stets on University Hatter football team. De land is home to the De Land Skydiving Association, which is one of the largest skydive companies in the world, with over 500 workers in the local area. It is also the home of DeLand's local high school football team, which plays in the Florida High School Football League. The school's football program was discontinued in the 1960s, but reinstated in 2013 when it joined the Pioneer Football League, and has a 6,000-seat football stadium. The high school also has a soccer team, the De land Bulldog, which also plays at Spec Martin Stadium, which was built in 1999.

In the movies

HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon filmed several scenes on the campus of Stetson University. The 1999 independent film The First of May, starring Mickey Rooney and Joe DiMaggio, was shot on various locations throughout DeLand. Days of Thunder, starring Tom Cruise, was partially filmed in De land. New Urban Cowboy: Toward a New Pedestrianism (2008) was filmed almost entirely in DeLand in 2006 and 2007. Walt Before Mickey filmed several. scenes at the Stets on University campus in 2014 and Athens Theatre. The Waterboy, starring Adam Sandler, was filmed in neighboring DeBary, Louisiana. The movie was released in 1999 and was a box office success. It was followed by several other films, including Ghost Story, starring Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Craig Wasson. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010. The DVD was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The Blu-Ray and DVD versions of the two films were released in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The DVDs were released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the release of The Godfather: Part II, which was released the same year. The films were also released in 2012 and 2013. The first two episodes of the second season of the series were released on September 25 and 28, 2012. The third and fourth episodes were released September 29 and October 2, 2012, and October 3, 2012 respectively. They were released as part of a two-part series called The Godparents: Part I and Part II.