History
Prior to European colonization, the Tequesta were the native people of what is now Davie. A few campsites and graves have been found in Davie, the oldest dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years in Pine Island Ridge.[2] After Spanish colonization, many of the Tequesta died and the remaining few escaped to Havana with the Spanish when Florida became a British colony or they assimilated into the newly arrived Seminoles in the late 18th century.[3]
As a part of Napoleon Bonaparte Broward's plan to drain the Everglades, two dredges began the project of digging the North and South New River Canals in 1906.
R.P. Davie, along with his partner J.R. McKinnie and other investors, formed the Everglades Sugar and Land Company, purchasing 28,000 acres of this property in 1908. They continued the project of building the canals and “improving” the land, as well as starting a 10-acre experimental farm known as the Davie Tract.
The Zona Glade Company, formed in 1911 by employees formerly working on the Panama Canal, purchased and cultivated 700 acres of land. These enterprising pioneers called their new settlement “Zona” after the Panama Canal Zone.
In January 1913, the farmers organized together as the Everglade Vegetable Growers Association, a unifying effort to collectively ship their fruits and vegetables and provide mutual aid. With weekly meetings during the prime growing seasons, the association dealt with more than farming troubles—they served as the first governing body in the area, and when problems with mail service arose, the association put forward a solution. The name “Zona” too closely resembled another city by the name of Ozona in Pinellas County, causing trouble with mail delivery. Therefore, in April 1914, with a resolution adopted by the Everglade Vegetable Growers Association and signed by nearly all the residents, the post office formally recognized the new name of the community as “Davie.”
Davie has had a reputation as a "Western" town, with the Davie Rodeo Arena that began in the early 1940s. It boasts a significant horse-owning population and once was home to many herds of cattle. In recent years, commercial and residential development has rapidly changed the town, but Davie still tries to maintain a horse-friendly community with horse trails connecting the park system throughout the town. Pioneer City, a western theme park, was located across the street from Flamingo Gardens. It was built in the 1960s and closed a few years later.
The Old Davie School
The Davie School, designed in 1917 by August Geiger, one of South Florida's most prominent early architects, opened in 1918 with about 90 students. The Davie School was the first permanent school in the Everglades and is now Broward County's oldest existing school building. The building was in continuous use as a school until 1980. The Davie School Foundation was established in 1984 to protect and restore the Davie School to the integrity of its earlier appearance. The Foundation in conjunction with the Town of Davie, the Broward County School Board, the Soroptimists International of Davie, the Davie Historical Society and the community at large has worked tirelessly to preserve this important piece of Broward County's history. The building is now referred to as the "Old Davie School Historical Museum," and is maintained by a collaboration of the Davie School Foundation and the Town of Davie.
Davie | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Davie, Florida | |
Location of Davie within eastern (incorporated) part of Broward County, Florida | |
Davie city map, Florida | |
| Coordinates: 26°4′53″N 80°16′49″W / 26.08139°N 80.28028°WCoordinates: 26°4′53″N 80°16′49″W / 26.08139°N 80.28028°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  |
| Settled | 1909 |
| Incorporated (town) | November 16, 1925[4] |
| Formally Incorporated (town) | September 19, 1963[4] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Judy Paul (D) |
| • Vice Mayor | Caryl Hattan (D) |
| • Councilmembers | |
| • Town Manager | Richard Lemack |
| • Town Clerk | Evelyn Roig |
| Area | |
| • Town | 35.77 sq mi (92.63 km2) |
| • Land | 34.89 sq mi (90.38 km2) |
| • Water | 0.87 sq mi (2.26 km2) 2.32% |
| Elevation | 9 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Town | 105,691 |
| • Density | 3,028.92/sq mi (1,169.46/km2) |
| • Metro | 5,564,635 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 33312, 33314, 33317, 33324–33326, 33328–33331 |
| Area code(s) | 754, 954 |
| FIPS code | 12-16475[6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0281316[7] |
| Website | www |
In the early 2000s two other historic buildings from the surrounding neighborhood were moved to the property adjoining the Old Davie School.
- The Viele House, built beginning in 1912, is the oldest residential structure remaining in Davie and is an excellent example of vernacular architecture. It survived the hurricane of 1926 and the floods of 1947. It was continuously occupied by members of the Viele family until being moved to the Old Davie School property. Regrettably, the Viele House was sealed to accommodate a modern air conditioning system, as part of the permanent preservation plan. One of the most important features of the original structure was the non-electric "air conditioned" design of the home. Specifically, warm air was drawn up and out through the opening in the top of the attic. The natural air flow kept the home relatively comfortable, even in the hot south Florida climate. Also, as with most of the old Davie homes, the Viele House was elevated on pillars, which permitted the breeze to blow under the building.
- In 2004 the former home of Colonel Charles A. & Katherine M. Walsh (1914–1932) and the Bud & Betty Osterhoudt family (1958–2004) was also moved to the site.
In the 1970s Davie had the reputation of not being hospitable to Jews. Davie was rumored to be the seat of the Ku Klux Klan in South Florida; a cross was burned on the front lawn of a new Jewish family in 1977. This provoked an outpouring of community support which persuaded the family to remain, insisting that "never would they see anti-Semitism like that again." There are Chabad houses, and a K–12 Jewish day school.
