Temple Terrace, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Temple Terrace, Florida
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| City of Temple Terrace | |
Gazebo at Woodmont Park
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| Nickname(s):
"The Terrace"
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| Motto(s):
"Amazing City, Since 1925"
"Tree City USA" |
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Location in Hillsborough County and the U.S. state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Hillsborough |
| City |  Temple Terrace |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Incorporated | May 28, 1925 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.77 sq mi (20.13 km2) |
| • Land | 7.47 sq mi (19.36 km2) |
| • Water | 0.30 sq mi (0.77 km2) |
| Elevation | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 26,690 |
| • Density | 3,570.57/sq mi (1,378.57/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
33617, 33637, (33687 P.O. Box)
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| Area code(s) | 813 |
| FIPS code | 12-71400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0292103 |
Temple Terrace is a city in Florida, United States. It's located in northeastern Hillsborough County, right next to Tampa. In 2020, about 26,690 people lived there.
Temple Terrace is the third and smallest city in Hillsborough County. It became an official city in 1925. The area is famous for its gently rolling hills, pretty views of the Hillsborough River, and many sand live oak trees. It's even called a Tree City USA!
The city was first planned in the 1920s as a special community built around a golf course. It was one of the first places in the U.S. to be designed this way. The buildings were made in a style called Mediterranean-Revival. Temple Terrace is part of the larger Tampa Bay area.
The city got its name from a special type of fruit called the Temple orange, also known as a tangor. This orange is a mix between a mandarin orange (tangerine) and a regular sweet orange. It was named after William Chase Temple, who used to own the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. Temple Terrace was the first place in the United States where these Temple oranges were grown in large amounts.
The "terrace" part of the name comes from the way the land slopes down in layers towards the river. One of the first houses in the area even had a yard that sloped down in tiers, like steps, towards the river.
Contents
- Exploring Temple Terrace's Past
- Florida College: A Local Landmark
- Temple Terrace's Growth and New Look
- What's Nearby?
- Where is Temple Terrace Located?
- What's the Weather Like?
- How Many People Live Here?
- Famous People From Temple Terrace
- Schools in Temple Terrace
- Temple Terrace Public Library
- Sister City
- See also
Exploring Temple Terrace's Past
Who Lived Here First?
Long ago, the first people to live in the Temple Terrace area were called the Tocobaga. They were a group of Native Americans who lived around Tampa Bay. They lived there for a very long time, until about 1760.
Spanish Explorers Arrive
Spanish explorers came to the Temple Terrace area in 1757. A man named Don Francisco Maria Celi from the Spanish Royal Fleet traveled up the Hillsborough River. He was looking for tall pine trees to use as masts for his ships.
In a large forest of longleaf pine trees, he put up a cross. He named the area "El Pinal de la Cruz de Santa Teresa," which means "the Pine Forest of the Cross of Saint Theresa." You can still find a historical marker and a copy of this cross in Riverhills Park today.
Before 1913, the many longleaf pine, sand live oak, and cypress trees in the area were used for making turpentine and for logging.
The Potter Palmer Era
The land where Temple Terrace now stands was once part of a huge 19,000-acre game preserve. It was called "Riverhills" and belonged to a wealthy woman from Chicago named Bertha Palmer. She was married to a businessman named Potter Palmer. Bertha Palmer was very important in helping Sarasota become known as the "City of the Arts." She owned a lot of land and was a big farmer and developer in Florida in the early 1900s.
In 1918, a newspaper described her preserve as a "well-stocked hunting preserve north of Tampa." Only one building from her original preserve, now called the Woodmont Clubhouse, is still standing. Because it was saved from logging, the land around the clubhouse has some of the biggest live oak and longleaf pine trees in the city.
Mrs. Palmer dreamed of turning her property into a community with a golf course surrounded by many citrus groves. However, she passed away in 1918 before she could finish her plan. After her death, her brother, Adrian Honoré, sold her land to a group of developers. They created two companies: Temple Terrace Estates, Inc., which built the golf course and homes, and Temple Terraces, Inc., which developed 5,000 acres of orange groves. These groves were once the largest orange grove in the world in the 1920s!
The idea for the community in 1920 was that wealthy people from the North would buy a lot in Temple Terrace. They would build a beautiful Mediterranean-style house and also buy a piece of the orange grove. They could either manage the grove as a hobby or use it to earn extra money. Temple Terrace was originally only used during "The Season," which was from December to February. For the rest of the year, caretakers looked after the houses.
In 1924, part of the 5,000-acre Temple Orange grove was turned into the neighborhood of Temple Crest. This area is right next to Temple Terrace, along the Hillsborough River. The land where Busch Gardens is today was also part of Mrs. Palmer's original ranch.
In 1925 and 1926, the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club hosted the Florida Open golf tournament. Many famous golfers played in this event. The golf course was designed by Tom Bendelow. He also designed a famous course in Chicago. The Temple Terrace golf course is still very much the same as it was when Bendelow designed it.
Temple Terrace was one of the first planned golf-course communities in the United States, designed in 1920. The town plan was created by George F. Young, a town planner and landscape architect. The buildings were designed in the Mediterranean-Revival style by two different architects. M. Leo Elliott designed the first houses and public buildings in 1921. Later, in 1926, Dwight James Baum also designed homes in Temple Terrace.
