Davie is Broward County’s oldest inland town and one of its strangest — a place that started as drained Everglades swampland in 1909, became a farming community, grew into a cowboy town with rodeo grounds and Western-wear stores, and then transformed into a sprawling suburb of master-planned communities and equestrian estates. That history spans over a century, and the locks on your door depend on which chapter your home belongs to.
This page walks through Davie’s history chronologically — from the founding as Zona in 1909 through the suburban buildout of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s — and covers what locks you’re likely to have based on when your neighborhood was developed. Services we provide: lock changes, rekeys, home lockouts, deadbolt installation, sliding door and patio door locks, and mailbox locks.
1909-1950s: Zona, Drainage, and the Agricultural Frontier
Davie started as swampland. In 1906, Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward initiated a massive Everglades drainage program. Canals cut through the landscape, and previously submerged land became available for settlement. In 1909, settlers arrived — some from the Panama Canal Zone — and named their community Zona. Robert Parsell Davie, a developer, bought about 27,000 acres in the area and built a school. In 1916, grateful residents renamed the town after him.
The Davie School House, designed by architect August Guyger, opened in 1918. It is Broward County’s oldest existing school structure and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Davie was briefly incorporated in 1925 — forty-eight residents voted at the Old Davie School. But taxes were levied, and residents petitioned to dissolve. The town wasn’t officially chartered again until 1961.
By the late 1950s, Davie had over 5,000 acres of bearing citrus groves. The town’s economy was built on agriculture — cattle, horse breeding, citrus, sod, winter vegetables. The Bergeron Rodeo Grounds were established in 1941. The Western identity was real, not manufactured.
Locks you’ll find from this era: Few original residential structures survive from the 1909-1940s period in livable condition. The homes that do — typically on elevated hammock land along Pine Island Ridge — may have original mortise locks or rim cylinder locks. These are heavy, durable mechanisms, but parts are scarce. Homes from the 1940s-1950s — the post-war farming era — typically had Schlage or Kwikset cylindrical knob locks. Deadbolts were not standard. Many of these were farmhouses with simple hardware, upgraded over decades of ownership changes.
1960s-1970s: First Suburban Push and the Equestrian Identity
The 1960 census showed Davie as a small, unincorporated community. The official charter came in 1961. The town’s housing stock data shows that the majority of housing units were built between 1960 and 1990 — about 21,147 units out of approximately 32,639 total as of 2010.
The 1960s brought the first suburban developments. Pioneer City, a Western theme park, opened across from Flamingo Gardens in the 1960s. The Miami Dolphins Training Facility opened in 1993, cementing Davie’s sports connection.
Neighborhoods from This Era
Shenandoah — A residential community developed in the 1970s. Single-family homes, standard suburban lots.
Flamingo Ranch Estates and Flamingo Road Estates — Developed on former agricultural land near Flamingo Gardens. These neighborhoods retained larger lots and a semi-rural feel.
Ivanhoe and Seminole Estates — 1970s subdivisions with single-family homes.
Locks you’ll find from this era: Schlage and Kwikset cylindrical locks with deadbolts. Deadbolts became more standard in the 1970s as building codes updated. The hardware is now 40-50+ years old. If the locks feel loose, the key sticks, or the deadbolt doesn’t fully extend, the internal mechanisms are worn. Rekeying replaces the pins; if the bolt assembly is sloppy, replacement is the better call.
Many Davie homes from this era are on acreage lots with gates and outbuildings — barns, tack rooms, workshops. Each exterior opening needs its own lock. These are frequently overlooked during rekeys. If you’re rekeying after a purchase, make sure every exterior door — including outbuildings — is included.
1980s-1990s: Master-Planned Communities and Gated Development
The 1980s and 1990s brought master-planned communities to Davie. The town’s population grew rapidly, and developers built gated neighborhoods with HOAs, community pools, and golf courses — though the town’s zoning laws protected the agricultural and equestrian uses that defined Davie’s character.
Neighborhoods from This Era
Pine Island Ridge — Developed starting in 1985 when the Belcher family sold their land — including Pine Island Ridge itself — to Sea Ranch Properties. The ridge is an ancient hardwood hammock that was a Tequesta habitation site thousands of years ago, later a Seminole stronghold under Sam Jones during the Seminole Wars. The state purchased the ridge in 1989 and leased it to Broward County, managed as part of Tree Tops Park. The surrounding residential development — Pine Island Ridge Country Club and Forest Ridge — was built in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Forest Ridge — A gated community developed in the late 1980s-1990s, surrounding the Pine Island Ridge natural area. Modern suburban homes with HOA amenities.
