Belair Grove Collection

Belair Grove Collection

Belair Collection

Lake Mary (Fla.)

Sanford (Fla.)

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Agriculture--Florida

Sanford, Henry Shelton, 1823-1891

in 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased 12,547.15 square acres of land known as the Sanford Grant. The acreage included an experiment station called Belair Grove, located just three miles southwest of the city named after Sanford. By 1889, Sanford extended his land purchase to 145 acres and contained mainly orange and lemon trees. In Belair alone, Sanford introduced over 140 varieties of citrus plants. All were tested to determine if Florida citrus growers could introduce new varieties into the growing citrus market. Sanford also grew exotic plants acquired from Central and South America, many of which survived the 1886 freeze. Sanford mainly used Belair as his own experiment station, but ultimately the findings and reports would be used by other citrus growers throughout Florida. Eventually, following Sanford's death in 1891, his wife, Gertrude Sanford, sold Belair to Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase.

Henry Shelton Sanford Papers Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

eng

Collection

Belair Grove, Lake Mary, Florida

Sanford, Florida

Cepero, Laura

Fedorka, Drew M.

General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, Sanford Museum

Some Account of Belair, Also of the City of Sanford Florida, With a Brief Sketch of Their Founder. Sanford, Florida: 1889.