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Green Cove Springs, Florida

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Green Cove Springs, Florida
City
Location in Clay County and the state of Florida
Location in Clay County and the state of Florida
Country United States
State Florida
County Clay
Area
 • Total9.4 sq mi (24.5 km2)
 • Land6.8 sq mi (17.7 km2)
 • Water2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2)
Elevation
16 ft (5 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total5,378
 • Density572.1/sq mi (219.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
32043
Area code904
FIPS code12-27400Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0283381Template:GR

Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,990 [1]. It is the county seat of Clay CountyTemplate:GR.

The city is named after the portion of the St. Johns River upon which the city is built. The river bends here, and the area is sheltered by trees that are perennially green.

History

First inhabited over 7,000 years ago by natives drawn by the warm mineral spring. The Green Cove Springs area was first developed by George E. Clarke in 1816 when he was provided land, under a Spanish land grant to build a sawmill. Green Cove Springs was established in 1854 as White Sulfur Springs. Renamed in 1866, it became the county seat in 1871.

Tourism was the primary economic base until the end of the century, when Henry Flagler's railroad began taking tourist further south into Florida. In 1895, the Great Freeze destroyed the areas citrus crops, and tourism all but ended. The 1920s saw renewed development with automobile traffic bringing in tourists again. The Great Depression of the 1930s saw the end of growth again for the city.

The period immediately before and during World War II again brought new growth to Green Cove Spring. In September 1940, the U.S. Navy opened Naval Air Station Lee Field in honor of Ensign Bejamin Lee who had lost his life in a crash at Killinghome, England during World War I. In August 1943, the facility was renamed Naval Air Station Green Cove Springs (Lee Field). [1] After the war, NAS Green Cove Springs was downgraded in status to a Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) as part of the greater NAS Jacksonville complex. The Navy also constructed 13 piers along the St. Johns River to house a "Mothball Fleet" of some 600 vessels. In 1960, the Navy decommisoned the air station, the pier facility and relocated the vessels. In 1984, the city annexed the former base into the city to utilize it for further growth and development as the Clay County Port and Reynolds Industrial Park.

Green Cove Springs is the birthplace of Charles E. Merrill (1885-1956), one of the founders of Merrill, Lynch & Company. The town's spring is described by his son James Merrill in the poem "Two From Florida," published in The Inner Room (1988).

Green Cove Springs is also the birthplace of Augusta Savage née Augusta Christine Fells (February 29 1892 - March 26 1962) Savage was an African American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance.

Post Office

A U.S. post office was established at Hibernia on June 19 1849, but its name was changed on October 17 1853 to Magnolia Mills, and on July 30 1866, it was changed to Green Cove Springs. The Hibernia post office was reestablished on February 16 1855, and remained open until May 15 1931, when it was closed and the area assigned to Green Cove Springs.[2]

Geography

Green Cove Springs is located at 29°59′34″N 81°41′2″W / 29.99278°N 81.68389°W / 29.99278; -81.68389Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (29.992716, -81.683786)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.5 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.7 km²) of it is land and 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it (27.83%) is water.

Green Cove Springs is the county seat of Government for Clay County, Florida. The Greater Green Cove Springs area consists of the unincorporated communities of Pier Station and Lake Asbury.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,378 people, 1,987 households, and 1,402 families residing in the city. The population density was 789.0 people per square mile (304.5/km²). There were 2,199 housing units at an average density of 322.6/sq mi (124.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.55% White, 24.40% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population.

There were 1,987 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,487, and the median income for a family was $40,443. Males had a median income of $28,097 versus $22,040 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,673. About 14.6% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

The city has had its own police force since the 1940s. The Green Cove Springs Police Department currently consists of 19 sworn full time officers, 6 part time officers, 7 dispatchers, a secretary and 2 crossing guards. The police department has officers assigned to joint task forces, full time, such as the D.E.A. and Clay County Drug Task force.

Business

Gustafson Dairy Farm

Vac-Conis the country leading producer of heavy-duty sewer cleaning equipment.

The city has a large industrial center, on what used to be an old Navy Base, off of S.R. 16E

References

  1. ^ United States Naval Aviation 1910 - 1980, NAVAIR 00-80P-1, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, c1981, p.465
  2. ^ Bradbury, Alford G., and Hallock, E. Story, A Chronology of Florida Post Offices, reprinted 1993, Port Salerno:Florida Classics Library. ISBN 0-9630788-1-X

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