The Fort Harrison Hotel has served as the main building of the Church of Scientology's campus in Clearwater, Florida, call the Flag Land Base, since 1975.

[8] In 1989, the Church of Scientology said the Fort Harrison Hotel was used to feed, train and house visiting practitioners.

Over the years, as Scientology has expanded their real estate holdings in Clearwater, several functions have been moved to other buildings.

The hotel has been used for the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), a program used to punish Sea Org staff members for "serious deviations."

RPF participants are subject to prison-like conditions, forced labor and other human rights violations.

[16] In February 1980, prior to McPherson's death, a Scientologist named Josephus A. Havenith was found dead at the Fort Harrison Hotel.

The officially reported cause of death was drowning, although the coroner noted that, when he was found, Havenith's head was not submerged.