Lauderdale Harbors

Lauderdale Harbors homes were developed in the early 1950s by Gill Construction, which had purchased the land in 1949. Between 1951 and 1953, Gill Construction was responsible for building 25% of all homes in Fort Lauderdale. By 1949, city records show the company had already developed over $3 million worth of hotels, commercial properties, and residences. Notably, Gill Construction built iconic landmarks such as The Yankee Clipper (now B Ocean) and The Yankee Trader (now The Westin), along with several Fort Lauderdale Beach hotels.

Among its many projects, Lauderdale Harbors seemed to hold special significance for the company’s founder, as he and his family chose to settle there permanently. His home was located at the northeastern end lot of SE 13th Street Isle. This property was later redeveloped by his granddaughter and subsequently sold.

A 1950s Parade of Homes magazine article highlighted a distinctive feature of Lauderdale Harbors homes: a state-of-the-art GE air conditioning and heating system, integrated into a concealed duct system that distributed air throughout the house. At the time, the estimated annual cooling cost was advertised at just $145. Gill’s vision was to create affordable waterfront living.

The first homes, in what was called Phase 1, were built on the Cliff Lake side, with the model home at 1235 SE 13th Terrace. Mainland homes were priced at $16,450, while island homes, introduced in Phase 2 with 13th Street Island, started at $22,950. The model home for this phase, located at 1500 SE 13th Street, was demolished in 2008. Phase 3 consisted of homes on SE 14th Street, followed by Phase 4 on SE 12th Court.

However, the origins of Lauderdale Harbors date back even earlier. County records indicate that the area was initially planned and dredged in the 1920s by Boston developer William F. Morang. Morang, who also designed the neighboring finger-island communities, acquired a significantly larger tract of land than what comprises Lauderdale Harbors today. He not only dredged the canals but also constructed a bridge over the Stranahan River (now the Intracoastal Waterway) at SE 15th Street. At the time, locals referred to it as "the bridge to nowhere" since it led to an undeveloped land mass intended to be part of Morang’s envisioned community.

Construction on the 15th Street bridge began in 1925, when Morang was reportedly worth $13 million. However, by the time the bridge and canal dredging were completed, he had lost everything—largely due to the devastating September 1926 hurricane. His ambitious project collapsed, and the land remained undeveloped for years. Eventually, in the 1940s, the area became the neighborhood now known as Harbor Beach.