The Hamlet — A residential community developed in the 1980s-1990s. Single-family homes, standard suburban layout.
Locks you’ll find from this era: Modern Schlage, Kwikset, or equivalent Grade 2 residential hardware. Deadbolts are standard — required by building codes by this period. Some gated communities have secondary access-controlled entries with keypads or card readers. The hardware in these homes is 25-40 years old. Rekeying after a sale or tenant change is the most common service request.
2000s-Present: Western Expansion and Modern Builds
The most recent wave of development pushed into western Davie — the last remaining undeveloped land in the town. These are newer communities with modern construction, impact-rated doors, and contemporary hardware.
Neighborhoods from This Era
Stonebrook Estates — A modern gated community with estate-style homes.
Riverstone — A newer development in western Davie.
Long Lake Ranches and Long Lake Estates — Large-lot communities built around lake systems.
Marigold by Pulte Homes — A newer master-planned community.
Locks you’ll find from this era: Modern Grade 2 or Grade 3 residential hardware. Deadbolts standard. Impact-rated doors on homes built after the 2002 Florida Building Code revisions. Multi-point locking systems on some impact-rated entries. Smart lock-ready setups in some newer builds. These homes need the least hardware replacement and the most rekeying — especially after a purchase.
Davie’s Unique Considerations
Equestrian properties. Many Davie neighborhoods have acreage lots with barns, stables, and tack rooms. Each of these outbuildings needs its own lock. Tack room locks are frequently neglected — they’re often original to the build, exposed to humidity, and rarely rekeyed. If you’ve purchased an equestrian property, rekey every exterior opening including outbuildings.
Rural infrastructure. Some older Davie neighborhoods still have dirt or shell-rock roads and limited street lighting. A solid deadbolt on a well-lit entry is more important when visibility is limited.
Mix of old and new. You can stand on one street in Davie and see a 1950s farmhouse, a 1980s gated community, and a 2010s estate home. The locks on these homes are completely different. Don’t assume your neighbor’s lock is the same as yours.
Services We Provide in Davie
- House rekey — First lock includes the service call. Additional locks and outbuildings on the same visit cost less.
- Lock change / lock replacement — When hardware is worn, corroded, or you want to upgrade. Standard residential, Grade 2 deadbolts, high-security options.
- Home lockout — Locked out of your house? We get you back in without damaging the lock. Flat rate quoted before we dispatch.
- Deadbolt installation — If your older Davie home has a knob lock but no deadbolt, adding one is the most cost-effective security upgrade available.
- Sliding door and patio door locks — Many Davie homes from the 1970s and 1980s have original sliding door hardware. Auxiliary locks and security bars available.
- Mailbox lock replacement — Cluster mailbox units in HOA communities jam frequently. Individual curbside mailbox locks also fail.
- Outbuilding and gate locks — Barns, tack rooms, workshops, and gates on equestrian properties. Often overlooked during rekeys.
Davie Quick Reference
| Era | When | Typical neighborhoods | Typical locks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural frontier | 1909-1950s | Original homesteads, Pine Island Ridge area | Mortise/rim cylinder (oldest), Schlage/Kwikset cylindrical (post-war) |
| First suburban push | 1960s-1970s | Shenandoah, Flamingo Ranch Estates, Ivanhoe | Schlage/Kwikset cylindrical with deadbolts |
| Master-planned communities | 1980s-1990s | Pine Island Ridge, Forest Ridge, The Hamlet | Modern Grade 2 hardware, deadbolts standard |
| Western expansion | 2000s-present | Stonebrook, Riverstone, Long Lake Ranches | Modern hardware, impact doors, multi-point locks |
Need a Locksmith in Davie?
Licensed and insured. Flat-rate pricing quoted before we dispatch.
Call (954) 888-8800 or fill out the form below. We serve all Davie ZIP codes: 33314, 33317, 33324, 33325, 33326, 33327, 33328, 33330, 33331.
Whether you’re in a 1970s ranch in Shenandoah or a modern estate in Stonebrook, we know what locks are on your door and what they need.
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