King-Cromartie House
Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
Marker Inscription
King-Cromartie House In 1907, Edwin T. King, the town's first builder, a boatwright and an early citrus grower, built his third home on the south bank of the New River near what is no US1. It remained the King family home until 1968. King's daughter Louise and her husband Bloxham Cromartie ( Ivy Cromartie Stranahan's brother) resided there for most of their married life. The Junior League of Fort Lauderdale barged the house upriver to this site in 1971 to save it from demolition. Built of Dade County pine, the house is four-square Georgian style. Originally one-story, a second floor was added in 1911.
Erected by Fort Lauderdale Historical Society
The Story
Built in 1907 by Edwin T. King—Fort Lauderdale's first builder, a boatwright and early citrus grower—this Dade County pine house stood on the New River as the young town took shape. It remained in the King family until 1968, sheltering King's daughter Louise and her husband, a brother of the noted civic figure Ivy Cromartie Stranahan. In 1971 the Junior League floated the house upriver by barge to save it from demolition.
Why it matters
It preserves the domestic world of South Florida's pioneer settlers and stands as an early triumph of grassroots historic preservation.
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Related people
- · Edwin T. King
- · Louise King Cromartie
- · Bloxham Cromartie
- · Ivy Cromartie Stranahan
Themes & tags
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