Original Carrollwood History

By 1959, Carrollwood had become one of the foremost award-winning “subdivisions” in the area and boasted of amenities unheard of at the time, including air-conditioned housing, a planned school, neighborhood parks, lake access for all residents, and on-call handyman and repair services. The winding roads, cul-de-sacs, and lake views added even more charm to the young community.

1959 – First homes sold in what is now known as Original Carrollwood.

1961 – Original Carrollwood named U.S. Subdivision of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders.

1962 – Original Carrollwood receives Best Homes for Families with Children Award from Parents magazine.

1972 – Special taxing district created for Original Carrollwood to support community amenities such as parks, the recreation center, and White Sands Beach.

History Page Link: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2009/03/20/suburbia-s-father/

Peacock Story

Brilliant blue and green peacocks strut along the sidewalks and lawns in Original Carrollwood. The peacocks were around before World War II when the Ingram Family bought 480 acres near the south shore of Lake Carroll to raise cattle and grow citrus.

Pirate Dance

The Pirate Dance has been a popular event over the years in Original Carrollwood dating back to 1963. Decked out in costumes, neighbors gathered to enjoy the festivities, and a Duke and a Duchess were named. Read more about the neighborhood fun below.

Lake Carroll

Did you know that Lake Carroll was not always known by that name? Some of the many names for the lake included Horse Pond, Horseshoe Lake, Sunset Lake, and Lake Brorein.

Charles Carroll

Charles Carroll of Carrollton (his complete name) was born in 1737 into a wealthy Catholic family in Annapolis, Maryland.

Matt Jetton

Matt Jetton (pronounced “jet-tawn”) achieved local and national fame in the late 1950s as the developer of Original Carrollwood.

Tornado

Editor’s Note: Lula Dovi is a long time resident of Original Carrollwood. She still resides on Lacewood Road.

25th Anniversary

In November 1984 the community gathered to reminisce about the first twenty-five years of living the good life in Carrollwood. Raising children, building houses, surviving a tornado and proudly contributing to making northwest Hillsborough what it is today were just some of the conversations shared.

40th Anniversary

November 1999. Many residents and some who returned to town just for the celebration enjoyed a walk down memory lane during the 40th anniversary celebration of Carrollwood.

50th Anniversary

The 50th Celebration weekend was a spectacular event that will be talked about for years to come! The three-day extravaganza attracted over 3,000 people from Original Carrollwood.

Legendary Luminaries

In the mid 1960s, Grace Allen (the wife of the first president of the University of South Florida and Original Carrollwood resident) had read about a southwestern Christmas Eve tradition of lighting candles placed in sand-filled paper bags called luminarias.

Fire Service

In the earlier days of Northwest Hillsborough (circa 1960s and 1970s), the closest fire service came from Armsdale Fire Association, an independent company sanctioned by the county. Armsdale Fire Association was located at Kirby Street and Himes Avenue (south of Waters Avenue) and was willing to cover “Carrollwood.”

Original Carrollwood Song

A legendary singer/songwriter, Original Carrollwood resident Jim Mason wrote and performed a song entitled “A Peaceful Paradise” to capture the essence of Original Carrollwood.

Click here to enjoy the song: Original Carollwood Song