Mound House open for tours/ pedestrian traffic
There is a fresh new look at Mound House, the Town of Fort Myers Beach property at the end of Connecticut Street.
The gate at the entrance of the property is officially open for pedestrian traffic. Anyone can come down and view the grounds that have had a successful makeover.
Now that the large Dumpster has been removed on the backside of the property, there is also vehicle access on the perimeter and limited parking at the end of the drive or within the property on the left turn before the gate if you are not taking the drive.
Gone are the weeds that surrounded the structures on the property. The grounds are mowed and looking good.
“We are upgrading the prairie areas. You have to let them evolve a little bit,” said Town Environmental Educator Parke Lewis, who is involved in the educational tours. “We’ve mowed the area, taken out the weeds so that the good grass will come back and look a little more manicured. Now that the plants, shrubs and trees have become established, we are following up with some further landscaping improvements.”
The Mount House site was closed for a period of two to three months due to further restoration and removal of hazardous lead paint on the historic home. The Town had to undergo two recently completed paint lead abatement screenings before the pedestrian gate was allowed to be open. After the first lead abatement test was completed, the results came in inconclusive so a follow-up test was done.
“The paint that was in the bricks and on the woodwork and so forth has been removed,” said Lewis. “The park is open for tours with the exception of the house.”
Lewis said the tours are under way in the underground exhibit as well as on the grounds for the Plants and People Tour. Mound House officials are also hosting groups for kayak tours off of the property’s kayak launch site (the Town has received approval for a kayak storage building) and into the Back Bay.
There is still discussion on tap for Beach Town Council members for completing the full project, such as finishing work in the underground exhibit (Town Manager Terry Stewart said the exhibit area should be completed in January at a recent Council meeting) and supplemental parking on site. In the meantime, if the spaces are taken within the Mound House property, one can still find additional parking at the Town-owned vacant lot at 216 Connecticut St.
The final project is the completion of the house itself. It is regarded as the oldest standing structure on Estero Island.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach received generous support from the Florida Division of Historic Resources, Florida Humanities Council, Florida Communities Trust and Lee County’s Visitors and Convention Center Bureau over the past 10 years to provide funding necessary to professionally restore the historic house and grounds and to develop the underground exhibit from an actual Calusa shell mound. Through efforts of staff, volunteers, Friends of the Mound House (which will contribute another $10,000 in the coming weeks for a running donation total of $30,000) and Town Council, the Mound House site provides a unique cultural experience for Beach residents and visitors alike.
Mound House has received roughly $3 million through grants to date and a ballpark figure amount of $750,000 more is needed to complete the house restoration and certain capital improvements.
According to the Mound House vision statement that was developed by the Town’s Cultural & Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board in February 2011 and unofficially endorsed by the Town of Fort Myers Beach on Oct. 17, the Mound House and grounds will be restored to its original 1921 grandeur using Florida’s historic preservation standards.
Meandering through the grounds on an ethno-botanical shell trail, visitors will learn about the tropical plants, trees and the orchard that flourished on this site during the early 20th century, the statement says.
Mound House staff, interns and volunteers will continue to provide tours, workshops, summer day camps as well as off-site programming in the public schools. Adult educational activities will include lectures, special events and kayak and boat tours designed to foster a greater understanding of Southwest Florida’s history and ecosystems.
Due to additional construction, the Stories Beneath Our Feet Exhibit at Mound House will be closed until Jan. 1. Please call 765-0865 for more information.
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Mound House programs
Mound House grounds are open daily from sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Here is a listing of the tours available. Call 765-0865 for more information.
– “Stories Beneath our Feet” Shell Mound Exhibit
Tuesdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
Wednesdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
– “Plants and People” Guided Walk
Tuesdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
Wednesdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. 2 p.m.
– “Treasures of the Sea” Guided Beach Walk (At Newton Park)
Wednesdays 9 a.m.