Although it was not easy, thanks to Jon Bloch of Spartan Blue Knights, a couple of board members were able to take a peek inside the Estero Island Historic Society Museum located at the end of Bay Road.
First, we had to park on School Street since Bay Road is not accessible. We found our way through the debris only to find a displaced home in front of our property.
After getting up to this point, we realized that it would be difficult to go any further without help. That help arrived when Jon Bloch volunteered to “cut us a path” to the cottage. Bloch is with Spartan Blue Knights, a demolition company that is working on the schools.
Once we got inside the cottage, we were pleasantly surprised. Of course, there was damage, but many of our displays were still in place. It looked like the water rose to almost six feet in some places. There was dried mud on the floor and waterlines on the walls.
After checking out the museum, we decided to try our luck in the Annex. The Annex houses our achieves, and we were anxious to see how much survived.
All in all, it was a successful morning. There is quite a bit of work to be done. Not much will happen until the debris is cleared. Lee County owns the land where the cottages are located but the Historic Society is responsible for the buildings. We could not get the cottages insured, so we will need to find funding for the repairs and renovations that will need to be done.
The “We’re Here” cottage was one of the first cottages built on the island. The original cottage was built in 1921 and was located on the beach at the end of Mango Street. When the 1944 hurricane hit Fort Myers Beach, the cottage was damaged. Fortunately, the Davisons were able to save all of the original materials and rebuilt the cottage where it was enjoyed by five generations of the Davison family. For many years, the cottage served as home of the San Castle Kindergarten until it was relocated from Mango Street to Bay Road to become the home of the newly formed Estero Island Historic Society.
This second cottage on our campus was the “Laughing Gull” cottage originally built as a beachside rental on Seaview Avenue and fondly remembered as the “Pink Palace” by those who vacationed there. It was relocated in 2002 to serve as the Library and Board Room to the Estero Island Historic Society.
The Estero Island Historic Society is a 503 (c) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our island’s history. We are committed to rebuilding and reopening as soon as is practical. We will keep you posted on our progress and will be asking for donations once we have a better idea of the cost for repairs.
