III. Fort Myers Beach in Photos: Points of Interest

BAY OAKS RECREATIONAL COMPLEX

 

Bay Oaks Recreation Center opened it doors to the residents of Lee County on October 23, 1986. Bay Oaks is adjacent to Beach Elementary School and the town-owned Fort Myers Beach pool. The six-and-a-half acre park includes an 18,000 sq. ft. recreation center with 2 full-size basketball/volleyball courts, a weight room, 4 full size outdoor tennis courts, an 18 hole disc golf course and activity/meeting rooms. A public pool offers a children's pool along with a large slide and is available for lap swimmers as well. There are active teen and senior clubs (BOSS = Bay Oaks Social Seniors), as well as an after-school program.,

In 1998 Lee County entered into an inter-local agreement with the newly formed Town of Fort Myers Beach. Lee County Parks & Recreation continued to run and operate Bay Oaks Recreational Complex while the Town of Fort Myers Beach supplied half of the funding for its operational costs. An advisory board was formed to give community input and to make staff and program recommendations. Lee County government gave the Town of Fort Myers Beach ownership of the Bay Oaks Recreation Center on October 1, 2009--along with the more than $600,000 annual operating tab. Since then, it has been a learning process for the Town to administer, fund and promote Bay Oaks on its own, without Lee County. With each succeeding year, the Town becomes more proficient in managing Bay Oaks, and residents become more involved in and enthusiastic about Bay Oaks as an athletic and community center.

 

 

Entrance sign to the Bay Oaks Recreational Complex

 

 

Little League ball field, one of two ball fields at Bay Oaks

 

 

Fort Myers Beach Little League score board

 

 

Entrance to the Bay Oaks gym

 

 

The Bay Oaks gym

 

The Bay Oaks garden, planted and maintained by the Estero Island Garden Club

 

 

Picnic area on the Bay Oaks grounds

 

 

 

The interior of the Bay Oaks gym

 

 

Bay Oaks exercise room

 

 

A meeting room with a Times Square mural in the Bay Oaks gym

 

 

 

The swimming pool

 

 

The Bay Oaks pool

 

 

The fun slide of the Bay Oaks pool

THE FORT MYERS BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Fort Myers Beach Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fort Myers Beach and serves students whose parents either reside or work on Ft. Myers Beach. There are approximately 130 students from kindergarten to fifth grade, and the overall student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1. The entire Beach community actively supports the school by tutoring, doing volunteer work, and fund raising.

 

 

The first Beach school opened in 1937 with 27 first, second and third grade children, with one teacher who was paid $80 monthly by the school board. The second Beach School was a two-room schoolhouse that opened in 1938 with two teachers for grades 1-6. During WWII the beach population increased rapidly. The third school built on the island opened in 1949 for grades 1-6 with 5 teachers and a principal. Today it serves K-5 with 10 teachers, a principal and support staff.

 

 

Entrance sign for Fort Myers Beach Elementary School

 

 

Gated entrance to FMB Elementary

True to our times, entrance to the school is closely monitored, and once inside, visitors’ IDs are closely checked.

 

 

 Front of the FMB Elementary School
 

 

Mural depicting a fife and drum corps on the façade of FMB Elementary School

 

 

THE FORT MYERS BEACH ART ASSOCIATION

 

The Fort Myers Beach Art Association is over 60 years old and offers classes, workshops and opportunities for artists to meet and paint at the working gallery. The association holds art exhibitions and programs which are open to the public and encourages art instruction of children through summer classes, and junior artists through scholarships to high school graduates. Sales of original fine art continue during regular gallery hours and during special events, such as “Paint the Beach,” a plein air painting festival where typically more than 50 artists choose and paint a scene on Fort Myers Beach.

 

 

The Fort Myers Beach Art Association building on Donora Street

 

 

The Art Association building

 

Artists at work inside the light and bright interior of the Art Association building

 

THE FORT MYERS BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT
 

The mission of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department is:

“To combat hostile fires and treat and transport the sick and injured as well as provide multiple levels of rescue. We are a proud organization genuinely committed to providing our services, honoring our traditions and rising to any occasion where emergency services are needed.”

