Philippe Park
| Philippe Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Safety Harbor, Florida |
| Coordinates | 28°0′19″N 82°41′34″W / 28.00528°N 82.69278°WCoordinates: 28°0′19″N 82°41′34″W / 28.00528°N 82.69278°W |
| Area | 122 acres (49 ha) |
| Created | 1948 |
| Operated by | Pinellas County Parks & Recreation |
Philippe Park is a Pinellas County park located in Safety Harbor, Florida. The park is named after Count Odet Philippe who is credited with introducing grapefruit to the state of Florida in 1823. It is situated on 122 acres (0.49 km2) that was once part of Philippe's plantation. Philippe was the county's first non-native settler, arriving in 1842. Philippe is buried in the park but the exact location is undetermined.
A Tocobaga Indian mound that is situated in the park is a National Historic Landmark known as the Safety Harbor Site.
The temple mound is one of the last remaining examples on the Pinellas Peninsula. Records indicate that in 1566 Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the founder of St. Augustine (1565), visited the site to help broker a truce between the Tocobaga and the Calusa to the south. During the visit Pedro Menendez founded a Spanish outpost nearby, but by 1567 it was reported to have been wiped out by the Tocobaga. Eventually the temple mound was deserted. The Tocobaga succumbed to European diseases, and many were forced into slavery working in the Caribbean.
