Philippe Park

Philippe Park is a Pinellas County park located in Safety Harbor, Florida. The park is named after Odet Philippe, who is credited with introducing grapefruit to Florida. 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. Half a century later the plantation was still growing citrus, as a nursery for the area extending north to Tarpon Springs. Then, here in 1907 citrus leprosis was first discovered by Fawcett. CL went on to almost eliminate citrus growing in Florida by 1925.