 

The Fort Myers Beach firefighters are always ready to assist the community in periods of unexpected emergencies, be it a house fire, a heart attack, or broken water main--all are within the range of routine business for this organization. The firefighters typically respond a half dozen times a day to a summons for help. The rescue squad and ambulance arrive within 3 to 6 life-saving minutes anywhere on Fort Myers Beach and environs. Each of the firefighters is a trained and certified EMT or Paramedic, and last year they answered about 2100 calls for assistance.

 

I have never personally needed their firefighting services, but I have needed or witnessed their emergency medical services on several occasions. When called on, the firefighters arrive very fast and take immediate charge of the situation. You feel reassured that the person having a health emergency is getting the best possible care and swift transport to the hospital. And you feel incredibly grateful that we have such a dedicated and professional group of people here on Fort Myers Beach.

 

 

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Station facing Estero Boulevard

 

 

The Fire Station with open bays and motto above the bays

 

 

 

Vehicles at the ready

 

 

Fire Station vehicles

 

 

The FMB Emergency Medical Services Ambulance

Nothing is as beautiful to see as this ambulance is when a loved one is having a health emergency.

 

THE FORT MYERS BEACH LIBRARY

In 1954, the Fort Myers Beach Library began in a tiny cottage with 1,200 donated books. On July 28, 1961, the new 2,600 square foot building opened with enough space for 15,000 books; it had been made possible through pledges of money, labor and materials. In 1965, there was a movement to establish a county library system, but the Beach Library held a referendum to find out if there was enough support to establish a library tax district for Fort Myers Beach; ever-increasing circulation and demand for services could no longer be met by fund-raisers and county assistance. Of the 977 registered freeholders, the vote was 678 for and 32 against. Emily Spencer became the first full-time professional librarian over a collection of 10,500 books and periodicals. By 1970, the library had doubled in size. In 1993, construction began on a new library building and was completed on February 28, 1994. In 2000, Leroy Hommerding was hired as Director of the Library. In 2004, the Library’s total holdings numbered 77,000 items, including 58,000 books, 7,400 videos, 5,200 audios. Staff numbered 10 with volunteers welcomed. In 2010, plans were completed for expansion of the building. By 2010, the Library experienced 23% increase in number of users in the past decade.

In 2011, construction began with a groundbreaking on April 5th. After 10 years of planning, the grand opening ceremony of the Fort Myers Beach Library took place on March 27, 2013. Adding 18,895 square feet to the existing building gave the Library a total of 34,190 square feet to house a growing collection and to handle expanded services. Adding to the existing library building opened the door to offering a wider range of resources and activities, including public meeting space, gallery and performance space, specific areas for youth, and a computer lab. While technology plays a big role in contemporary libraries, the attractiveness of the traditional environment of quiet study and reflective learning remains an important element in its design.

 

 

A view of the library in 2008

 

 

 

My favorite window on what used to be the far right side of the library

 

 

The expanse of the new library as seen from the far left

 

 

The expanse of the library as seen from the far right

 

 

 

The new addition, which includes a high/low tide clock

 

CHURCHES ON FORT MYERS BEACH

 

 

 

Chapel by the Sea 

 

Chapel by the Sea was the first church on the island. It was started in 1932 as a mission of the Presbyterians and officially founded one year later. The first building was constructed in 1937 with a seating capacity of 47. Today's Sanctuary holds 700. Although it is Presbyterian, the Chapel is known on the island as the community church. The church hosts "God's Table," feeding the poor and needy of the beach during the week.

 

 

The dolphin “rose window” of Chapel by the Sea

 

 

 

Saint Raphael's Episcopal Church
 

Saint Raphael's Church, located on Williams Drive, was the second church built on the island. It was founded on March 5, 1951 and the church was built in 1953. It was built as a mission style structure with handmade cinder blocks of beach sand, coquina and limestone. It features the unique awning-style stained glass windows and a chapel. The church is known for two of the oldest traditions of the island with the annual Blessing of the Fleet and the famous shrimp roll sales, dating to 1953.

