The Hendry House was originally the home of Captain Francis Asbury  and Ardeline Hendry.  It was located at First and Royal Palm.In October 1888, they sold this house to to their son Louis for $7,000.

     Louis remodeled the house converting it to a hotel.  He added 14 rooms.  There was a large open porch and balcolny.  There was Victorian gingerbread woodwork.  In 1897, Louis sold the land and hotel to Hugh O’Neill.  He razed the Hendry House Hotel and built the Royal Palm Hotel on the site.

    In 1952, this was the first permanent location of the Fort Myers Public Library on Edwards Street across the way from the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.  It was at this location until 1979.

    The next tenant at this building was the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.  It still occupies this location.

     Another source stated property was built in 2000.  Could this actually be the date of remodeling    ?

     Building is 7,563 square. Property is 19,602 square feet.

     Hugh O’Neill was a wealthy New York merchant. He had visited the Fort Myers area multiple times in the late 1890’s. He was impressed with the potential of this area. In 1897, he bought a Hotel known as the Hendry House located at Fowler and First Street in Fort Myers. He razed the building. He used the area as a site for to build  a grand wood frame hotel with 50 rooms originally known as the Fort Myers Hotel.   The construction costs were estimated to be $70,000.  The hotel was the first building to be electrified.  The hotel opened in 1898. It was an exotically landscaped resort hotel.  The name was later changed to the Royal Palm.

     Over the years, the hotel declined in business.  In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the Royal Palm Hotel and expanded and remodeled it.  Despite this, the fortunes or the hotel continued to decline. During the last few years of it’s existence, the hotel became a favorite spot for members of the military stationed in the area during World War 2.   The hotel, dock, swimming pool and the casino were demolished in 1948.

Featured was a promenade dock for yachts, swimming pool and a casino.

In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the financially strapped Royal Palm Hotel. She renovated it and enlarged the building. As years went by, the hotel met on hard times. The pool, promendade dock, and the hotel buildings were demolished in 1948.

     The site of the new Oxbow Restaurant in Fort Myers has an interesting history.   It was originally known as the Fort Myers City Pier Building on the Calooosahatchee  River.   It was built in 1999 at a cost.of 1.9 million dollars.  The purpose of the structure was to establish high speed ferry service to Key West.  $20,000 was set aside for a party at the start of service.  Unfortunately, the service never happened.

     For a time, the building was used as the site of Art of Olympians Museum and Galleries.  The museum sought to showcase the connection between sports and art.  Unfortunately, the museum closed.  The building served as a sales office for condominiums for a while.

      Oxbow and its parent company Mansail Lodging and Development won the right to the building  at 1300 Hemdry Street in 2017. The Oxbow opened in March, 2021.  It is the only riverfront restaurant in downtown Fort Myers.  It is 5000 square feet.  It seats 150.  The 2400 square feet second floor is to be used for private events.

     Buckingham Army Airfield is a now inactive army airfield located in Florida approximately 10 miles from Fort Myers. It was in.service for 39 months during World War 2

    In 1941, A group of government officials from.Fort Myers and Lee County government purchased 7000 acres of predominantly swamp land in Lee County.  They leased the property to the U.S. War Department for a future Army Airfield.  The project was sold as job creator for the local economy. 

     The base project began in.February, 1942.  The airfield  was supervised by Captain Richard Duggan and Colonel Delmar Spivey.  The first part of the project consisted of digging of drainage canals, building roads and erecting buildings.  By August, 1942 500 buildings were underway.   In 1943, col Spivey was replaced by Colonel Jenkins

   Initially, three concrete runways were in place; this was expanded to six

     The main mission of Buckingham Army Airfield was to train aerial gunners for B 17, B 24 and B 26 bombers.  This was accomplished in their 5 to 6 week flexible gun school. Over the 39 months that the school was active over 50,000 students were trained.

     Buckingham Army Airfield was responsible for the Naples Airfield and two crash boat bases ( one on Marco Island and the second on the Caloosahatchee Rover near the Gulf of Mexico.

     In 1945, after the end of War World 2, the airfield was scheduled to close.   This was not a total surprise.  It was always scheduled to be temporary.  It is estimated that 126 million was spent during the 39 months the base was in operation.   For a short period the barracks were used by Edison State College.    However the college pulled out in 1948.  Most of the original base buildings were removed.

     In the 1950’s, the land that was BAAF was acquired by Lee Ratner.  Working with Gerard Gould, he proposed the community of Lehigh Acres.  A street grid was laid out of quarter and half acre plots for housing. Strips of land along major thoroughfares WA set aside for commerce.

     

  Six Miles Cypress Slough is an area of 3500 acres of wetland with a boardwalk trail.  This is located in Fort Myers at 7751 Penzance Boulevard.  The following pictures were taken during the week of 5/8/2021.  There is an interpretive center.

     Tice Elementary School (aka Tice Grammar School) is a historic school located at 4524 Tice Street, Fort Myers.    The school was built in 1927.  Architectural style is Mission/Spanish Revival.  Architects were W.O. Sparklin and A.C. Roundtree.

     In 2014,the architectural firm of Parker, Mudgett, and Smith preserved the historic exterior.  They supervised a full renovation and remodel of the interior. Constructed a single story building addition.  Constructed a chiller building.  Built a PE building.   Built a covered play area.