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Ft. Lauderdale Event Guide:
Stranahan House
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Contact Information:
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335 SE Sixth Avenue 
Fort Lauderdale, FL
954-524-4736
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Description:
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Stranahan House, located in downtown Fort Lauderdale on the New River, has been the site most closely associated with both the founding of the City and its economic and social development. Frank Stranahan originally selected the site because it was where he operated his barge ferry across the river as part of the new road from Lantana to what is now North Miami. Today, Stranahan House is the eastern anchor of River Walk, a linear waterfront park connecting Fort Lauderdale's historic district with the soon to be created cultural district anchored by the Performing Arts Center and the Museum of Discovery and Science.
Begun as a trading post for settlers and the Seminole Indians in 1901, it evolved into the post office, community center and town hall as Frank became Fort Lauderdale's first postmaster, a banker and businessman. He married another pioneer, Ivy Julia Cromartie, the area's first school teacher, and soon dances and community festivals were held on the upper floor of the house. In 1906, it became the Stranahan's personal residence until Ivy Stranahan's death in 1971. Following Frank's suicide during the depression, Ivy leased the first floor of the house to outsiders for use as a restaurant, while she continued to live upstairs. In 1973, the house was named to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979, the restaurant closed and the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society took possession. This was the beginning of thoughtful restoration necessary to preserve the home. In 1981, Stranahan House, Inc. was incorporated to own and manage the property.
The house itself, built of Dade County pine, is an example of Florida vernacular architecture in a tropical wilderness setting. Expanded and renovated numerous times, it is presently restored to its 1913-1915 configuration. At that time the Stranahan's seven year old home had electric wiring, indoor plumbing and running water, interior stairways, bay windows and wide porches. All woodwork, flooring and paneling have been refinished and the exterior repainted in the original white with green trim. A new roof, a prototype for other historical properties, was completed in 1996 and meets current hurricane specifications. Many, but not all, of the original furnishings were either sold or given away over the years, and the house is furnished with examples of period Victorian furniture and decorative pieces.
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