Situated southwest of Fort Lauderdale Florida real estate, rural Davie FL homes in central Broward County enjoy a beloved historic landmark, the Old Davie School. Davie is a diverse family-oriented community of 84,350 that treasures the strong foundation of its past in the heart of the Florida citrus industry. This South Florida real estate is between Hollywood and Pembroke Pines to the south and Fort Lauderdale and Plantation FL real estate to the north.
Old Davie School is more than a school. Designed in 1917 by August Geiger, one of South Florida’s most prominent early architects, it opened in 1918. As Broward County’s oldest existing school building, it was the first permanent school in the Everglades. Davie School soon became the community’s gathering place, the site of dances, box suppers, holiday programs, community plays, social functions, political rallies and elections. It also served as a shelter during floods and hurricanes.
Another historic building, the former home of “Colonel” Charles A. and Katherine M. Walsh, set the tone for urban sophistication. The Walsh family moved to town in 1912. Mr. Walsh became president of Wacico Citrus Groves Corporation, the developer of the pioneer Everglades orange. Family citrus Groves sparked the early agricultural development of western Broward County.
In 1955, the Osterhoudt family purchased the Walsh home. Betty Osterhoudt taught first grade at the Davie School for 25 years. Currently referred to as the Walsh-Osterhoudt House, the home has been relocated from its original site on Griffin Road to the village of historic buildings at Old Davie School. It will serve to enhance the depiction of the life of the first settlers in the Everglades at the beginning of the 1900s.
In 1984, the Davie School Foundation began the process of protecting and restoring the Old Davie School. After achieving a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, Broward County transferred ownership to the Town of Davie. In cooperation with the Town of Davie, Soroptimists International of Davie, Davie Historical Society, Friends of Old Davie School, and the community, a Foundation strives to preserve and operate this historic real estate.
Many of the people involved in the restoration attended school at Davie School. The building is a two-story masonry vernacular structure with a blend of Spanish and Moorish architecture. The classrooms downstairs contain artifacts, photographs, articles, does, and historic items that enable former students and parents as well as visitors to imagine the history that shaped the community.
The landmark Old Davie School Historical Museum is a must-see for new residents in the community.
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