Decades after its covert arrival, the Church of Scientology remains a dominant force in downtown Clearwater, sparking renewed tensions over land, influence, and transparency.
By Senior Staff Writer, Edmond Thorne: 09/06/2025 14:30 ESTFla. News Network —In 1975, a group calling itself the United Churches of Florida quietly purchased the historic Fort Harrison Hotel in downtown Clearwater. The name was a front. Behind it stood the Church of Scientology, which had chosen this Gulf Coast city as the site for its spiritual headquarters, later dubbed the Flag Land Base. The move was strategic, secretive, and, as it turned out, deeply disruptive and divisive.…