New Port Richey Through the Years
New Port Richey Through the Years
Explore the timeline of our city’s milestones over the years, shaping who we are today and where we will go in the future!
1883
Aaron McLaughlin Richey purchases land and moves to the area, which becomes known as "Port Richey."
1915
The official New Port Richey post office opens with Gerben DeVries named its postmaster.
1920
The Avery Library opens as New Port Richey’s first public library.
1916
George Sims purchases land along the Pithlachascotee River to help create the City of New Port Richey and builds a home near the water. Sims Park is named in his honor.
1922
Gulf High School opens as Pasco County’s third high school, in its original location on Grand Boulevard. The same year, the legendary Chasco Fiesta debuts in Enchantment Park.
1924
New Port Richey incorporates as a city, with Elroy M. Avery elected as its first mayor. The same year, Gulf High School saw its first graduating class.
1926
Silent film star Thomas Meighan opens the Meighan Theater in New Port Richey. He and other prominent figures envisioned that New Port Richey would become regarded as the “Hollywood of the East”.
1927
The Hacienda Hotel opens its doors as a luxury hotel which attracted many prominent celebrities to visit the area.
1930s
The Great Depression hits, and the local economy suffers. The Thomas Meighan Theatre is forced to close.
1940s-50s
As the post-war economy booms, the city sees a rise in population and development.
1963
WGUL, the first radio station in West Pasco County, begins broadcasting.
1965
West Pasco Hospital, thought to be the first hospital in West Pasco County, opens. The same year, Southgate Shopping Center opens on US Highway 19.
1972
Following a number of reopenings and closures over the past four decades, the Thomas Meighan Theatre is purchased by the Young People’s Theater and officially reopens as the Richey Suncoast Theatre.
1973
The West Pasco Historical Society is formed.
1989
New Port Richey holds its first annual Arbor Day celebration and gains recognition as a Tree City USA.
1995
New Port Richey becomes the sister city of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, a commune on the French Riviera.
2014
New Port Richey hosts its first annual Florida Loquat Festival, becoming home to the only one in the United States.
1983
The West Pasco Historical Society opens the New Port Richey Museum.
2007
The New Port Richey Recreation Center and Aquatic Complex opens to the public.
2017
A decade after opening, the Recreation and Aquatic Center gets a major renovation including the addition of an indoor children’s playground and an expansion of the fitness center.
2015
The remodel and expansion of Sims Park sparks the beginning of a period of transformation in New Port Richey’s downtown.
2020
New Port Richey continues improvement efforts in spite of COVID-19 challenges, with new apartments and mixed-use buildings including The Central on Orange Lake and Stonehaven on Central welcoming more residents to the region.
2021
Several development projects attract attention at the US Hwy. 19 corridor, including the construction of Keiser University and the New Port Richey Parking Garage.
2022
Following roughly 16 years of vacancy, the Hacienda Hotel reopens to guests. The same year, the New Port Richey Public Library reopens after a major renovation.
2024
New Port Richey beckons visitors with a "Historic Downtown" archway on US 19, guiding them to Main Street. The same year, the Community Redevelopment Agency accepts a vision statement that aims to make New Port Richey “Florida’s best walkable, waterfront, historic hometown.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The city upholds its legacy of resilient progress and continual improvement, with ongoing plans to elevate its public spaces, strengthen its neighborhoods, and envision an even brighter century ahead!