With this week marking the 96th anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Davie, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, D-Plantation, filed a resolution recognizing Davie’s membership into the elite preservation-focused Certified Local Government Program.
“This resolution celebrates the Town of Davie and its commitment to environmental and historical preservation,” says Leader Book, who represents Davie and other western Broward County communities in the Florida Senate. “Davie has a rich agricultural history which lives on today through its annual Orange Blossom Festival, rodeo events, and western themed downtown. We are so proud of Davie for earning this elite honor.”
The Certified Local Government Program was set up in 1980 by the National Park Service as a federal, state and local preservation partnership. Davie became one of only about 2,000 Certified Local Governments in September. Member rewards include training, technical aid, and grant funding to further preservation efforts.
“The Town of Davie is proud to be one of the newest Certified Local Governments for historic preservation,” said Davie Mayor Judy Paul. “We value our heritage and appreciate Senator/Leader Lauren Book and the Florida Senate’s recognition of this accomplishment.”
In her announcement of Davie’s certification, Secretary of State Laurel Lee said: “I am pleased to welcome Davie as Florida’s 80th Certified Local Government. The Town will now partner with the Division of Historical Resources to preserve resources associated with its historic agricultural industry, equestrian lifestyle and rodeo events.”
The Town of Davie is located in Broward County, Florida, just west of Ft. Lauderdale. Settlers from the Panama canal zone first named the area “Zona”. The Town was later named “Davie” in honor of R.P. Davie, who was responsible for draining thousands of acres of swampland to make land suitable for agriculture. More modern conservation efforts succeeded in preserving the ancient “ridge” areas that are known to include archeological resources from the earlier native American presence. The Town maintains its historic and cultural ties to the past through its annual Orange Blossom Festival, annual rodeo events, and western themed downtown area. The certification of Davie as a Certified Local Government solidifies its mission to protect its unique historical, cultural and archaeological resources for future generations.
By joining the Certified Local Government program, Davie will now receive support in the form of training, technical assistance and grant funding to support the town’s local historic preservation efforts.
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