  

 

Entrance to Saint Raphael’s

 

 

Church of the Ascension

The Roman Catholic Church of the Ascension was founded in 1962. The San Damiano Monastery of St. Clare, begun with three Poor Clare nuns in 1988, is also located on the church premises on Estero Boulevard. The sisters lead a simple life of prayer, contemplation, solitude and silence, following in the ways of Saints Francis and Clare.
 

 

A grotto in memory of Nell Santini Walsh from her parents, Mr and Mrs Leonard Santini

The grotto is on the grounds of Ascension parish.

 

The Monastery of Saint Clare

 

Beach United Methodist Church

 

The Beach United Methodist Church is on Bay Street, just behind the Beach Library. Anointing/Healing and Prayers are part of every Sunday Service.

 

 

 

Filigreed windows on the side of the church

 

 

 

Saint Peter Lutheran Church

St. Peter Lutheran Church on Estero Boulevard has Sunday worship and a ladies’ Bible study twice a month. The church considers its ministry to those who vacation or winter on the island as one of its most important ministries.

 

 

 

The right wing of St. Peter's

 

 

 

The Beach Baptist Church with its distinctive blue roof

The Beach Baptist Church on Connecticut Street is a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, but operates as an autonomous entity as it pertains to convention decisions and resolutions. There is a retreat center on the premises which welcomes groups engaged in evangelism training.

 

The Baptist Church entrance

 

Retreat Center

 

 

 

The Beach Theater, meeting place for Saint Raphael’s by the Sea Church

Saint Raphael’s by the Sea, an orthodox Anglican parish which separated from Saint Raphael’s Episcopalian Church, was formed in 2010. Pastor Alice Marcrum is the Rector of the church, which meets on Sundays at Beach Theater on Estero Boulevard. The church hosts the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet, a ceremony which blesses all the boats and their crews.  

MANGO STREET MARKET

The Mango Street Market was located right on Estero Boulevard. It was wonderfully convenient, and I thought it would be there forever. Unfortunately, it was torn down in 2008, and the Farmers Market under the Matanzas Pass Bridge is open only on Friday mornings during Season (November/December through April.)

 

 

Mango Street Market was the place to go for produce and seafood

 

 

And they shipped citrus.

 

 

Bins of melons, oranges and tomatoes

 

You could get wooden totems there, too.


 

 

 

 

II. Fort Myers Beach in Photos: Beaches, Parks and Landmarks

BOWDITCH POINT REGIONAL PARK

 

Aerial view of Estero Island and Bowditch Point Regional Park in the 70s

(Click on any pic to enlarge it.)

 

Bowditch Point Regional Park encompasses the northern-most tip of Estero Island and is located between the Gulf of Mexico and Matanzas Pass. On the Estero Bay side, you can watch boats entering and exiting the bay via Matanzas Pass, and on the Gulf of Mexico beachfront side, you can see walkers, swimmers and sunbathers. There are also walking trails through the preserve, a picnic area with tables and grills, changing facilities and restrooms in the park.

The park was named after Nathaniel Bowditch, who is considered the father of modern maritime navigation. Lee County purchased the seventeen-acre property in 1987 in order to develop the site for recreational use. Although the park opened in 1994, it didn’t reach its full potential as a recreational area until 2002, when the grounds were replanted with native vegetation, the facilities were improved and a number of parking spaces were added.

 

 

Bowditch Point on the Estero Bay side

 

 

The northern-most tip of Estero Island

 

 

Strollers approaching the tip of Bowditch Point on the Gulf of Mexico side

 

 

Refurbished beach on the Gulf side and dredging equipment

 

 

A boardwalk towards picnic pavilions in the park

 

 

Picnic pavilions and concession stand

 

 

Picnic pavilions

 

 

The boardwalk leads to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico side of Bowditch Point

 

 

Bowditch Point at sunset


CRESCENT BEACH FAMILY PARK

 

The foot of the Matanzas Pass Bridge

The intersection at the foot of the Matanzas Pass Bridge
Go left and you are at Times Square; go right and you are on Estero Boulevard, the main (and only) artery of Fort Myers Beach.

