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In 1912, Harry Viele hired William Griffin, a carpenter from Fort Lauderdale, at $3 a day to begin building the Viele House, a two-story structure made of Dade County pine and Red River Cypress. The 4230 square foot house was elevated 5 feet in preparation for flooding and has a fireplace. The original gable roof was destroyed in the 1926 Hurricane.
Photo courtesy of Bob Eighmie, Miami Herald
Harry and Helen Viele were much involved in the development of Davie's civic and religious community. Harry was a supervisor for the Davie Farm Sub-Drainage District which was responsible for maintaining the dikes and canals. Helen was involved in many women’s organizations including the Davie Women’s Club and the Davie Methodist Church. Viele Groves was among the largest in Broward County, first planted in 1912-1913, and were open to the public until the early 1980’s.
The Viele House is the oldest residential structure remaining in Davie and is significant because it is an excellent example of vernacular architecture. Moreover, the house is unique even among Broward’s early pioneer homes because of its large size and permanent construction. It survived the hurricane of 1926, the floods of 1947, and the more recent development explosion in western Broward County.
Relocated from its original site at 6990 Griffin Road (corner of SW 70th Avenue and Griffin Road) to the site of Old Davie School Historical Museum, the Viele House has been restored to the era of 1930s and included structural repairs to floors and walls and exterior porch, window repairs and replacement, plaster repairs, new roofing, sanding and refinishing floors, installation of new electrical service and wiring, and installation of air conditioning/climate control system.
| Waldrep replacing the roof |
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| New windows and doors being installed |
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Funding for the restoration was provided through grants from the State of Florida, Division of Historical Resources and the Town of Davie. The house was moved by Modern House & Building Movers and the restoration was conducted by McCartney-Williams Construction. Waldrep & Sons donated materials and labor for the roof.
The Viele House will be presented to visitors as a house museum reflecting the life of the first settlers of the Everglades in the early twentieth. Education programs will utilize the house, providing hands-on experiences for elementary school students.
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