Manavista, Florida

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Manavista is an unincorporated community in Manatee County, Florida, near Palmetto on the north side of the Manatee River.

History
In 1892, Kimball C. Atwood bought 265 acres east of Palmetto and started a grapefruit grove with about 96 rows. After severe freezes in 1894 and 1895 hit Florida’s citrus industry, the grove recovered by 1897 with new trees from the Reasoners nursery. Grapefruit varieties included Duncan, Royal, and Walter. A post office named Manavista opened on May 12, 1898, with Lewis C. Randall as the first postmaster.

By 1915 the grove produced about 80,000 boxes of grapefruit a year, with around 1,200 boxes processed daily. The peak came in 1927, when 160,000 boxes were processed. The grove gained international attention: the American ambassador to the United Kingdom bought crates, fruit was served to royal officials, and a crate was sent to King George V every year until the king’s death.

Kimball Atwood died in 1934, and the grove closed soon afterward. The property stayed with the Atwood family until 1968, when it was sold to Simens-Allis, which built a new plant. The plant later closed, and in 2012 Feld Entertainment bought the site for its new headquarters.