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Hastings
Census-designated place
Potato Growers Association building in Hastings, Florida
Location in St. Johns County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 29°43′0″N 81°30′30″W / 29.71667°N 81.50833°W / 29.71667; -81.50833
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	St. Johns
Settled	1890
Incorporated	1909
Dissolved	March 1, 2018
Area
• Total	3.24 sq mi (8.40 km)
• Land	3.24 sq mi (8.39 km)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population
• Total	1,262
• Density	389.63/sq mi (150.41/km)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code	32145
Area code	904
FIPS code	12-29100
GNIS feature ID	0307980
Website	www.hastings-fl.com

Hastings is an unincorporated census-designated place and agricultural center in St. Johns County, Florida, United States, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of St. Augustine. It was formerly an incorporated town, but it was dissolved in 2018 after a vote by residents. The population was 1,262 at the 2020 census, up from 580 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Henry Morrison Flagler built tourist hotels at St. Augustine in the late 19th century, including the Ponce 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. A small community evolved into a town, which was named for its founder in 1890. Hastings is known as the "Potato Capital of Florida" with 21,000 acres (85 km) of potato farms, but also produces cabbage, onions, eggplant and ornamental horticulture.

Hastings in 1910 was a thriving town that was a stop on the Florida 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. Today the former FEC line is part of the Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail, and a trailhead can be found in the community within the Cora C. Harrison Preserve.

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.

The United States Census Bureau designated Hastings as a census-designated place in the 2020 census.

Geography

Hastings is located at 29°43′5″N 81°30′29″W / 29.71806°N 81.50806°W / 29.71806; -81.50806 (29.7180, -81.5081).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km), all land.

Climate

Demographics

As of the census 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/km). There were 238 housing units at an average density of 361.1 units per square mile (139.4 units/km). The racial makeup of the town was 52.02% White, 43.38% African American, 0.58% Pacific Islander, 2.11% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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. The per capita income for the town was $14,537. About 15.4% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the St. Johns County School District.

Zoned schools include South Woods Elementary School, Gamble Rogers Middle School, and Pedro Menendez High School.

The Hastings High School was built in 1924 to provide education for the children of the farmers in the southwest corner of the county. In 1985 it closed, and the Hastings Branch of the St. Johns County Public Library is located in this building. 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, was in operation until its 2005 closure. South Woods Elementary opened in the fall of that year, replacing Hastings Elementary.

The only public school in the town post-2005 was the Hastings Youth Academy, an Alternative school.

St. Johns County Public Library has a library in the former school.

Notable people

• Derrick Ramsey (born 1956), Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development and former NFL player who played tight end for nine seasons for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
• Ron Waller, American football player.

References

1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. Foster, C.F. (April 4, 2021). "Book review: A salute to Hastings, firmly planted in Florida history". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
5. Quatrano, Nancy (May 17, 2020). "Hastings celebrating 130th anniversary". The St. Augustine Record. St. Augustine, Florida. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
6. Wilson, Gil: "The Progressive Era to World War II" Dr. Bronson's St. Augustine History
7. "Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail". Trail Link. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
8. Martin, Jake. "'The community stays': Town of Hastings hands over the keys to St. Johns County". The St. Augustine Record. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
9. "Hastings". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
10. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
11. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
13. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Hastings CDP, FL" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 1, 2022. - Compare to the school zone maps.
14. "Attendance Zoning Information". St. Johns County School District. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
15. ^ St. Johns County Public Library, Hastings Branch
16. ^ "Background Information of Wildcat Country". Hastings Elementary School. February 2, 1999. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
17. "Resolution No. 2005-329" (PDF). St. John's County Clerk. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
18. St. Johns County School District, Schools Directory-Hastings Youth Academy
19. "Hastings Branch". St. Johns County Public Library. Retrieved August 2, 2022. 6195 S. Main St. Hastings, FL 32145 - The image is of that of the former school.
20. Hitchner, Emelia. "Catching up with a hometown hero", The St. Augustine Record, June 26, 2016. Accessed July 25, 2019. "Former NFL player Derrick Ramsey can trace nine seasons of professional football, a slew of high school and college championships and a successful government career back to his tiny hometown of Hastings. Hastings, with its bright green fields and hard-working families, was the perfect place for Ramsey to nurture a dream farther than he could toss a football."

External links

• Hastings former town website

v t e Municipalities and communities of St. Johns County, Florida, United States
County seat: St. Augustine
Cities	St. Augustine St. Augustine Beach
Town	Marineland‡
CDPs	Butler Beach Crescent Beach Flagler Estates Fruit Cove Hastings Nocatee Palm Valley Sawgrass St. Augustine Shores St. Augustine South Vilano Beach World Golf Village
Other unincorporated communities	Armstrong Elkton Julington Creek Plantation Ponte Vedra Ponte Vedra Beach St. Johns Spuds Summer Haven Switzerland Vermont Heights
Ghost towns	Tocoi
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Florida portal United States portal

v t e Jacksonville metropolitan area
Jacksonville–St. Marys–Palatka, FL–GA Combined Statistical Area
Counties	Baker Camden Clay Duval Nassau Putnam St. Johns
Cities, towns and CDPs	Principal city Jacksonville 25k-50k Fleming Island Lakeside Ponte Vedra Beach 10k-25k Atlantic Beach Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace Fernandina Beach Fruit Cove Jacksonville Beach Kingsland Middleburg Nocatee Oakleaf Plantation Palatka Palm Valley St. Augustine St. Marys Yulee 1k-10k Baldwin Butler Beach Callahan Crescent Beach Crescent City East Palatka Flagler Estates Green Cove Springs Hilliard Interlachen Keystone Heights Lake Asbury Macclenny Nassau Village-Ratliff Neptune Beach Orange Park St. Augustine Beach St. Augustine Shores St. Augustine South Sawgrass Villano Beach Woodbine

• Towns in St. Johns County, Florida
• Towns in the Jacksonville metropolitan area
• Populated places established in 1890
• 2018 disestablishments in Florida
• Former municipalities in Florida
• Towns in Florida
• Populated places on the St. Johns River
• Populated places disestablished in 2018