Some Early History about Florida and “The Landings”
From the Abstract
Our area and all of Florida was ceded to the United States by the Treaty of 1819 with Spain. Some excerpts of the Treaty are shown below.
Treaty of 1819 With Spain Ceding Florida to the United States: “The United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, desiring to consolidate, on a permanent basis, the friendship and good correspondence which happily prevails between the two parties, have determined to settle and terminate all their differences and pretensions by a treaty, which shall designate, with precision, the limits of their respective bordering territories in North America.”
“Art.2. His Catholic Majesty cedes to the United States, in full property and sovereignty, all the territories, which belong to him, situated to the eastward of the Mississippi, known by the name of East and West Florida. The adjacent islands dependent on said provinces, all public lots and squares, vacant lands, public edifices, fortifications, barracks, and other buildings, which are not private property, archives and documents which relate directly to the property and sovereignty of said province, are included in this article. The said archives and documents shall be left in possession of the commissioners or officers of the United States, duly authorized to receive them.”
“In Witness Whereof, we the underwritten Plenipotentiaries of the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, have signed, by virtue of our powers, the present treaty of amity, settlement, and limits, and have hereunto affixed our seals, respectively.”
“Done at Washington this 22nd day of February 1819.”
John Quincy Adams (Seal)
Luis de Onis (Seal)”
Synopsis of Acts of United States and State of Florida Affecting Land in Caption
“The Florida’s” were acquired by the United States in 1821, under treaty with Spain, and all the vacant and public lands became the property of the United States (Federal Statutes, Annotated, Volume 7, page 810)
Florida was admitted into the Union by Act of Congress approved March 3, 1845, the United States reserving the public lands therein, exempt from taxation while remaining the property of the United States (United States Statutes at Large, Vol. 5, page 742).
Lands shown to have been conveyed by the trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund of the State of Florida, were selected by said state under and by virtue of an act called the “Swamp Act” of the United States Congress, approved September 28, 1850 (U.S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 9, page 519), and when said selections were approved, patents by the United States to the State of Florida issued by virtue of said act.
Act of Congress of The United States
Chap. LXXXIV. An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other states to reclaim the “Swamp Lands” within their limits. Approved September 28, 1850, Vol. 9, pages 519 and 520, U.S.S. at Large.
From 1821 to 1845 when Florida was admitted to the Union, there were many transactions affecting our area. Some of those involved were various Florida State Departments, Florida Coast Line Canal and Transportation Company, Boston and Florida Atlantic Coast Land Company, H.M. Flagler, Arthur T. and Ida Cook Galt, W.H. McNab and Coral Ridge Properties.
In 1962 The Landings, First Section, was established by Monarch Realty Corporation (Jack W. Gaines, President and Burt S. Haft, Secretary)
History of The Landings
Early History of The Landings. Last newsletter the history covered the period from 1819 to 1962. The history here covers the early development and building and sale of homes in The Landings.
In 1960, when an Intracoastal Bridge on Commercial Boulevard was in the offing, Haft-Gaines made their move. They planned to develop “The Landings” in three stages: The First Section from 52nd Street to 56th Court; the Second Section from 56th Court to 59th Street; the Third Section was the area which later became Bay Colony.
The first group of model homes was completed and open to the public in the Spring of 1962. They were located adjacent to the intersection of 55th Street and Bay-view Drive. People came to look, to be impressed and to contract for homes patterned on these models. The paving of the First Section streets was completed and the construction of homes for the early purchasers was underway in the summer of 1962.
The volume of sales encouraged Haft-Gaines to complete work and offer locations in the Second Section earlier than their original time schedule. They were selling homes in both the First and Second Sections when the City of Fort Lauderdale annexed “The Landings” and adjacent areas. The Fort Lauderdale Building Code permitted the building of more spacious homes with less space from the buildings to the lot lines. Bayview Drive paving was completed and a group of more spacious and more luxurious model homes was built adjacent to the earlier model homes. Prospective home buyers were being offered a greater variety of homes from which to choose. An excerpt from the original sales brochure and some of the price information follows.
“Because The Landings has been envisioned as a harmonious grouping of individually designed homes, you are invited to take full advantage of Haft-Gaines’ complete architectural service. At no cost whatever to you at The Landings, Haft-Gaines’ architectural staff is ready and waiting to translate your family’s personal design for living into the new home that will be so uniquely and personally yours.
You may choose from the varied architectural styles displayed in the exhibit homes shown at The Landings. You may, if you choose, combine harmonious features of one architectural style with another. Or, if you wish, feel completely free to plan your home quite literally from the ground up, remaining, of course, within the framework of architectural compatibility that will be a hallmark of The Landings community. When it comes to planning the interior of your home, you will find our architects eager to show you the thousand-and-one advantages of completely modern living that will be yours here — each fully adapted to the individual living patterns of your family, each an integral part of your home. And so we urge you to plan — with the aid, advice and counsel of our staff architects — your home at The Landings…. where personal planning makes the difference.”
Pricing Guide “To provide you with an accurate guide to pricing, we have prepared this informational listing using the 10 exhibit homes as examples.
All prices include the full cost of your sodded waterfront lot, complete cost of home construction, carrier central air-conditioning and heating, all General Electric appliances, lawn sprinkler system and private dock. ”
Design & Price
Regency $52,900
Provincial $38,900
Georgian $49,900
Florentine $45,900
Williamsburg $43,900
Contemporary $51,900
New Orleans $44,900
Colonial $47,900
Traditional $54,900
Renaissance $47,900″