HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its grant program that aims to enhance local communities. The program provides eligible organizations with up to $5,000 for innovative projects that promote healthy, safe and engaged neighborhoods.

What You Need To Know

  • Hillsborough County is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its grant program that aims to enhance local communities

  • The program provides eligible organizations with up to $5,000 for innovative projects that promote healthy, safe and engaged neighborhoods

  • With the help of a grant, Wellswood residents are collaborating with a videographer to document the community’s history

  • The application process has already started and the deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15 

In the past, the grant has been utilized to fund park projects, signage, murals and community events. Stephanie Agliano, the director of the Hillsborough County Customer Engagement and Support Division, believes that the mini-grant program encourages neighborhoods to invest in their future.

“Our neighborhoods and everybody has recently been through some tough times, and they’re still trying to come out of it. So here’s an opportunity to say, ‘You know what? There’s a project that we always put on the back burner, because that’s not a priority. Here’s an opportunity to maybe bring that program or that project to the forefront,’” said Agliano.

Wellswood was established as one of Tampa’s first suburbs after World War II. With the help of a grant, residents are collaborating with a videographer to document the community’s history.

“I’ve been living in Wellswood for about 7 years now,” said Wellswood Civic Association Secretary Tina Hurless.

In a short amount of time, the Wellswood community has undergone significant changes, including the addition of new businesses and multigenerational homeowners. The community, which sits on 640 acres, was originally purchased by the Wells family.

“This (Wellswood Civic Association) building was created in 1949,” Hurless added.

The Wells family got a deed for the historical community center and it was developed by James F. and Edna Wells Wishart. It is still a pillar of this neighborhood, and some of the first homes were built in 1950. Even today, some of the original residents still live here.

“The original section where we are on Wishart Boulevard, those were created for soldiers returning from World War II.” she said.

Several community projects in Wellswood have received funding through grants.

“This is a mural that we secured a community grant for years ago. Everyone was able to come and paint,” said Hurless.

Hurless mentions that the funding supported community pride and engagement, while others emphasized safety concerns. With growth comes increased traffic.

“To help kind of slow down traffic going through this neighborhood, we were able to all build together as a community and help paint this whole mural,” said Hurless. “We have the peacock design that’s right here from the center. This is the one that was the way in winning design.”

Hurless is one of many residents documenting the history of Wellswood through an oral history project with the help of a videographer.

ABC Pizza is one of the few original businesses still standing on Hillsborough Avenue, while Armenia Pharmacy and Burger Queen are only memories that older residents reminisce about.

“People refer to Wellswood as a hidden gem because you just don’t expect it to look like this coming off of Armenia (Avenue) and Hillsborough — you can’t just cut through our community,” said Hurless.

Hurless says that despite changes, Wellswood has maintained its character, partly due to being one of Tampa’s first planned communities. Although some homes are larger, lot sizes haven’t changed since the 1920s.

“Wellswood is a master plan community, which means our lot sizes are 60 feet across,” she said. “We do have some in the corners that are still like 120, so those can still be split into two different lots. However, the majority of them are already at code and cannot be split down any further.”

The peacocks have become the unofficial mascot of Wellswood, with an interesting tale passed down through oral history, according to Hurless.

“There was a doctor and his wife who lived in Texas and she loved them,” said Hurless. “He brought back a pair. From there, they started breeding.”

There are now over 75 neighborhood peacocks.

“It’s definitely value-added, and makes our neighborhood unique,” she said.

She hopes everything unique about Wellswood can be preserved through the history project.

“The project is a way of capturing what was here before us,” she said. “As new people move in, I think they want to know that rich history, know there was a dairy farm and businesses that were here. It continues with a sense of pride and a tradition that is already here.”

The Wellswood History Project is an initiative to celebrate the rich past of the neighborhood while creating a legacy for the future generations who will call it home.

Hillsborough County is offering a grant of $75,000 to applicants who come up with innovative and original projects that are impactful and will unite communities. The application process has already started and the deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15.