Hastings | |
|---|---|
 Potato Growers Association building in Hastings, Florida | |
 Location inSt. Johns County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:29°42′53″N81°30′13″W / 29.71472°N 81.50361°W /29.71472; -81.50361 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | St. Johns |
| Settled | 1890 |
| Incorporated | 1909 |
| Dissolved | March 1, 2018 |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2) |
| • Land | 3.24 sq mi (8.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,262 |
| • Density | 389.6/sq mi (150.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip code | 32145 |
| Area code | 904 |
| FIPS code | 12-29100[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2797201[2] |
| Website | www |
Hastings is an unincorporatedcensus-designated place and agricultural center inSt. Johns County,Florida, United States, 18 miles (29 km) southwest ofSt. Augustine. It was formerly anincorporated town, but it was dissolved in 2018 after a vote by residents. The population was 1,262 at the2020 census, up from 580 at the 2010 census. It is part of theJacksonville, FloridaMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Henry Morrison Flagler built tourist hotels at St. Augustine in the late 19th century, including thePonce de León Hotel. He needed a local source of fresh vegetables for his guests, so he persuaded Thomas Horace Hastings, his cousin, to develop a farm.[4] A small community evolved into a town, which was named for its founder in 1890.[5] Hastings is known as the "Potato Capital of Florida" with 21,000 acres (85 km2) of potato farms, but also produces cabbage, onions, eggplant and ornamental horticulture.
Hastings in 1910 was a thriving town that was a stop on theFlorida East Coast Railway. The population of approximately 1,200 supported several general stores, a bakery, drug stores, meat markets, an ice plant and cold storage. In addition to farming, two companies manufactured barrels and a grist mill ground grain. There was a bank and a hotel, three doctors and a dentist. The town had water and sewer utilities, telephone and telegraph service. The local public school was good.[6] The former FEC line is now part of the Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail, and a trailhead can be found in the community within theCora C. Harrison Preserve.[7]
On November 7, 2017, the voters of Hastings elected to dissolve the city with an 82% majority vote. St. Johns County officially took control of the area on March 1, 2018.[8] The United States Census Bureau designated Hastings as acensus-designated place in the 2020 census.[1]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2), all land.
| Climate data for Hastings, Florida, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1978–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) | 87 (31) | 92 (33) | 93 (34) | 99 (37) | 104 (40) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 97 (36) | 93 (34) | 90 (32) | 86 (30) | 104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 81.5 (27.5) | 82.8 (28.2) | 86.0 (30.0) | 89.0 (31.7) | 93.6 (34.2) | 96.1 (35.6) | 95.9 (35.5) | 95.4 (35.2) | 93.2 (34.0) | 89.5 (31.9) | 85.4 (29.7) | 82.0 (27.8) | 97.0 (36.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67.8 (19.9) | 70.2 (21.2) | 74.8 (23.8) | 80.3 (26.8) | 85.6 (29.8) | 89.4 (31.9) | 91.1 (32.8) | 90.3 (32.4) | 87.3 (30.7) | 81.8 (27.7) | 74.8 (23.8) | 69.5 (20.8) | 80.2 (26.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56.2 (13.4) | 58.8 (14.9) | 63.0 (17.2) | 68.0 (20.0) | 74.1 (23.4) | 79.4 (26.3) | 81.5 (27.5) | 81.3 (27.4) | 78.8 (26.0) | 72.2 (22.3) | 64.3 (17.9) | 58.8 (14.9) | 69.7 (20.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44.7 (7.1) | 47.4 (8.6) | 51.1 (10.6) | 55.8 (13.2) | 62.5 (16.9) | 69.4 (20.8) | 71.9 (22.2) | 72.4 (22.4) | 70.3 (21.3) | 62.5 (16.9) | 53.9 (12.2) | 48.1 (8.9) | 59.2 (15.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 29.3 (−1.5) | 33.5 (0.8) | 41.0 (5.0) | 50.6 (10.3) | 62.4 (16.9) | 67.0 (19.4) | 67.6 (19.8) | 61.8 (16.6) | 47.3 (8.5) | 36.5 (2.5) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 12 (−11) | 21 (−6) | 25 (−4) | 33 (1) | 42 (6) | 49 (9) | 59 (15) | 60 (16) | 51 (11) | 35 (2) | 27 (−3) | 17 (−8) | 12 (−11) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.02 (77) | 2.97 (75) | 3.40 (86) | 2.82 (72) | 4.27 (108) | 7.47 (190) | 6.44 (164) | 7.44 (189) | 8.38 (213) | 4.63 (118) | 2.42 (61) | 3.01 (76) | 56.27 (1,429) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 15.6 | 13.6 | 10.0 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 120.0 |
| Source: NOAA[9][10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 399 | — | |
| 1920 | 761 | 90.7% | |
| 1930 | 673 | −11.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,035 | 53.8% | |
| 1950 | 577 | −44.3% | |
| 1960 | 617 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 628 | 1.8% | |
| 1980 | 636 | 1.3% | |
| 1990 | 595 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 521 | −12.4% | |
| 2010 | 580 | 11.3% | |
| 2020 | 1,262 | 117.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 521 people, 213 households, and 139 families residing in the town. The population density was 790.5 inhabitants per square mile (305.2/km2). There were 238 housing units at an average density of 361.1 units per square mile (139.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 52.02%White, 43.38%African American, 0.58%Pacific Islander, 2.11% fromother races, and 1.92% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 4.99% of the population.
There were 213 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% weremarried couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,635, and the median income for a family was $30,769. Males had a median income of $25,909 versus $20,694 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $14,537. About 15.4% of families and 21.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.
It is in theSt. Johns County School District.[12]
Zoned schools include South Woods Elementary School, Gamble Rogers Middle School, andPedro Menendez High School.[13]
TheHastings High School was built in 1924 to provide education for the children of the farmers in the southwest corner of the county.[14] In 1985 it closed,[15] and theHastings Branch of the St. Johns County Public Library is located in this building.[14] Hastings Elementary School was replaced by Hastings Elementary-Junior High School, which occupied the former high school facility, in 1985. In 1992 it dropped its junior high school program. The school, now Hastings Elementary School,[15] was in operation until its 2005 closure. South Woods Elementary opened in the fall of that year, replacing Hastings Elementary.[16]
The only public school in the town post-2005 was theHastings Youth Academy, anAlternative school.[17]
St. Johns County Public Library has a library in the former school.[18]
6195 S. Main St. Hastings, FL 32145- The image is of that of the former school.
Municipalities and communities ofSt. Johns County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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