BRANDON, Fla. — As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Tampa Bay 28 is highlighting the people and places across our region that helped shape Florida. In East Hillsborough County, that story stretches from a military outpost to one of the area's busiest suburban corridors.
Along busting Brandon Boulevard, there his a piece of history that appears untouched. Just steps from the busy road sits the Mosely Homestead, a preserved property that offers a glimpse into what life looked like long before strip malls and subdivisions defined the area.
WATCH: Mosley Homestead offers rare glimpse into Hillsborough County's past as the U.S. marks 250
Local historian Rodney Kite-Powell says early development in the region was shaped by Fort Brooke. By the time the Mosely family arrived from Illinois, the fort was winding down, and Brandon was just beginning to take shape.
“You can really get a sense of the pace of life and the communities that were built and all that’s been glommed together in what we now call Brandon,” Rodney Kite-Powell said.
Mark Proctor is one of the many people now working to preserve the property.
” I think there were about 137 people living here at the time, so they were very early settlers, and they had that pioneer spirit,” said Proctor.
The Mosley family homesteaded the land in the early 1880s, building their lives along what was once a Seminole trail, now known as Brandon Boulevard.
“Thousands of cars go by every day,” Proctor said.
The house was built in 1886 and remains the same. There is no air conditioning, no running water, and very little modern alteration. Inside letters, newspapers and photographs are all on display, offering a rare window into more than a century of family life.
The property remained in the Mosley family until 2020, when Julia Mosley passed away without children to inherit the land.
Before her death, she created a trust to ensure the homestead would be protected.
“She’d been offered millions of dollars for it, but she felt it was more important to preserve it for future generations,” Proctor said.
Today, Proctor and other members of the board of trustees are carrying out that vision, keeping the land intact despite intense pressure to develop all around it.
“She’d been offered millions of dollars for it, but she felt it was more important to preserve it for future generations,” Proctor said.
As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, the Mosley homestead stands as a rare reminder of Florida’s past and proof that even in fast-growing communities, history is still there.
Share Your Story with Keely
From Brandon to Plant City and Sun City Center, Keely McCormick is dedicated to helping people who live in East Hillsborough County. If you have concerns about new development, access to needed resources, or the roads in your neighborhood, share your ideas with Keely below.
.
Husband cooperated with police in case of four Plant City deaths: Attorney
Search warrants filed by the Plant City Police Department provided more information on the shooting that left four dead in May.