Lee County officially acquired the Seafarer’s property and the three Gulf-front lots on Estero Boulevard for a total of $5.6 million in September, 2010. (The Seafarer’s property cost $980,000.) Demolition work at the Seafarer’s Mall site just across the street was carried out in June. The whole Seafarer's site across the street from the park has been viewed as a strategic development area, but to date, it has been left barren. 

The Seafarers property before demolition

 

 

After demolition of the Seafarers property

 

 

Kids from the the Children’s Mural Project painted ocean scenes to decorate the fence around the Seafarers vacant property. It was a great improvement.

The beachfront parcels were subsequently converted into a beachside park with sand volleyball courts and picnic shelters with tables. Commissioner Ray Judah favored calling the property, “Crescent Beach Park,” but the word “Family” was added to the name to reinforce the idea of a family-friendly destination.

Crescent Beach Family Park sign facing Estero Boulevard
This two-acre beachfront park sits at the foot of the Matanzas Pass Bridge on Estero Boulevard.
 

 

The three gulf-front lots were razed in preparation for the park.

 

 

The same view of the property but with Tiki huts and volleyball courts

 

A lone palm tree on the gulf-front lot with the pier in the background in this "before" shot

 

 

The same view of the lone palm and pier in the background but with newly added palm trees and vegetation in the foreground

 

 

A view of the park towards Estero Boulevard

The mural project is all along the fence in the background.

 

 

A uniquely designed tiki hut and another look at the mural project

 

NEWTON PARK

 

Newton Park is a beachfront property that belonged to James (1905-1999) and Eleanor (1899-2003) Newton, whose extensive friendships with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Charles Lindbergh, and others are recorded in Jim Newton’s book, “Uncommon Friends.” At Seven Seas, the Newtons’ home, Ellie Newton entertained such luminaries as Frits Phillips, former chairman of the Philips electronics company, King Michael of Romania and Queen Anne, among others. The house was built in 1953, and the Newtons’ personal associations and the gatherings that took place at Seven Seas represent a unique chapter in the history of Fort Myers Beach. The Town of Fort Myers beach acquired the estate in 2003 by virtue of a grant from the Florida Communities Trust program and Lee County. Additional funds from the Lee County Tourist Development Council and Town park impact fees have made possible the development of the property into a passive park. The Seven Seas beach cottage at Newton Park has been restored and can be rented for private events. The cottage isn’t really very big, but it sits on a gorgeous piece of property on the gulf, and the rooms look directly out over the water.

 

Newton Park with tiki hut and picnic tables

 

The tiki hut with a glimpse of the Gulf in the background

 

Seven Seas cottage

The Seven Seas cottage with a small parking lot, landscaped paths and handicapped access

 The cottage on the side facing the gulf

 

A corner view of the cottage

 

THE MOUND HOUSE

 

Estero Island was once at the very center of the Calusa Indian heartland. The Calusa Indians ruled a vast south Florida empire from their ceremonial center on nearby Mound Key, a 125-acre island in Estero Bay. The Calusa were a powerful people and controlled all of the Native groups in Southern Florida, including the Miami area. They thrived on the rich estuarine environment, eating fish and shellfish as well as hunting deer, bear, raccoon, and possum, and moving up and down waterways like the Caloosahatchee River on canoes. Large shell mounds can still be seen where Calusa villages once stood. When the Spanish tried to land, they were met with hostility which resulted in deaths, including that of Ponce de Leon on his second Florida exploration and attempted settlement when he was mortally wounded, returning to Havana where he died.

 

The Mound House, situated on Estero Bay, sits on an ancient Calusa Indian Mound and commands a sweeping vista of Estero Bay. It is Estero Island’s oldest standing structure and has undergone many changes since it was first built in 1906. The Mound House became the property of the newly incorporated Town of Fort Myers Beach in 1995 and became the town’s first preservation effort. One of the changes made in 1958 was the installation of a swimming pool. Cracked and deteriorated, the pool was removed and the space taken up by the pool was transformed into an underground room which shows the layers of the shell mound through 2,000 years of history. Above ground, the house itself is slowly being restored to an earlier period of time and the grounds are being restored to feature native plants and shell mound vegetation. The purchase of the property was made possible by a grant from Florida Communities Trust, and the shell mound exhibit was supported by a grant from the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources. The entire site is a work in progress, but eventually, its mission as a cultural and educational center with exhibits of artifacts and photographic displays of times gone by at the Mound House will be realized.

