History of Belleair Florida | Belleair FL Real Estate
Belleair FL real estate is our business and we love to know the back story of the places we work! Here is a great post on the history of Belleair Fl!
Belleair Florida is located on the west coast of Florida close to Clearwater and some of the best beaches in Florida. It has a rich and diverse history and now is a great residential community of about 4,100 people.
Early on, Belleair was little more than an agricultural sister to Clearwater. But Belleair really hit the map when, in the 1890’s, the Belleview Hotel was opened by Henry B. Plant, a railroad magnate. The hotel included a railroad siding for private railroad cars owned by wealthy winter patrons. It was constructed on a peninsula west of Tampa Bay (in present day Pinellas County), and had top of the line amenities for the day, including yachting on Clearwater Bay, horseback riding in the piney woods south of the hotel; golfing, tennis, skeet shooting and bicycling. By World War I, the 9 hole golf course had become an 18 hole golf course, and in 1920 John McEntee Bowman, owner of the Biltmore hotel chain, purchased the property. It was renamed the Belleview Biltmore Hotel.
The snowbirds of the time started to realize that the area would be a great place to live year round and started constructing residences. In 1925 the Town of Belleair was incorporated and a town planner, John Nolen, was hired to lay out the streets that still exist today. After the stock market crash in 1929 caused a future 1930’s default by the town on improvement bonds, much of the town was abandoned.
During World War II, the historic Belleview Biltmore was used to house servicemen from MacDill Air Force base in Tampa.
After World War II, most of the land south of the Biltmore was purchased by the late E.W. Hallett. The area was cleaned up. In 1944 Georgine Shillard-Smith donated seven acres to create an arts center. In the 1950’s new construction started and the town was again growing, as it did again in the 1960’s. In the 1970’s U.S. Steel purchased the land in front of the Biltmore and the Island to it’s west where condos were constructed. At this time, the residents also set aside land for parks and paths.
Belleair FL Real Estate
Today, the town consists of residences, including single family, multi family and condominiums, three 18 hole golf courses and some commercial and business use buildings, including the original historic Biltmore Hotel. The charming downtown area includes “Antiques Row”, restaurants and boutiques. Our favorite condos are nestled along the intracoastal waterways in the gated Belleair Country Club complex and also along the Belleair Causeway on Harbor View.
Codified rules keep the community the wonderful place to live that it is (for example, we have to have to have REALLY short real estate signs in Belleair to follow town rules!) If you are considering moving to this charming berg and would like to find out more about Belleair FL Real Estate, give us a call or text today!
Belleair Real Estate Listings
Below are all of the Belleair Bluffs homes currently for sale. For help with a search for homes in Belleair, Belleair Beach or Belleair Shore, give us a call or text us today!
727-366-0324
Showing properties
1 - 10 of 55.
See more city of Belleair Bluffs real estate.
(all data current as of
2/22/2012)
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$475,000 : 101 Harbor View Ln, Belleair Bluffs5 beds, 3 full baths
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$59,900 : 2944 W Bay Dr # 304, Belleair Bluffs1 bed, 1 full bath
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$59,900 : 2944 West Bay Dr # 104, Belleair Bluffs1 bed, 1 full bath
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$234,900 : 760 Cortez Ave, Belleair Bluffs3 beds, 2 full baths
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2 beds, 2 full baths
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$214,500 : 2192 Duncan Dr, Belleair Bluffs4 beds, 3 full baths
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$169,900 : 100 Bluff View Dr # 208c, Belleair Bluffs2 beds, 2 full baths
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$129,900 : 240 Twin Lakes Dr, Belleair Bluffs3 beds, 1 full bath
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1 bed, 2 full baths
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$195,000 : 100 Bluff View Dr # 314a, Belleair Bluffs2 beds, 2 full baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
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Copyright © 2012 Mid Florida MLS. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program of Mid Florida MLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Suncoast Partners @ RE/MAX ELITE Realty are marked with the IDX logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing broker. Information provided is for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information last updated on 2/22/12 10:38 AM PST.