St. Anthony Catholic School
Built 1926, listed on the National Register of Historic Places 1997
820 N.E. Third Street, Fort Lauderdale
Photo captions:
St. Anthony Catholic School, Frances Abreu Rendering
Broward County Historical Commission Collection
St. Anthony Catholic School
Image Courtesy of the Broward County Libraries Division
St. Anthony Catholic School
Broward County Historical Commission, Photograph by Anthony Kozla
St. Anthony Parish is the oldest Catholic Parish in the county. This Mediterranean Revival style school was the first Catholic school built in Broward County and the first Catholic school between the Gesu Catholic School in Miami and St. Ann in West Palm Beach. There were few Catholics in Broward County in the early days. Fort Lauderdale’s Catholic community had long been a minority in the predominantly Baptist town.
This fine example of Mediterranean Revival style architecture was designed by renowned architect Frances Abreu. Abreu did much to popularize the Mediterranean Revival style during the 1920s. The school was built for $60,000 and placed in the heart of Victoria Park, a modest and middle-class new development of homes being built during the real estate boom. In April 1926, a story in the Sentinel made it very clear to all of Fort Lauderdale that Broward’s first Catholic school was being built for the future. The school was built with a capacity to take care of more than 200 pupils immediately and 200 more later; a provision was made for future wings to take care of additional increases in enrollment. The school was dedicated by Bishop Barry from St. Augustine. The official opening was announced for September 1926.
The school served grades one through eight at first. The four classrooms on the first floor each accommodated two grades in the early years. The second floor of the building was originally used as a convent for the teaching sisters. In 1932 St. Anthony became the first Catholic high school in Broward County. That school split off into what is now St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anthony reverted to kindergarten through eighth grade. Today, classes are taught by lay teachers. The school has been an educational facility for more than 85 years and continues to be in operation.