We have the great privilege to work in the Philemon Nathaniel Bryan House, the second oldest residence in Fort Lauderdale and the oldest oldest remaining example of residential masonry architecture in the area. The building is located in downtown Fort Lauderdale on the grounds of the Old Fort Lauderdale Village, maintained by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.
The house was built in in 1905 by contractor Edwin T. King for Philemon and Lucy Bryan at the request of their sons Reed and Tom. It’s made of locally made hollow concrete block in the Colonial Revival style, which was fashionable at the time (and which we think is still pretty stylish!).
It has served many purposes over the years. During World War II, it was a boarding house for women whose husbands were overseas. In the years after, it has been a yoga studio, a meeting place for the American Institute for Architects and administrative offices.
Oh, and one more thing: It may be haunted. As the legend goes, poor Lucy Bryan was on the porch shelling peas one day when she slipped and fell. She was brought into the house to recover from her injuries, but she never did. Nowadays, some visitors say that if you stand outside in the early hours of the morning, just after midnight, you can sometimes see her spectral figure in the window, staring out at we know not what…
For more information about the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, click here.