If the Broward County Commission gives the Hanson Farmhouse legal protection, our goal is simple: to see the farmhouse preserved, restored and used.
A new owner committed to preservation
We plan to market the farmhouse widely to find a new owner who values the house, is committed to preserving it, and has the skills and resources to restore it, maintain it, and adapt it to modern life, whether by doing the work themselves or by hiring others.
If we sell it to an individual, our plan is to offer it at a deep discount from the value of the lot. We might set the sale up as an incentive sale, with progress markers, to help make sure the restoration succeeds.
Our greatest wish is for the farmhouse to be lived in and enjoyed, so our strong preference is a private owner. We could also consider a proposal from a charitable organization or a government body, if it would keep the farmhouse in active use and well cared for over the long term.
Room to grow, in keeping with its history
The farmhouse served a working farm family well a century ago. Like most houses of its age, it is small by today's standards, with only two bedrooms, one bathroom and a modest kitchen. Preservationists call the answer "adaptive use": carefully adapting a historic house so that it also meets the needs of a modern family. That could mean enlarging the kitchen and adding a bedroom and bathroom by expanding the house to the west. The lot was specifically designed to allow for that expansion.
The farm had a two-bay garage from the 1940s until Hurricane Cleo destroyed it in 1964. Our plan also anticipates the possibility of a new garage on the lot, in keeping with the farm's history.
Any additions should fit the farmhouse's historic architecture.
A good neighbor on Griffin Road
The lot should be landscaped with wind-resistant trees that give an attractive visual separation from the road and from the new homes next door, and help shelter the house during hurricanes. The landscape should also leave the view from the porch open across the canal, which still has a rural setting.
Why it matters
We believe the farmhouse can be preserved successfully and become an important cultural asset to the community. It would continue to tell the story of western Broward's pioneer past, standing alongside other historic places in the area, such as the Old Davie School, the Davie Woman's Club, and the Wray Home at Flamingo Gardens.