Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers (must see)

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, long-time friends, purchased neighboring winter estates in Fort Myers where they could relax with their families and pursue personal projects. After Edison’s death, his widow, Mina, donated their property to the city. Ford’s nearby estate followed a different path: Henry Ford sold it to a private owner in 1945, and it remained a private residence until the City of Fort Myers purchased it in 1988.

Edison’s home, Seminole Lodge, was assembled in 1886 from pre-cut house kits shipped from Maine. He purchased the land the previous year, and he and his wife, Mina, honeymooned there soon after construction was finished. Over time, the property expanded to include a guest house, a caretaker’s residence, a pool house, and a private study, creating a small compound along the Caloosahatchee River.

As you walk toward Ford’s estate, look for the large two-story frame house known as The Mangoes on your right. If you stop at the edge of the lawn and face the house, you will see the wide first-floor porch stretching the length of the façade and the simple, straight rooflines characteristic of early Florida homes. To your left, just a few steps away, the smaller caretaker’s cottage now operates as the estate’s gift shop. Its location helps you understand how staff supported the Ford family during their seasonal stays.

Continue along the path toward the river and you will reach the Edison Botanic Research Laboratory. When you enter the building, look immediately to the long wooden workbenches running parallel to the windows. The glass beakers, drying racks, and testing devices arranged across the tables recreate the environment Edison, Ford, and Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, used as they searched for a reliable domestic rubber plant. The machinery in the rear of the room shows the scale of their experiments and explains why the lab later received National Historic Chemical Landmark status.

The on-site Edison Ford Museum displays thousands of artifacts linked to both men, including tools, household items, and early prototypes. Visitors can explore more than 20 acres of historic homes, gardens, the laboratory, and the surrounding riverside grounds. A research library is available by appointment.