Coral Springs began in the 1960s as a planned city on a green bean farm. The 1964 Covered Bridge, the Museum of History and its free monthly tours.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Coral Springs history pages and the National Park Service’s National Register data. City historian Cristina Fairhurst: 954-344-5970, history@coralsprings.gov.

Coral Springs is young as Florida cities go. Six decades ago the land in the northwest corner of Broward County was a green bean farm and cattle field. Today it is a city of about 139,000 people on 24 square miles that the city itself calls fully “built out.” Unusually, it did not grow from a settlement: it was planned from the start.

Who to call

How Coral Springs began

According to the city’s founders page:

  • Coral Ridge Properties, led by Fort Lauderdale builders James S. Hunt and Joe Taravella, bought its first parcel, 3,860 acres, from the Lions family.
  • The founders wanted homes on ample lots, brick colonial public buildings and strict codes to protect the look of the place, with city noise kept apart from neighborhoods.
  • To sell land some buyers thought was “too far out,” Hunt built a covered bridge and brought in talk show host Johnny Carson for a land sale barbecue in 1965. Carson later bought a plot himself.
  • Westinghouse bought Coral Ridge Properties in 1966 and brought what the city describes as cutting-edge appliances and features to the new homes.
  • Hunt died in 1972 and Taravella in 1978. James S. Hunt Elementary, which opened in its permanent building on Nov. 6, 1972, and J.P. Taravella High, which opened in 1981, are named for them.

The city’s list of past elected officials begins in 1963, with Harry W. Wilson as mayor, and the city marked its 60th anniversary in 2023.

Landmarks you can visit

Landmark Address What it is
Covered Bridge NW 95th Avenue just south of Wiles Road Built 1964; the city’s first structure; Florida Heritage Site
Museum of Coral Springs History 10250 NW 29th St., in Mullins Park The 1964 sales office, later the first police station; Florida Heritage Site
The Living Story of Coral Springs Beside the museum in Mullins Park Steel sculpture for the city’s 60th anniversary

The Covered Bridge

Coral Ridge Properties built the covered bridge in 1964 as the entrance to its new city and a sales draw, and it was the first structure built in Coral Springs. It was designed by George Hodapp, built by Lewie Mullins, George Porter and other company employees, and originally painted barn red to evoke the Old South. The 40-foot single steel span crosses NW 95th Avenue just south of Wiles Road, near the old Bridle Path and Saddle Club ring. The city says it is the only covered bridge in Florida in the public right of way, and it carries a Florida Heritage Site marker.

The Museum of Coral Springs History

The museum building has moved three times. Coral Ridge Properties built it in 1964 as a 30-by-20-foot sales office at Wiles Road and U.S. 441. The city used it as its first administration building and, from 1968, its first police station. After a spell at the city dump, where the volunteer fire department accidentally set it on fire during a drill, it was towed by flatbed in a parade to Mullins Park on Oct. 20, 1977, and reopened as the Mini Museum on March 4, 1978. It was restored and named a Florida Heritage Site in 2004 and renovated again in 2021.

Inside are salvaged pieces of the original City Hall and Financial Plaza, both since demolished, miniature models, plat maps and a touchscreen trivia display. One question: the city once refused to let McDonald’s use its golden arches at its first Coral Springs restaurant.

Tours are free. The city’s tour page lists monthly Saturday tours with talks by the city historian; the next is Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Living Story of Coral Springs

For the 60th anniversary, the city commissioned Spanish artist Casto Solano. His six weathering-steel panels, each 6 feet wide and 8 feet high, stand in open-book pairs next to the museum and trace the city from “On the Edge of the Everglades” to “Look Toward the Future.”

National Register listings

The National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places data lists 41 properties in Broward County, none in Coral Springs. Most are in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. The city’s recognized landmarks are its two Florida Heritage Sites.

What this means for you

  • Drive under the Covered Bridge on NW 95th Avenue; it looks as it did in 1964.
  • Take the free museum tour on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Mullins Park.
  • Search the city’s online archive for old photos of your neighborhood.

Related: population and growth, parks and trails and moving to Coral Springs.

Frequently asked questions

When was Coral Springs founded?

Coral Ridge Properties began building Coral Springs in the 1960s on land bought from the Lions family, and the city’s first mayor, Harry W. Wilson, served from 1963. The city celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.

Who founded Coral Springs?

Fort Lauderdale builders James S. Hunt and Joe Taravella of Coral Ridge Properties, who planned the city from the ground up on 3,860 acres of former green bean farm and cattle land.

Where is the Coral Springs Covered Bridge?

On NW 95th Avenue just south of Wiles Road. Built in 1964, it was the first structure in the city and carries a Florida Heritage Site marker.

Is the Coral Springs Museum of History free?

Yes. The museum in Mullins Park, 10250 NW 29th St., holds free monthly tours; the next is Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the city historian at 954-344-5970.

Are there National Register of Historic Places sites in Coral Springs?

No. The National Park Service’s list of National Register properties has 41 listings in Broward County, none in Coral Springs.