On your left, look for the cream-colored, Spanish-style school building with red tile roofs, a long row of arches, and a cross perched on the front like it’s keeping an eye on homework.
This is St. Anthony Catholic School, the parish school tied to St. Anthony Catholic Church, right here at 820 Northeast 3rd Street. Take a second and picture 1926 Fort Lauderdale: fewer high-rises, more dust, and a whole lot of optimism. This building went up then, built by John Olsson and designed by architect Francis Abreu… and it still wears that Mediterranean look well-stucco walls, shaded arcades, and those big windows that practically demand Florida breezes.
In 1997, it landed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places… which is basically the country saying, “Hey, don’t mess this up.”
And the alumni list? Not bad for a school day. Tennis legend Chris Evert and Jeanne Evert, NFL’s Brian Piccolo, Olympian sailor Sarah Lihan, All-Star catcher Mike Stanley, author Michael Connelly, Medal of Honor chaplain Charles Liteky, and federal judge William J. Zloch. Apparently recess was very competitive.
