Maitland, Florida

History

Maitland is one of the oldest incorporated suburban municipalities in central Florida. Although the area was previously inhabited by Native Americans, the town is named after Fort Maitland, which was built in 1838 on the western shore of Lake Fumecheliga (later Lake Maitland) during the Second Seminole War. After the war the fort was torn down, and the area remained rural for 30 more years, until a post office was constructed for settlers in the area. Around this post office, a town grew. This settlement came to be called Lake Maitland, and later Maitland. After the Civil War, the area was put into extensive citrus production.

Maitland was once a rural spot, but began to urbanized once Orlando's growth reached the town in the 1930s. During this period the community began to develop more rapidly and paved roads and improved the overall aesthetics of the town. Maitland is a suburb of Orlando. The town's "historical corridor" encompasses old residences still standing and occupied in the Lake Lily-Lake Catherine area and extending through the central portion of the city. Examples of these century-old homes are the "Pine Crest Villa" (1891); "Chadburne Hall" (1890); the Kenneth McPherson Home (1926), a prime example of the "Tudor Revival" Style, rare to Florida; the Wise-Taliaferro House (1876), and the Hill-Stone House (1908). The area has always been a vacation spot because of its climate, location to theme parks and people. However, Maitland has recently become a location where affluent individuals have come to reside. Maitland has many picturesque parks along lakes, which attract many boaters.

Geography

Maitland is located at 28°37′37″N 81°22′1″W (28.626926, -81.366961).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), of which 5.3 square miles (13.6 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) (17.84%) is water. The city of Maitland has a total of 21 lakes, the largest being Lake Maitland (451 acres).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,019 people, 4,825 households, and 3,242 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,589.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,000.1/km²). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 1,099.5 per square mile (424.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.22% White, 9.73% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.97% of the population.

There were 4,825 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,500, and the median income for a family was $69,504. Males had a median income of $53,542 versus $30,256 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,290. About 3.5% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Maitland Center was established in 1982 adjacent to Interstate 4. Today its 226 acres (91 ha) include over 400 businesses and over 45 office buildings.

Worldwide Brands has its headquarters in Maitland.

Other local employers include:

SunRail, the regional commuter rail service, operates a passenger rail station in Maitland. The first 31-mile (50 km) segment of the system (between DeBary and Sand Lake Road in Orange County) began operations on May 1, 2014.

Culture and recreation

Maitland is home to the nationally recognized and Central Florida's only full-time independent movie theater, Enzian Theater, in turn home to the Florida Film Festival. Maitland is also home to the Art & History Museums  — Maitland, including the Maitland Art Center (formerly the Research Studio, 1937), which is a designated a National Historic Landmark (2014) for its unique Mayan Revival and Fantasy Architecture; the Maitland Historical Museum; the Maitland Telephone Museum; the William H. Waterhouse House Museum, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places ; and the Carpentry Shop Museum. Maitland is also home to The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando, which serves as the center of Jewish life in Orlando and welcomes people of all backgrounds.

In August 2005 the Maitland Little League team made it to the semifinals of the 2005 Little League World Series.

Notable people

Education

Orange County Public Schools operates public schools in Maitland.

Private schools include:

Institutions of higher education include:

Museums and libraries

Points of interest