 

A Gumbo-limbo tree used to be in front of the Mound House.

It is called the “Tourist Tree’ because its bark is red and peeling like the sunburned skin of a tourist. The screened-in swimming pool is to the left of the main house. This is a pre-restoration photo.

The huge trees had to be removed because they were a danger to the foundation of the Mound House.

 

The same view of the Mound House as of October, 2013

 

 

The Mound House with a corner view as it was before the trees were removed

 

 

The same corner view as of October, 2013

 

A side view of the Mound House, pre-restoration

 

 

A current view of the Mound House with a glimpse of the bay in the background

 

 

The entrance to the shell mound exhibit

The exhibit is located where the swimming pool used to be.

 

 

A floor-to-ceiling mural depicts life in a Calusa village.

 

 

Jacqueline and Mehmet from Germany were visitors to the Mound House.

 

 

LED lights illustrate the seashell strata of mound-building according to time periods.

MATANZAS PASS PRESERVE

 

Matanzas Pass Preserve is nearly 60 acres of unspoiled sanctuary for native plants and animals, including raccoons, rabbits, hawks, owls, turtles, snakes, herons, fish, and songbirds. The main entrance to the Preserve is on Bay Road located behind Beach Elementary School and just beyond the Estero Island Historic Cottages. There are 1.25 miles of boardwalks and trails that wind through the canopies of mangroves and oak hammock. The Matanzas Pass Preserve offers many educational opportunities, including guided walks, tours led by an ethnobotanist, volunteer training, stress detox tours, and a new children's educational program.

Making the Preserve available and inviting to residents and visitors alike required a great deal of work. Clearing paths, hauling debris, building an elevated boardwalk with bridges, placing benches, and trimming vegetation began in 1977 with volunteers from various community groups. The Nature Conservancy officially opened the Preserve with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 20, 1979 with the title, Matanzas Pass Wilderness Preserve.

In 1994, the Matanzas Pass (Wilderness) Preserve property was donated to Lee County by The Nature Conservancy at which time the word “Wilderness” was removed from the name. The Friends of Matanzas Pass Preserve has since been formed to help protect and preserve the natural habitat of this unique natural environment on Fort Myers Beach.

 

The Estero Island Historic Society and Nature Center 

Built in 1921, this beachfront cottage was relocated from Mango Street and dedicated in 1997 as the Estero Island Historic Society and Nature Center. It is now at the entrance to the 57-acre Matanzas Pass Preserve, at the end of Bay Road behind the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

 

 

The Historic Society Annex

This “Laughing Gull” cottage was built as a beachside rental and was relocated in 2002 to serve as the Library and Board Room to the Estero Island Historic Society.

The Historic Society cottage near the entrance to the Preserve

Entrance to the Preserve

 

 

Hiking trails through the Preserve alternate with boardwalks

The trail leads across a bridge

The bridge crosses a marine swamp, which in the Preserve is wetland dominated by trees.

 

A boardwalk winds through the Preserve.

 

Choose your loop, Calusa or Mangrove.

 

The hiking trail continues.

The hiking trail beneath a canopy of trees
 

 

A Virginia Live Oak with resurrection ferns and Spanish moss on the lower branches

The Resurrection fern looks brown and dead until rain brings it back to life.

 

 

A close-up of a live oak tree

 

 

The boardwalk over the marine swamp loops through the Preserve.

 

 

The hiking trail continues.

 

 

A view through the mangroves toward Estero Bay

 

 

The boardwalk deck leading to the Rotary Pavilion was constructed from recycled plastic containers. They were ground up, melted down and made into plastic “lumber” for the boardwalk.

The Pavilion on Estero Bay

 

 

A view of Estero Bay from the pavilion