Glover School Building - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Glover School 5110 Horton Rd., Bealsville Plant City 2001-11-29
Unlike Eatonville, Florida that was made popular by the anthropologist and writer, Zora Neale Hurston, the history of the Bealsville community is relatively unknown. A small, semi-rural community about 40 miles east of the city of Tampa, Bealsville does not have its own post office, and the mailing address for its 1,200 residents reveals that they officially reside in Plant City, Florida. For those driving on the main thoroughfare, Highway 60, there is nothing to distinguish the community except for small signs on the East and West borders, Ruby Williams's fruit and folk art stand, and a small brown sign marking the turn for the Glover School Historic Site. But like many small places, the history of Bealsville uncovers an insightful story about the American past.
Bealsville was first named Alafia by former slaves who homesteaded the area in the 1860s. Over the years, residents were able to work together to prevent losing large amounts of land due to the effects of foreclosures, migration, and heir property. Although some land has been sold to neighboring phosphate mines, strawberry farms, and families migrating to the area, the majority of the land in Bealsville is still owned by descendants of its first settlers. However, Bealsville's rural character is undergoing a slow but definite change due to the recent encroachment of urban sprawl from the Brandon and Plant City areas.
Increases in land prices and associated taxes have caused several residents to sell land that was once strictly kept in the family. In many cases, the resultant newcomers, often representing a diversity of ethnicities, lack a shared sense of historical connection to the community and tend to prioritize their commitments to surrounding urban areas. Likewise, many longtime Bealsville families also have a greater involvement in affairs outside of Bealsville. For the first time in the history of this small community, residents are experiencing the more urban- and suburbanassociated sense of estrangement from their neighbors. This is compounded by the fact that there are now seven churches in this small community that used to have one central church for fellowship.

Street address: 5110 Horton Rd. Plant City, FL USA 33563 County / Borough / Parish: Hillsborough Year listed: 2001 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974 Historic function: Education Current function: Social Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/28/2019 hart612 visited it 04/19/2009 bunny.durham visited it 07/09/2007 Old Bass Cacher visited it 07/09/2007 Smiling Little Perch visited it

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