This is our office as it appeared in 1929.  This photograph was reproduced from one on record at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.  We were able to confirm the date of the original deed with the help of Ms. Clifford of the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office.  

    The original owners of the house were Jane and Ray Whyte.  Mr. Whyte was the owner of the Tarpon Lumber Company in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  He had previously taught as a college professor in Indiana before relocating to South Florida in the early 1920’s.  His wife, Jane Moxley, had come to the area as a Red Cross worker to help in the aftermath of the Great Hurricane of 1926.  Shortly after meeting, they fell in love and married, making this quaint house, made of Dade County Pine, their home in 1929.

    As the years passed, the Whytes moved to a larger house on A1A but kept the Las Olas house as a rental property.  Much of what we know about the history of this house was provided by a patient of ours whom actually rented the house from the Whytes.  

    World War II drained much of the manpower here in Fort Lauderdale and construction came to a halt, along with the need for lumber.  In 1944, the doors of Tarpon Lumber Company closed for good and the Whytes reluctantly sold the property at 1625 East Las Olas Boulevard.

    The house was sold again in 1957 to Dr. Richard Currier.  With very little change to the exterior, he converted the house into a dental office.  He practiced dentistry here until he retired in the early 80’s and Dr. McCawley purchased the practice in 1981.

    The kitchen and several interior walls were moved or modified to accommodate dental equipment, but the floor plan remains very similar to the original layout from the 1920’s.  When you sit in the waiting room today, you are sitting the Whyte’s former living room.

    This house is one of two original homes remaining on East Las Olas Boulevard.  This house was built in 1929 and the Shepard Estate, across the street, was built in 1926 and is the only other remaining structure from this era.  Previously, there was a house on the West side of the property, but it was torn down to accommodate the Fort Lauderdale Hospital.  The parking lot adjacent to 1625 on the East side (belonging to Fort Lauderdale Hospital) was previously a vacant lot.

    We are very fortunate to be a part of the history of Fort Lauderdale and we strive to maintain the property as closely to it’s original appearance as possible.  While visiting our office, you can see and feel the history that makes this property so special.  Ray Whyte probably never dreamed that Fort Lauderdale would become the thriving city that it is today, or that his former home would become a treasured landmark.