Fort Myers Beach Gets Its First State Historical Marker, Honoring the Original Arches

Restore Fort Myers Beach Arches, the nonprofit working to bring back a piece of the island's history, will hold a ceremony on September 19 at 10 a.m. at Fisherman's Wharf on San Carlos Island, according to reporting by Fort Myers Beach Talk. The event unveils a new Florida state historical marker at the original site of the Fort Myers Beach Arches, the structure that once stood at that exact spot as the entrance to the island.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I sell across nine Southwest Florida markets, including on Fort Myers Beach. A historical marker is not the kind of news that changes anyone's plans, but it is exactly the kind of thing worth knowing if you live here or are thinking about it, so here is what the marker actually commemorates and what else is planned around it.

According to the Estero Island Historic Society, the Arches were built in 1924 by early developer Thomas Phillips as the entrance to his "San Carlos on the Gulf" development, on what was then called Crescent Beach. The design let traffic pass through a central arch while pedestrians used separate, smaller arches on each side, and the structure served as the island's gateway by way of a drawbridge for 55 years.

They came down in 1979. Fort Myers Beach Talk reports the Arches were knocked down to make way for the Matanzas Pass Bridge, the span that still carries traffic from San Carlos Island onto the barrier island today. For anyone who has driven that bridge without knowing what stood there before it, the marker is meant to fill in that gap.

The Florida Historical Marker Council approved the request for a state marker at the original Arches site on December 15, 2025, according to the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, and it will be the first state historical marker placed anywhere on Fort Myers Beach. The Chamber's account puts the approval process at more than two years from start to finish. The sign itself was funded by Alex King and the King Family Foundation.

Separately from the marker, Restore Fort Myers Beach Arches is working on a smaller commemorative arch to be built at Bowditch Point Regional Park, at the opposite end of the island. Ray McDonald, who leads the nonprofit, told Fort Myers Beach Talk the structure will combine salvaged original stone with newly quarried stone, along with an engraved brick pathway and interpretive signage explaining the history. Danielle Larson of Southern Shore Construction is building the concrete foundations and arch structure, and David Nelson of David Nelson Masonry is handling the stone veneer.

McDonald said the project is fully funded, with additional contributions going toward a maintenance trust for its long-term upkeep. Construction is anticipated in 2027, pending county approvals and coordination with the park's own ongoing restoration work at Bowditch Point.

Nobody can honestly put a number on what a historical marker or a small commemorative arch does for property values nearby, and be skeptical of anyone who tells you otherwise. What is fair to say is narrower: this is one more sign that the island's own sense of itself, not just its buildings, is being actively rebuilt after Hurricane Ian, on the same stretch of coastline that includes the pier rebuild and the Bowditch Point restoration work already under way.

For buyers looking at Fort Myers Beach waterfront homes or considering a purchase near either end of the island, that kind of civic investment is worth knowing about, but it is not a substitute for what actually determines what you pay: elevation, insurance costs, and what an inspection turns up on the specific address. The home buying process walks through where each of those gets checked before you are under contract.

If you are weighing a property anywhere on Fort Myers Beach or across the other markets I cover, get in touch or call (239) 300-1427 for a straight read on that address.