During the Christmas on Las Olas event we had the opportunity to visit Stranahan House. Built in 1901 of Dade County pine, the historic Stranahan House is Broward County’s oldest standing structure! If you didn’t already know, it was home to Frank and Ivy Stranahan, two of the area’s earliest settlers. Between 1901 and 1906 it served as a trading post, town hall, bank and post office. Frank started out by running a ferry service across the New River when he met Ivy Julia Cromartie, who served as Fort Lauderdale’s first school teacher (and later became founder of “Friends of the Seminoles”).
Since 1973, the house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society took possession and together with the Fort Lauderdale Area Board of Realtors (now known as the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale), began a careful restoration of the historic home, which is an example of Florida vernacular architecture. By clicking on the link below, you can take a virtual stroll through the Stranahan House with its period furnishings and see it beautifully decorated for the holidays (by Flowers and Found Objects, a Fort Lauderdale florist) with red bows, garlands, a lighted Christmas tree and poinsettias by the fireplace.
:: Click to View a Virtual Tour of Stranahan House. ::
Stranahan House is located a block south of Las Olas Boulevard (directly on the New River) at 335 SE 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Visit the official Stranahan House site for directions, hours, tours, admission rates, history and more, or phone them at 954-524-4736. Parking is available next door at the Riverside Parking Garage.
In recent years, Stranahan House has had some legal challenges due to the proposed Icon Las Olas (a 42-story luxury high-rise condo building that would be built on the old Hyde Park Market site at 500 E. Las Olas Boulevard, next to Stranahan House). If built, Icon would become the tallest building in Fort Lauderdale.
South Florida Real Estate Voice | Homes & Condos | South Florida Living 
February 5, 2008 at 2:23 am
1901 and the oldest in Fort Lauderdale?! My house is older than that and it’s far from claiming oldest in the area. Why would settlers come to the cold northland, the country’s icebox, before they found beautiful sunny Florida? Maybe it was the snakes? or alligators?
February 5, 2008 at 10:39 am
That’s funny, Bonnie. I used to wonder the same thing myself until you stop to think about where the settlers were coming from (usually a cold climate) and also, the fact that yes… Florida had more alligators, etc. everywhere back then AND no air-conditioning! Except for perhaps northern Florida, it can get quite uncomfortable in FL much of the year unless you have A/C.
August 29, 2008 at 9:28 am
My wife and I found this 1901 home strictly by accident, but we had a delightful afternoon poking around the house, listening to tales of long ago. The decorations were FANTASTIC!. Don’t miss it!
March 19, 2009 at 3:42 am
I’m living in Florida currently, and it was all swamp. Barley any solid land. They started filling in the swamp with excess sand/dirt from the beaches. Leanne is right, no air conditioning, which made food harder to keep, as well as certain animals.