Old Davie School Historical Museum

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Now 102 years old, the Old Davie School has served as a school, town hall, dance hall, office space, flood and hurricane shelter, and today is preserved on the National Register of Historic Places as the Old Davie School Historical Museum. After restoration, the Old Davie School stands at two stories, an event hall/ballroom on the top floor and a restored 1920s classroom, and exhibits that illustrate the history of the pioneers’ settlement into the Everglades and the creation of the town we now know as Davie. The campus also exhibits a reconstructed 1909 Pioneer Home, that shows the reality of living in that era and how daily life would be as a pioneer, as well as the Viele and Walsh-Osterhoudt homes, both built in 1912 and relocated to the Old Davie School campus.

Images

A showing of the Old Davie School as it was originally, just a simple school for the children of Davie.

It was a small community that resided in Davie, just a handful of families with lives to lead and children to feed. They were one with the everglades, this was all they knew--their home.

As you can see the schoolhouse was the first of its kind, a small building amongst the wilderness. Soon enough a town would begin to build around it.

There was just one classroom to begin with, holding 90 students, but that was more than the town could've hoped for. No A/C, no electricity, no problem, the children were finally learning.

More than 100 years later the school still stands, serving as a school, town hall, dance hall, Broward County School Board office space, shelter during floods and hurricanes, and today is preserved as the Old Davie School Historical Museum.

Within the bottom story of the schoolhouse resides multiple exhibits that showcase the agricultural and natural history of the Davie/Everglades community.

The Old Davie School houses a multitude of events, including weddings, where many times the reception is held in the top story of the schoolhouse.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

In 1906 the wilderness of the Everglades slowly gave way to farmland as the dredging of canals began. The North and South New River Canal formed an edge of land to a new settlement the first pioneers called Zona, the area now known as Davie. Families that gave their fortune in the making of the frontier made education a priority and held school wherever they could—whether at a packing house along the canal or a room of the general store—all the students learned together with just one teacher. They needed more if they wished to reside in this rural area.

Finally, in 1914 a two-room school house was built on a one-acre piece of property--The Old Davie School, but by 1916 Davie had outgrown the building. They petitioned the Broward County School Board for a permanent school building, luckily succeeding to make it the first in the Everglades. The school finally opened its doors in 1918 to roughly 90 students. This paved the way for the growth of education within the Davie/Everglades community, schools began to appear all over the district, a community finally began to blossom.

Today, the Old Davie School Historical Museum invites visitors to experience South Florida’s agricultural past, and its economically diverse region. The school has truly become a symbol of longevity and community spirit. The building represents an irreplaceable link with the history of 20th century pioneering and early education in Broward County. With artifacts, photographs, articles and maps, a visit to the museum takes guests back in time to truly see all that conspired to create this town.

Sources

ODSadmin. “History.” Old Davie School Historical Museum, www.olddavieschool.org/history/.

On the Old Davie School website it explains the history behind the museum’s formation and its significance to the town of Davie. It explains how the museum was originally the first ever school in Davie, which is what gave the building its historical status. When the school was no longer running and the town was looking to tear it down, the citizens of Davie stood up and moved to make the school a historical landmark, saving it from destruction and making it into the museum it is today.

“Old Davie School.” Broward County - Celebrating 100 Years (1915-2015), www.broward.org/History/NationalRegister/Pages/OldDavieSchool.aspx.

This article on Broward County’s website tells of the architecture of the Old Davie School, the detailing and designs of the old building and how much it cost. It explains how every part of the building was made to serve a purpose. The large windows side-by-side in every classroom were to take advantage of the natural light and when opened were the closest thing students and faculty got to air conditioning. The concrete construction kept the building cold and made it fire-proof.

“Old Davie School Historical Museum.” Old Davie School Historical Museum | Venue, Davie | Price It Out, www.wedding-spot.com/venue/6081/Old-Davie-School-Historical-Museum/.

This article made on the Wedding Spot's website delves into the Old Davie School's purpose and ability today. The Old Davie School has become a hot spot for events, ranging from summer camps to birthdays and most importantly a it serves as an unforgettable wedding venue. It talks about how the school is constantly adding new renovations and additions to cater to bigger and broader events, such as the brand new amphitheater where many of the wedding ceremonies are held.

“Old Davie School Historical Museum.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/venues/museum/old-davie-school-historical-museum/.

This article made by the Smithsonian Magazine conveys the history behind the Old Davie School and why it's a must-see museum. It explains how the school is not only Davie's, but the entire Broward County's oldest existing school building. It tells how this building is dedicated to providing information and a variety of learning opportunities to students, teachers, and all those within the community. It is so much more than just an old school.

“OLD DAVIE SCHOOL HISTORICAL MUSEUM: Davie, FL 33314.” Greater Fort Lauderdale | Hello Sunny, www.sunny.org/listings/old-davie-school-historical-museum/3416/.

On this Fort Lauderdale listing website it tells all the amazing things to be done, places to be seen, and trips to be taken in the greater fort lauderdale area. The Old Davie School is listed as one of their "Things To Do", as it's shown to have a high rating by visitors and it's got something for the whole family. It is said to be the "Crown Jewel of Davie" and continues to catch eyes with all it's great amenities.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://venicemagftl.com/school-daze/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/

https://www.olddavieschool.org/