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Historic Stranahan House Museum

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

History, Historic House

The Stranahan House was built in 1901 by Frank Stranahan, credited as Fort Lauderdale’s founding father, and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the area’s first school teacher. It is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County and has served as a trading post, post office, town hall, and home to the Stranahans. The house is a wood-frame vernacular structure with wide porches and a stunning view of the New River. The Stranahan House has stood at the center of Fort Lauderdale’s growth since it was built and has played a significant role in the economic and social life of this community. A guided tour of Fort Lauderdale's Historic Stranahan House Museum is like a journey through time.

History Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Archaeology, Art, Culture, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Military

The story of the New River is as old as the Everglades. It was home to the Tequesta People from prehistoric time. Later is was a refuge for the Seminole People. Even though it was claimed by Ponce De Leon for his King in 1513, it remained virtually untouched by the modern world until the late 1800s. Fort Lauderdale Historical Society operates 3 museums and a research library on the banks of the New River. Its campus features an open-air museum that demonstrates the best remaining examples of wood and masonry vernacular tropical architecture. Its Main, Pioneer House and Schoolhouse Museums explore the development of South Florida from virgin land to the present.