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History · Lazy Lake

Lazy Lake dates to 1953, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1945 on and the census since 1960.

1953founded
0on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Lazy Lake began

When was Lazy Lake founded?

1953

Lazy Lake dates its founding to 1953 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 49 in 19602020 census: 3373 years
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lazy Lake’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Lazy Lake are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Lazy Lake’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lazy Lake’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lazy Lake’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Lazy Lake came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lazy Lake.

Read it all →

In 1946, real estate developer and contractor Hal Ratliff began the process of building the community around an old rock quarry (which later was filled with water and became the village's artificial lake.) He had the help of architect Clinton Gamble, who designed the original homes, and financier and accountant Charles H. Lindfors, who initially bought the land. Ratliff's goal was to build a community that was low-key, with heavy forestry infrastructure, allowing neighbors to keep to themselves and have some anonymity. Lazy Lake received its name when a friend of Hal Ratliff remarked that the lake looked "so lazy and peaceful."

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Lazy Lake on the map, 1945 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lazy Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Lazy Lake on the 1945 USGS mapLazy Lake on the 1962 USGS mapLazy Lake on the 1973 USGS mapLazy Lake on the 1983 USGS mapLazy Lake on the 1995 USGS map1945Fort Lauderdale North sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lazy Lake.

People over time

Lazy Lake, census by census

01960198020002020Peak: 49

Between 24 and 49 people in every census since 1960.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lazy Lake’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Lazy Lake

Nobody well known was born in Lazy Lake itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Chris EvertAmerican former tennis player · b. 1954
Victoria JusticeAmerican actress and singer · b. 1993
XXXTentacionAmerican rapper · b. 1998
N
Norman ReedusAmerican actor · b. 1969
Sofia CarsonAmerican singer, actress, dancer and songwriter · b. 1993
Sloane StephensUS American tennis player · b. 1993

Questions about Lazy Lake’s history

What year was Lazy Lake founded?

In 1953, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 49 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.