A popular attraction in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, and a magnet for history buffs, is Stranahan House – and it’s no wonder! The home was built in 1901 on the New River by Frank Stranahan, Fort Lauderdale’s first Postmaster, and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the area’s first schoolteacher. The house is a wood-frame structure with wide porches and it boasted comforts considered to be a luxury for Fort Lauderdale real estate at the time, including electric wiring, indoor plumbing, running water and interior stairways. Today, it is the oldest existing structure in Broward County and it has a story that rivals any fiction or non-fiction best seller!
In 1893, when Stranahan arrived to operate a barge ferry across the river, he was the first non-Native American to live in the area. The prime location where he chose to build his home quickly became a popular area, spawning other businesses for him, including a trading post, post office, bank and hotel. He became a powerful landowner in the area and soon the Stranahan Trading Post became well known. Today the area has become the center of Fort Lauderdale, but Stranahan’s story doesn’t have the same happy ending.
Stranahan suffered from depression and his mental health could not endure the financial effects of the Great Depression, coupled with devastation to his businesses caused by a hurricane. He committed suicide on June 23, 1929 by plunging into the New River with a large iron gate strapped to his ankle. However, his story doesn’t end there.
Many reports have been recorded of his ghost wandering through the Stranahan House, along with his wife. There have also been reports of folks seeing his six family members and a Native American servant. Don’t take my word for it; visit the home and see for yourself! The Stranahan House is open to the public and offers tours.
