THE SCHOOL
School was held in a packing house along the canal until 1911, when a wooden, two-room school house was constructed on a one-acre piece of property. By 1916, the Davie settlement had outgrown the small wooden structure, and the need for a larger school was quickly addressed. The Davie School, designed in 1917 by August Geiger, one of South Florida's most prominent early architects, opened its doors in 1918 to roughly 90 students.
This historic structure was the first permanent school in the Everglades and is now Broward County's oldest existing school building. It was in continuous use as a school until 1980. From the day it opened, the Davie School served as the area's source of education as well as a center for community gatherings. In 1988 the Davie School achieved listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
THE PRESENT
Today, the Old Davie School Historical Museum is a historic, cultural, social and artistic resource dedicated to providing information and learning opportunities for students and the community at large. The building represents an irreplaceable link with the history of early 20th century pioneering, settlement and education in Western Broward County.
THE MUSEUM
Having been restored, the Old Davie School has regained the integrity of those early years. The classrooms downstairs house the history of the pioneers' westward movement into the Everglades. Chock full of artifacts, photographs, articles, maps and historic items, you will "Step Back in Time" and experience the history that shaped this community.
What Can You Do At Old Davie School Historical Museum?
You can …
- Become a member
- Take an etiquette class
- View the works of local artists
- Learn how to two-step
- Create a heritage handicraft
- Try a new recipe
- Attend a dinner honoring local pioneer families
- Bring a group and "Step Back In Time"
- Shop and browse in our gift store
- And so much more!
LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES!
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