There are still many houses and buildings in the city designed by Elliott and Baum. Temple Terrace had a tough time in the 1930s, like the rest of Florida. But building started again after World War II. Now, there are also many cool mid-century modern homes and buildings.
Florida College: A Local Landmark
Florida Bible Institute bought the old Country Club Clubhouse in the late 1930s. This building is now a special part of Florida College. Florida College is a private college that started in 1946. It uses some of the community's oldest buildings, including the old Temple Terrace Country Club, which is now Sutton Hall.
Billy Graham, a famous speaker, attended Florida Bible Institute in the late 1930s. In his book, he wrote that he felt called to his life's work "on the 18th green of the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club." Today, there's a Billy Graham Memorial Park near the 18th green by the river.
Temple Terrace's Growth and New Look
Temple Terrace started to grow and change a lot between 1984 and 1987. City leaders worked to bring in new businesses and shopping centers. They also helped build many new homes. This helped the city become a great place for families and businesses.
Today, Temple Terrace is working on making its downtown area new and exciting. The goal is to build a downtown where people can live, shop, and walk around easily. This new downtown plan is based on the original ideas from the 1920s, using the same Mediterranean Revival style of architecture.
What's Nearby?
Many people who live in Temple Terrace work or teach at the nearby University of South Florida. The city has strong connections to the university. The USF campus was also once part of Mrs. Palmer's large ranch.
Eureka Springs Park, located east of Temple Terrace, is Hillsborough County's only botanical garden. A man named Albert Greenberg started this 31-acre park. He gave it to the county in 1967. Famous poet Robert Frost and other well-known people used to visit Greenberg at his park.
The Museum of Science & Industry, often called MOSI, is in Tampa, very close to Temple Terrace.
Just one mile west of Temple Terrace, you'll find Busch Gardens Tampa, a popular theme park.
Where is Temple Terrace Located?
Temple Terrace is in the north-central part of Hillsborough County. It's bordered by Tampa to the west and north. To the south is Del Rio, Florida, and to the east is rural Hillsborough County, near Interstate 75.
The city covers about 7.77 square miles (20.13 square kilometers). Most of this is land, but about 0.30 square miles (0.77 square kilometers) is water. The Hillsborough River flows through the eastern and southern parts of the city. It also forms some of the city's southern border.
What's the Weather Like?
The weather in Temple Terrace has hot, humid summers. The winters are usually mild. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.
How Many People Live Here?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 215 | — | |
| 1950 | 433 | 101.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,812 | 780.4% | |
| 1970 | 7,347 | 92.7% | |
| 1980 | 11,097 | 51.0% | |
| 1990 | 16,444 | 48.2% | |
| 2000 | 20,918 | 27.2% | |
| 2010 | 24,541 | 17.3% | |
| 2020 | 26,690 | 8.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the city had 26,690 people living in 10,490 households.
Famous People From Temple Terrace
- Pam Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General
- Sammy Ellis, a professional baseball pitcher
- Cody Fowler, a well-known Florida lawyer
- Napoleon Hill, a motivational author and speaker
- Peter Palmer, an actor
- Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager
- Robin Roberts, a professional baseball pitcher in the Hall of Fame
Schools in Temple Terrace
Temple Terrace is served by Hillsborough County Schools.
Elementary Schools
- Temple Terrace Elementary School
- Riverhills Elementary School
- Lewis Elementary School
Middle Schools
- Terrace Community Middle School
- Angelo L. Greco Middle School
High Schools
- C. Leon King High School
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Private Schools
- Temple Terrace Presbyterian Weekday School
- Florida College Academy (private school)
- Corpus Christi Catholic School
- American Youth Academy
College
- Florida College
Temple Terrace Public Library
The Temple Terrace Public Library is located at 202 Bullard Parkway. It's part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative.
Library History
The Temple Terrace Library started in 1959 thanks to the Temple Terrace Women's Club. It officially opened on January 15, 1960, after people donated enough books to start a small library. It was first run by volunteers and was in a small house.
As more people wanted to use it, the library moved to a City Hall building in April 1961. By 1965, it needed a new, bigger building. They started building in September 1965 and opened in April 1966. The Women's Club continued to help, even paying for the library's service desk.
By the mid-1970s, the library needed more space again. They added 5,600 square feet, making it much larger by April 1978. Sadly, on February 18, 1982, a fire was set on purpose. The library lost over 11,000 books and recordings. The Women's Club helped again to fix the building, and it reopened a year later. While it was being fixed, they moved materials to another center to keep the library open.
In 1997, the library was expanded again to 20,000 square feet. It reopened in March 1998 with an online catalog, computers, and internet access. Today, it has over 100,000 items and 52 public computers.
What Can You Do at the Library?
The library offers many services:
- You can check out books, eBooks, CDs, and DVDs.
- There are computers, Wi-Fi, and printing services (including 3D printing).
- You can use meeting and study rooms.
- There are safe areas for children and a "Book Nook" provided by the Friends of the Temple Terrace Library.
- The library has programs for kids, teens, and adults. These include storytime, crafts, and games.
- You can also borrow many other things besides books! This includes sewing machines, cooking items, tools, board games, and even neckties.
- You can also "check out" a few seed packets each month to plant at home. These don't need to be returned and come with instructions.
- The library also works with the University of South Florida and other libraries to give you access to old local newspapers.
Sister City
Temple Terrace has a sister city in another country:
Eastleigh, England, in the United Kingdom (since 1989)
See also
In Spanish: Temple Terrace para niños
