Editing Fruitland Park, Florida (section)

==History==
[[Image:Holytrinfruitlandpark2b.jpg|thumb|left|Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]]]

Fruitland Park antedates the [[American Civil War]], although the name of the town only came later, as it was originally called Gardenia. The earliest settler was M. Calvin Lee, of the Evander Lee family of [[Leesburg, Florida|Leesburg]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://leesburgchamber.com/History.asp?id=17 |title=Leesburg history |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002010844/http://www.leesburgchamber.com/History.asp?id=17 |archive-date=2008-10-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who planted a citrus grove. After the war, a son-in-law of the Lee family, P.S. Bouknight, homesteaded {{convert|40|acre|m2}} near Mirror Lake.

In 1875, the [[State of Florida]] sent Captain Kendricks to the northern part of the United States to talk about the advantages of living in Florida. Due to Major Orlando P. Rooks' poor health, and already considering a move, he had his wife, Josephine, moved to Fruitland Park.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030508093841/http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/hikeplans/fruitland_park/planfruitland.html Fruitland Park hiking tour]</ref> They built their first home on Crystal Lake in 1877. It was here that the first white child, Frederic, was born in 1882.

The Fruitland Nurseries of Augusta, Georgia, was owned by J. P. Berckmann, friend of Major Rook. Major Rook named the town Fruitland Park for the nurseries, and the main street Berckmann Street for this friend.

The postal authorities refused to recognize the name Fruitland Park as there was already a Fruitland in the state. At their request, the name was changed to Gardenia in 1884. The [[Florida Railroad]], put through the town just prior to this, had listed the town as Fruitland Park in all their printed matter and refused to recognize the new name of Gardenia. Consequently, all freight and express had to be directed to Fruitland Park and all mail addressed to Gardenia. This caused a great deal of confusion, which lasted from 1884 to 1888, when a petition was sent to the postal authorities to have the name changed back to Fruitland Park. The petition was granted in 1888.

On December 20, 1884, Rev. G.W. Butler organized the first "community" church in Fruitland Park, it was called the Community Church a Methodist Episcopal church founded by the Illinois conference. The church had acquired lots on College Ave., between Fountain St. and Lime St.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.communityumcfp.com/CUMCcss/historycss.html |title=CUMC History |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021075443/http://www.communityumcfp.com/CUMCcss/historycss.html |archive-date=2008-10-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The church was built in 1886–1887. That building burned in 1934, but was rebuilt in 1935. That building was later sold to the [[United Pentecostal Church]] and still remains today.{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}

Fruitland Park was granted a charter by the state, and incorporated on May 25, 1927.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fruitlandpark.org/history.htm |title=Fruitland Park history |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207115604/http://www.fruitlandpark.org/history.htm |archive-date=2008-12-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Fruitland Park is also home to the oldest Dirt Kart Track in America. The 1/8 mile clay oval kart track has hosted Saturday Night Dirt Kart Racing for Go Kart enthusiasts since opening in 1958.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.racingin.com/track/details.aspx?s=FL&Address_ID=1797 |title=RacingIn|access-date=2021-03-28}}</ref>

===Expansion of The Villages===

On December 10, 2013, The Villages of Lake-Sumter Inc. closed on a deal to purchase property in Fruitland Park for $8 million from a private owner. Subsequently, they also began the annexation and rezoning process with the city. The property is currently the construction site for 2,038 new Villages homes, a project with final completion projected sometime in 2016. It was determined that the city of Fruitland Park stands to earn approximately $13 million in impact fees and building permits as a result of the expansion, not including ongoing tax revenues upon completion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Villages closes $8 million deal on Fruitland Park property |newspaper=Villages-News |url= http://www.villages-news.com/villages-close-8-million-deal-fruitland-park-property/|access-date=April 28, 2015 }}</ref>