Fletcher Heights

Before the Bust

On November 22, 1924, less than four years before the Great Depression, the Fletcher Heights subdivision was platted. Two and a half miles from downtown, the subdivision -- between Crystal Boulevard and Maureen Street, initially consisted of 64 lots.

On February 6, 1925, George and Helen Fletcher of Hernando sold 562 ½ acres of land to the Fletcher Heights Development Company Inc. of Pinellas County. The company agreed to assume two mortgages totaling $6,300 plus interest for the property. In 1929, the Great Depression hit and understandably, construction on the development took a turn. To complicate matters, a previously lucrative business in the area, the phosphate mines, was negatively impacted by the decision to halt shipment of the munitions chemical overseas when World War I broke out in 1914. It became apparent the local market demand could not sustain the phosphate mines and virtually all closed their doors by the time the subdivision was under construction. As a result, mine workers relocated, businesses closed and new construction slowed.

Fletcher Heights Today

Since the development was first platted, it has undergone numerous changes. The original subdivision lies south of State Road 44 and east of Border Street. Over the years, the subdivision of Inverness Village sprouted up around it, encapsulating a group of lots. In 1989, Fletcher Heights Unit 2 was platted, which is is off County Road 581, bordering Kimberly Lane. A third section was added just north of Unit 2.

The development is home to approximately 51 houses, according to Propety Appraiser information of March 2008. The Withlacoochee State Forest is to the south; the third largest state forest. The Florida National Scenic Trail runs just south of Kimberly Lane, off County Road 581 and can be entered by hiking enthusiast via the Citrus Tract. The Florida Scenic Trail runs more than 1,400 miles from the Panhandle to the Everglades.

The historic downtown area shops and restaurants are just a few minutes away, along with the hospital, Withlacoochee State Trail, numerous parks and Interstate 75.