Community Description
Short Description: De Land is the county seat of Volusia County. Nearby State Parks include DeLeon Springs State Park, north of DeLand and Hontoon Island State Park with more than 1,000 acres of cypress swamp and open savannahs is a short boat ride west of DeLand on the St. Johns River.
In 1876, New York baking soda mogul, Henry DeLand vacationed with his daughter Helen fifteen miles north of the steamboat landing at Enterprise. DeLand dreamed of establishing an “Athens of Florida,” chose a site and planted water oaks 50 feet apart along prospective streets. He encouraged the building of a schoolhouse first known as DeLand Academy. Under sponsorship of the Florida Baptists, DeLand College opened in 1885 featuring "classical, scientific and English instruction." In 1886, Henry DeLand talked John B Stetson of Stetson Hat Company into a million dollars for the new school and Stetson University was born. Today this 170-acre campus immediately north of the downtown area is Florida's oldest private college.
Two steam powered sawmills provided a ready source of building materials and a steamboat landing on the St. Johns River transported new settlers. In 1880, the Orange Ridge, DeLand and Atlantic Railroad Company linked DeLand to the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Line.
Local Areas of Interest include: Skydive DeLand, Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus (winter), the Halifax Historical Museum, the DeLand Memorial Hospital Museum, Henry A. DeLand House Museum, Southeast Museum of Photography, the DeLand Museum of Art and Gillespie Museum of Minerals.
Community events include the DeLand Art and Crafts Show, DeLand Art Festival, the American Historic Motorcyle Racing event, DeLand-St. Johns River Raft Race held in mid-September and the Volusia County Fair & Youth Show held in late October to mid-November at the Fairgrounds.
Nearby communities include Lake Helen (5.5 miles), Orange City (6 miles), De Leon Springs (7.5 miles), De Bary (10 miles) and Deltona (10 miles).
Population: 23,829
Year of Incorporation: 1882
Location: East Central Florida
Median Home Price: $287,000
Tax Rate: 5.787
Taxes Levied (per capita): $191.02
City Hall: City Of DeLand
120 S. Florida Ave
DeLand, FL 32720
386.740.5700; 386.740.6869 Fax
Email Contact
Chamber of Commerce: DeLand Area Chamber
336 N. Woodland Blvd
DeLand, FL 32720
386.734.4331; 386.734.4333 Fax
Email Contact
West Volusia Tourism Bureau
DeLand, FL
386.734.4331; 800.749.4350 (tollfree)
Email Contact
Library: DeLand Area Public Library
130 E. Howry Ave
DeLand FL 32724
386.822.6430
 Print Version  Email this article to your friend!
|
Home
Contact
Advertise
