Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fort Meade had a population of 5,100. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city was named for George Meade, at the time an Army lieutenant serving in Florida following the Second Seminole War. Fort Meade is home to Fort Meade Middle-Senior High School, several historic buildings, and Streamsong resort. The area is popular with kayakers and canoers.
History
left|thumb|Lightsey House pictured in a 1907 postcard
Fort Meade is the oldest city in Polk County, dating its origins to 1849, when it was established along a new military road from Tampa (Fort Brooke) to Fort Pierce following the Second Seminole War. The town and road were originally sited by then-lieutenant George Meade of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, whose commander named it for him. Around the start of the American Civil War a mounted volunteer company nicknamed the "Hickory Boys" was formed at the fort. The 1880s business district was located on old Wire Street (now Broadway), which was a casualty of four devastating fires. There are over 150 buildings which are designated as landmarks. In the 1890s, the Fort Meade Street Railway operated a horse-drawn service in the town.
The earliest known burial is John I. Hooker (1821–1862), located in the town's Evergreen Cemetery. Fort Meade's Christ Church (Episcopal) located at 1 North Cleveland Avenue, was built in 1889. It is a frame vernacular with Gothic Revival elements and was designed by architect J. H. Weddell. Located within the historic district, the church was used for the HBO motion picture Judgment, featuring Blythe Danner, Keith Carradine and Jack Warden (1990).
Future Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was stationed at the fort in 1851. The town was burned by Union forces in 1864 and all of the original structures were destroyed, except the second fort which was dismantled in the 1890s. Fort Meade has over 300 homes on the National Register of Historic Places and a handful that date to the late 1800s.
Historic homes and buildings
- Old Fort Meade School House Museum, c. 1885
- Rev. Wm James Reid House, c. 1900
- W.O. Williams/R.C. McClellan House, c. 1898
Geography and climate
Fort Meade is located 20 miles southwest of Legoland in Winter Haven. Fort Meade is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain, with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.00%) is water.
Fort Meade is located in the humid subtropical climate zone, as designated by (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).
Economy
Economic growth has been evident in Fort Meade. Mosaic Corporation developed a world class 10,000 acre golf and spa resort named Streamsong nearby. Legoland Florida opened on October 15, 2011, and is having an economic impact on Fort Meade and the surrounding areas. Many of the historic homes are being purchased and restored despite a depressed Florida real estate market.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
|+Fort Meade racial composition<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2020
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|White (NH)
|3,047
|2,640
|54.16%
|51.76%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|1,004
|881
|17.85%
|17.27%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|14
|4
|0.25%
|0.08%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|19
|14
|0.34%
|0.27%
|-
|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)
|0
|2
|0.00%
|0.04%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|20
|11
|0.36%
|0.22%
|-
|Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)
|54
|134
|0.96%
|2.63%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|1,468
|1,414
|26.09%
|27.73%
|-
|Total
|5,626
|5,100
|
|
|-
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fort Meade had a population of 5,100. The median age was 40.2 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.
93.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,909 households in Fort Meade, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.4% were married-couple households, 17.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 5,626 people, 2,199 households, and 1,659 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census
Media
Fort Meade is part of the Tampa/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country, and part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country.
Library
The Fort Meade Public Library is a member of the Polk County Library Cooperative. The library is located at 75 East Broadway Fort Meade, Florida 33841. The library aims to host educational opportunities and encourage literacy in the community of Fort Meade.
History
The Fort Meade Public Library was founded in 1934 by the Fort Meade's Woman Club. Although there was not enough space to house a library at the Woman's Clubhouse, Mr. Ben Johnson, a real estate broker offered a vacant room at 212 West Broadway free of charge for the library. Club members solicited others in the community to donate books and magazines and club members donated their own materials.
- George W. Hendry (1838–1914), Florida early settler, land developer, farmer
- Onterio McCalebb (born 1989), former American football player for the Cincinnati Bengals
- Andrew McCutchen (born 1986), MLB outfielder mostly with Pittsburgh Pirates
- Dan White (1908–1980), American actor, well known for appearing in Western films and TV shows
References
Further reading
External links
- Fort Meade Chamber Of Commerce