Hawthorne () is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, incorporated in 1881. Indigenous peoples of the Americas had been living in the area since around 100 CE; Hawthorne grew around their trading trails. Throughout its history, Hawthorne has been known for its agriculture, railroad, and rural lifestyle. Hawthorne's population was 1,478 at the 2020 census, up from 1,417 at the 2010 census, with an area of . It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History People have been living in the Hawthorne area since the mid-Woodland period; a Cades Pond culture (100–600 CE) mound is near the city, and an Alachua culture (600–1700 CE) campsite was found in Hawthorne with aboriginal ceramics and lithics. Timucua-speaking natives were living in North Florida when the Spanish arrived during the 16th century. Natives in Alachua County were allied with Chief Potano, and those in Palatka were allied with Chief Utina. In 1774, William Bartram traveled between western Alachua County and the Palatka area on what he called an "old Spanish highway", an "old Indian and trading trail" which passed through the Hawthorne area. Hawthorne's history is tied to its crossroads.
A road between Micanopy and Palatka via the Hawthorne area appears on an 1837 map. During the 1840s, a mill was constructed on Little Orange Creek, east of the center of present-day Hawthorne. The Pleasant Grove Baptist Church was founded at this time, and a post office opened at the mill in 1854. In 1869, the area's first school opened in a log cabin.
Phosphate was discovered near Hawthorne during the late 1870s. Near the same time, the first subdivision was platted. The area had been previously known as Jamestown, named after James M. Hawthorn. A second subdivision, Waits Crossing, was platted in 1881. The subdivisions provided north–south and east–west rights-of-way, which brought rail service. Track was first laid by the Peninsula Railroad in Hawthorne in 1879 for a north–south line intended to connect Waldo and Ocala. Near the same time, track laid by the Florida Southern Railroad reached Hawthorne; its east–west line was intended to connect Palatka and Gainesville. Each railroad company had a depot in the Hawthorne area, about a half-mile apart. A Hawthorn post office was established in 1880, and its spelling was changed to Hawthorne in 1950.
On June 23, 1881, 36 years after Florida became a state, the state legislature officially created the municipal corporation as the City of Hawthorn (and in 1950, it was officially named the "City of Hawthorne", with the "e" added to Hawthorne). Florida Southern began selling land granted to it by the state almost a decade after the railroads were built, including land in Hawthorne described as "in the heart of a famous vegetable region ... large public school, churches, stores, hotels, three cotton gins, wagon repair shop." At this time, Hawthorne was known for its hunting and fishing and "Northern sportsmen frequented the area to enjoy" it. Sportsmen could stay at William Shepard Moore's hotel; he served breakfast early and had hunting dogs, guides, and horses available.
During the 1880s many orange groves were planted in the Hawthorne area, but after the 1894 Great Freeze ruined citrus trees, growers switched to vegetables; the area became known for Sea Island cotton (Pima cotton) around the turn of the 20th century although it had been grown there since at least the early 1880s. The boll weevil halted the cotton trade, however, and Hawthorne diversified into brickmaking, other agriculture, turpentine production, and railroad work. Because two rail lines crossed in the city, it became a transfer point; there was no passenger station, however, and travelers had to walk (or ride) to the connecting line's depot. The Florida state railroad commission declared that the depots were inadequate to accommodate the "traveling public", and required the rail companies to build a segregated union passenger station in Hawthorne by November 1912. Hawthorne was a bustling community in 1913 with a cotton gin, a bank, four general stores, a drug store, three hotels, and two furniture stores.
The city experienced a boom during the 1920s; by late in the decade, Hawthorne had a bank, high school, ice and electric plants, a Western Union, a Railway Express Agency, and a telephone exchange. Although the city suffered during the Great Depression, daily rail service continued; Highway 20 was paved, and a bridge was built over the railroad tracks. The area remained an agricultural center.
The original city hall burned during the mid-to-late 1930s and was replaced by a "white stucco building with Mediterranean influence", which was Hawthorne's city hall until 2018. That year, the city hall moved down the street to an old bank building on the corner of County Road 2082, and the old city hall building began use as a community center.
During the 1940s, agriculture declined because the land had not been replenished. The pulpwood industry began when National Container (a box company later purchased by Owens-Illinois) bought in the area. A state forest was created south of Hawthorne with of purchased land. While there was not much growth after World War II, Hawthorne was still a center for hunting and fishing. Little growth occurred in the 1950s and 1960s; Hawthorne was known for its lima beans, and more farmland was sold to lumber companies. Trees were still tapped for turpentine before that industry ended in the late 1950s. US 301, built during the early 1960s, bypassed downtown Hawthorne to reduce driving times.
Growth revived somewhat during the 1970s. As automobiles became the dominant means of transportation, passenger trains and buses stopped serving the city. Many residents began commuting to Gainesville to work after local industries declined. The area's rural lifestyle became appreciated during the 1980s, although local jobs still existed at sand mines, chicken ranches, and plywood mills. Since the 1980s, Hawthorne has experienced little population growth.
The city of Hawthorne annexed approximately 1,300 acres owned by Plum Creek Land Company in 2015.
Geography Hawthorne is on the eastern boundary of Alachua County, and a portion of the city borders the Alachua–Putnam county line. It is east of Gainesville, the largest city in the county. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; is land, and is water.
Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, the City of Hawthorne has a humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Hawthorne racial composition (Hispanics excluded from racial categories) (NH = Non-Hispanic)RacePop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020White (NH)72456951.09%38.50%Black or African American (NH)64073845.17%49.93%Native American or Alaska Native (NH)170.07%0.47%Asian (NH)4140.28%0.95%Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)000.00%0.00%Some other race (NH)2170.14%1.15%Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)17631.20%4.26%Hispanic or Latino (any race)29702.05%4.74%Total1,4171,478100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Hawthorne had a population of 1,478. The median age was 37.4 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.1 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 525 households in Hawthorne, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.2% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 609 housing units, of which 13.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.
Hawthorne Comparative Demographics Hawthorne Alachua County Florida United StatesOwner-occupied housing, median value$127,900$167,000$178,700$193,500Median household income$37,500$45,478$50,883$57,652Individuals below poverty level29.0%23.3%15.5%14.6%High school degree or higher82.0%92.1%87.6%87.3%Bachelor's degree or higher18.9%41.4%28.5%30.9%Foreign born%%%%Veterans%%%%
According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey, median household income in the city was $37,500 and median family income was $46,875. Hawthorne's per capita income was $14,353. About 25.5% of families and 29.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those aged 65 or over.
In the 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, there were 292 families residing in the city.
2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,417 people, 535 households, and 351 families residing in the city.
In 2010, the population density was . There were 681 housing units, with an average density of .
In 2010, there were 535 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.534 and the average family size was 3.15.
In 2010, in the city, the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 21, 52.9% from 21 to 62, and 20.1% who were 62 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 1,415 people, 537 households, and 374 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 598 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 50.39% White, 48.06% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.
In 2000, there were 537 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19.
In 2000, in the city the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $26,008, and the median income for a family was $31,172. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $20,104 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,592. About 19.5% of families and 23.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government Hawthorne is chartered as a commission–manager form of government. The charter officers are the city commission, with five commissioners, a mayor, and a vice-mayor. A city manager is responsible to the commission for the administration of all city affairs.
Since 2021, the mayor of Hawthorne is Jacquelyn Randall.
Attractions