Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Fort Lauderdale Village
Photographed By Robert Cole, November 26, 2012
1. Old Fort Lauderdale Village Marker
Inscription.
Old Fort Lauderdale Village at the intersection of the New River and the Florida East Coast Railway (F.E.C.) incorporates four turn-of-the-20th century historic buildings. These include the 1905 New River Inn, the 1905 Philemon N. Bryan House, the 1905 Acetylene Building, and the 1907 King-Cromartie House. The New River Inn houses a Museum of History and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built for Philemon N. Bryan from hollow concrete block made on site. Bryan, a grove owner, storekeeper and former mayor of New Smyrna, was ruined by the great Florida freeze of 1894-95. F.E.C. owner Henry Flagler (1830-1913) asked Bryan to build the railway section from the New River to Pompano. In 1894, Philemon, with his two sons Tom and Reed, brought 400 African-American workers by boat from New Smyrna to build the roadbed. The first train to Miami reached Fort Lauderdale on February 22, 1896. Philemon and his sons acquired land on either side of the railway tracks in what later became downtown Fort Lauderdale. In 1905, Contractor Edwin T. King built the Inn, the Philemon Bryan House and the nearby Tom and Reed Bryan houses, thereby creating the first Fort Lauderdale residential neighborhood.
Old Fort Lauderdale Village at the intersection of the New River and the Florida East Coast Railway (F.E.C.) incorporates four turn-of-the-20th century historic buildings. These include the 1905 New River Inn, the 1905 Philemon N. Bryan House, the 1905 Acetylene Building, and the 1907 King-Cromartie House. The New River Inn houses a Museum of History and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built for Philemon N. Bryan from hollow concrete block made on site. Bryan, a grove owner, storekeeper and former mayor of New Smyrna, was ruined by the great Florida freeze of 1894-95. F.E.C. owner Henry Flagler (1830-1913) asked Bryan to build the railway section from the New River to Pompano. In 1894, Philemon, with his two sons Tom and Reed, brought 400 African-American workers by boat from New Smyrna to build the roadbed. The first train to Miami reached Fort Lauderdale on February 22, 1896. Philemon and his sons acquired land on either side of the railway tracks in what later became downtown Fort Lauderdale. In 1905, Contractor Edwin T. King built the Inn, the Philemon Bryan House and the nearby Tom and Reed Bryan houses, thereby creating the first Fort Lauderdale residential neighborhood.
Erected 2004 by The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Florida Department of State
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. (Marker Number F-404.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1861.
Location. 26° 7.139′ N, 80° 8.746′ W. Marker is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in Broward County. Marker is on SW 2nd Avenue near SW 2nd Street when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 219 Southwest 2nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regarding Old Fort Lauderdale Village. This 1905 hotel was the first property in Broward County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is Broward’s oldest remaining hotel building, and it was constructed for owner Philemon Bryan by Edwin T. King, the area’s first contractor.
Photographed By Robert Cole, November 26, 2012
2. New River Inn and Fort Lauderdale Historical Society Museum
Built of hollow concrete blocks made with sand barged from the beach, it set the standard for south Florida construction. The hotel, which operated until 1955, featured 24 guest rooms, a dining room, sewer and irrigation systems, running ice water and was lit with carbide lamps. Today the building houses the Florida Historical Society and history museum.
Additional keywords. New River Inn
Photographed By Robert Cole, November 26, 2012
3. Fort Lauderdale Historical Society Museum (Front)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2012, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,410 times since then and 71 times this year. Last updated on March 24, 2013, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 27, 2012, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
