About Our Project
THE PROJECT
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On March 13, 2025, our group had a wonderful meeting with new Lee County District 3 Commissioner David Mulicka, promising to help forward our project. The original drawings are resubmitted with new hurricane standards, and his team is working on it.
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In 2023, we spent $20K on getting the original stone cut and another $10K to purchase your etched bricks, as "Bricks-R-Us" indicated a price change to our cost. We ended 2023 with approx $60K and raised another $10K with our 4th Annual Rock The Arches in 2024.
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Our community was devastated by Hurricane IAN. Much more of our history has disappeared. It is more important than ever that we saved some history. We took a year off to help shrimpers get their boats in the water. We raise over $14K for Shrimp boat owners to return boats to the water.
Since becoming incorporated in 2017, Restore Fort Myers Beach Arches, Inc., had raised over $90,000. With this funding, we raised awareness, recovered the stones from 40 years of overgrowth, had the original stone 3D imaged by an archaeologist at USF IDEX, and created a complete engineering package with the assistance of LCM Engineering, PLLC. We have placed our 1st etched brick orders. We are feverishly fundraising, trying to raise $ 90K plus needed to finish construction, get the stones cut, pay for the signs, and the Commemorative Arch.
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On February 1st, 2021 during a town hall meeting of the Fort Myers Beach Town Council, the council vote unanimously to support a single Arch in Bowditch Park. A tribute Arch using historic materials.
On December 3rd 2020, during the Planning Meeting of the Fort Myers Beach Town Council, Councilman Jim Atterholt led the council towards a motion to "Move Forward In Restoring The Fort Myers Beach Arches". Since that meeting, Jim Atterholt identified two locations for the Arches on Lee County property in Fort Myers Beach. Lee County Chose Bowditch Point Regional Park. The county is being led by Deputy County Manager Dave Harner in developing the location, drawings, and scaling to be approved by our group doing the funding. WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Local community organizations (like the FMB Jaycees) and citizens tried to save the Arches in November of 1979 when they found out the Arches were scheduled for December demolition by FDOT. The swing bridge had outlived its lifespan. Lee Commissioner Roland Roberts, a beach resident, had reached an agreement with Government contractors to save the arches and move them to the county park. The bridge contractor had agreed to spare them and have his sub move them. But the word didn't get to the sub soon enough. The sub, unaware of what had been agreed upon, knocked them down with a wrecking ball and bulldozer shortly before word got to him.
I don't think anyone in the community thought they were actually going to be destroyed. When it happened, people in tears were picking up the pieces to take home in remembrance. We want them to add these pieces to a new Arch. They will be given the opportunity to set these stones.
We have raised the funds to enable us to get 3D imaging data from USF IDEX. The 3D imaging data will help us engineer the new recreated Arches it will give us dimensional data on all the historic Arch pieces and over Arches size. These 1924 Tom Phillips built pieces of the Arches will be incorporated into a new Arch.
These pieces are being donated by the Grandson (Robert Williams) of the man (Frank Hemelgarn) paid to remove the remains in 1979. He understood the significance and kept them all these 40+ years. He used to play on the remains as a kid. Frank is the man who placed the stones next to the pier post after Hurricane Donna and was integral in naming Times Square.
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Our group, over 3100 strong, is committed to saving quickly disappearing Fort Myers Beach history. We want to bring back something old to Fort Myers Beach, we lost so much history in Hurricane IAN. We need something that meant something to the citizens of this once small, quaint fishing village. It is rumored Tom Phillips built the first two bridges to Fort Myers Beach on his own nickel. He dug the first canal behind Crescent St. He sold lots to people to build small cottages on. He invented the modern washing machine. He built the 1st Casino on FMB (Now the Shuckers building). He was among the first developers of the Beach. This story is ours and here.
Tom Phillips has just one monument left to show for all the history he created. That is the 1924 Stone Monument on the west end Main St. We repaired and rejuvenated that Tom Phillips Stone Monument. Our volunteers repaired huge cracks in the structure. Our volunteers repaired, beautified, installed a donated sign and gave it a facelift. Post IAN it needs help again.
Restore Fort Myers Beach Arches and the community of Fort Myers Beach, San Carlos Island, Bonita, Estero, and Iona are all working toward bringing back this iconic Arch structure. It is people like you that make the difference. We will put Arches back on the landscape of Fort Myers Beach.