Learn More About Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Located few miles east of Spring Hill, Brooksville is a city in Hernando County, for which it serves as the county seat. It lies about an hour north of Tampa along the so-called Nature Coast in Florida. The geographic center of the state is positioned approximately 12 miles away from here. Brooksville is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area. Once referred to as the "Home of the Tangerine," the suburban city used to be a major citrus producer in the region.
Settlers arrived at the present location of Brooksville after being forced by lack of potable water to leave Fort DeSoto, a military fort built for protection from attacks by Native Americans. Some moved further south and created a community known as Pierceville. Another community named Melendez was formed northwest of Pierceville. Both of these towns were combined to create the new town of Brooksville, which became the county seat of Hernando County in 1856. But the name of the Pierceville post office was not changed until 1871. The town was named after South Carolina statesman Preston Brooks, who is reputed for the brutal caning of abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate in 1856. The City of Brooksville was incorporated in October 1880.
The growth of this city has been rather slow, but it has been fair steady nevertheless. The population has risen from just about 1,000 in 1920 to around 8,000 today. A 2015 census estimate put the total number of residents at 7,854. As of U.S. Census of 2010, almost half of the population was 45 years or older, with the median age of city inhabitants put at 44 years. Notable people from here include former Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings, former American Congressman and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, NFL defensive tackle Jerome Brown and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
A very popular community in Brooksville is Brookridge. This is a master-planned, deed-restricted community featuring manufactured homes and targeted at people aged 55 years or older. Lots are individually-owned in the safe Brookridge Community which boasts access to many great amenities and an 18-hole golf course.
Many exciting events are held in Brooksville throughout the year. One of the popular festivals here is the annual Blueberry Festival held in downtown with live music performances. The city hopes this growing event will one day achieve similar status as the Strawberry Festival that is celebrated annually in Plant City. There are also monthly events for residents and visitors. This historic community has several quaint homes and pleasant cobble stone streets.
Exciting activities that can be enjoyed around Brooksville include kayaking, fishing, canoeing and camping. Hiking and biking opportunities exist in the Withlacoochee State Forest which boasts one of the finest trails in the nation. The 36-hole World Woods golf course is another place to enjoy superb golfing in the city.
Named in 2000 as the Outstanding Rural Community of the Year in Florida, Brooksville is rich in history and offers many facilities to make for comfortable living. In addition, senior citizens are specially catered for here with a community entirely exclusive to them. For public transit, the suburban city is served by the Purple route of THE Bus.
