Save the Hanson Farmhouse: A Piece of Broward's Pioneer History
The Issue
You've probably driven past it on Griffin Road a thousand times. But you may not know its story, or that it could soon be gone forever.
In 1904, the land where the Farmhouse stands today was still part of the Everglades. As the swamps were drained, pioneer families began settling and farming the land in what was then rural Davie, now part of Cooper City. They built their lives without electricity or running water, enduring hurricanes and floods and rebuilding when necessary. The Farmhouse was built around 1928 on the concrete piers of an earlier house lost in the 1926 hurricane. Beside it stands the 1922 concrete water tower, which survived the hurricane and was later repurposed to house a bathroom.
The Stranahan House, Old Davie School, and the Wray House at Flamingo Gardens each tell a chapter of Broward's history. The Hanson Farmhouse tells another: the story of the working families who helped shape western Broward by farming reclaimed Everglades land.
The Farmhouse in the late 1930s, before later additions. Photo courtesy of John Minton Jr., whose family owned the farm at the time.
In 2023, the State of Florida found the Farmhouse potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its connection to early settlement and agriculture.
In 2024, Cooper City ordered the Farmhouse to be removed from its site over aesthetic concerns that the historic home would look out of place among modern development.
This September, the Broward County Historic Preservation Board recommended that the county require the Farmhouse be preserved. Without this protection, the Farmhouse will be demolished. On December 8, the County Commission will decide its fate.
Our goal is to restore the Farmhouse on its original site, preferably as a home lived in by someone committed to caring for it.
We ask the Cooper City Commission to support preserving the Hanson Farmhouse, and we ask the Broward County Commission to protect it.
With the December 8 decision approaching, your support matters. Please sign and share this petition to help preserve a piece of Broward's history for future generations. And if the Farmhouse means something to you, we'd love to hear why in the comments.
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Learn more about the Farmhouse's fascinating history at hansonfarmhouse.org
Want to do more? Visit hansonfarmhouse.org/how-to-help to see all the ways you can support the Farmhouse.
Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us at savehansonfarmhouse@gmail.com
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The Issue
You've probably driven past it on Griffin Road a thousand times. But you may not know its story, or that it could soon be gone forever.
In 1904, the land where the Farmhouse stands today was still part of the Everglades. As the swamps were drained, pioneer families began settling and farming the land in what was then rural Davie, now part of Cooper City. They built their lives without electricity or running water, enduring hurricanes and floods and rebuilding when necessary. The Farmhouse was built around 1928 on the concrete piers of an earlier house lost in the 1926 hurricane. Beside it stands the 1922 concrete water tower, which survived the hurricane and was later repurposed to house a bathroom.
The Stranahan House, Old Davie School, and the Wray House at Flamingo Gardens each tell a chapter of Broward's history. The Hanson Farmhouse tells another: the story of the working families who helped shape western Broward by farming reclaimed Everglades land.
The Farmhouse in the late 1930s, before later additions. Photo courtesy of John Minton Jr., whose family owned the farm at the time.
In 2023, the State of Florida found the Farmhouse potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its connection to early settlement and agriculture.
In 2024, Cooper City ordered the Farmhouse to be removed from its site over aesthetic concerns that the historic home would look out of place among modern development.
This September, the Broward County Historic Preservation Board recommended that the county require the Farmhouse be preserved. Without this protection, the Farmhouse will be demolished. On December 8, the County Commission will decide its fate.
Our goal is to restore the Farmhouse on its original site, preferably as a home lived in by someone committed to caring for it.
We ask the Cooper City Commission to support preserving the Hanson Farmhouse, and we ask the Broward County Commission to protect it.
With the December 8 decision approaching, your support matters. Please sign and share this petition to help preserve a piece of Broward's history for future generations. And if the Farmhouse means something to you, we'd love to hear why in the comments.
-----
Learn more about the Farmhouse's fascinating history at hansonfarmhouse.org
Want to do more? Visit hansonfarmhouse.org/how-to-help to see all the ways you can support the Farmhouse.
Have questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us at savehansonfarmhouse@gmail.com
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Petition created on November 8, 2026