Winter Park Ferneries

In the late 1920's, the "back country" of Winter Park experienced an agricultural boom. The cultivation of plumosus fern and gladioli bulbs brought thousands of dollars in profits to local farmers. Hibbard Casselberry, Sr. was one of these men. He owned the Winter Park Gladiola Gardens, as well as a small florist shop on Park Avenue. He sold Fernery Estates for Gordon Barnett's Fern Park Estates subdivision. When he split from Barnett, Casselberry started his own fernery business known as Winter Park Ferneries. Casselberry and friends incorporated their properties in 1940, founding the city of Casselberry out of Fern Park in order to escape growing land taxes.

This article was written by former archivist, Barbara White, MLIS.