America’s Royal Families: The Edison/Ford Winter Estates in Ft. Myers, Florida

My husband and I have spoken with wonder before about geniuses throughout history knowing one another and together creating entire movements of thought or art that changed the world.  For example, the painters of the Impressionist movement were all “nobodies” together.  They were best friends who met at Paris cafes to drink and talk about painting techniques with one another.  Then, their body of work became the Impressionist art movement that changed the art world forever.  Many of the writers of the Harlem Renaissance knew each other before fame.

Two great American minds: Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were best friends.  Between the two of them they changed the landscape of the American home and business forever.  Visiting their winter estates (next door to each other) in Ft. Myers, Florida has been on my list for a long time.  Finally, we were able to spend a day there as we transitioned into Ft. Myers after leaving Tampa.  The Edison/Ford Winter Estates are situated between McGregor Blvd. and the Caloosahatchee River.

Important Note #1: Henry Ford is famous (beyond inventing) for being an anti-Semite.  I have not researched this much myself and, therefore, I am not prepared to make a judgment on this subject.  Thomas Edison had over 1,000 patents registered, but he had a reputation as a ruthless businessman and huge ego.  There are rumors that he took so much credit for joint projects that he basically stole the inventions from others and took the credit.  I love a good house museum.  Therefore, I chose to set the personal information of both men aside and start my learning process about them by enjoying their house museums.

Important Note #2: I do not recommend visiting in the summer months.  The July day we spent there was brutal because the heat index was 100 degrees, and the majority of the tour is outside.  We saved the air-conditioned museum onsite for last so we could cool off.  But, after walking outside for over two hours, we were too melted and exhausted to really give the museum the attention it probably deserves.

Self-guided tickets are $25 and docent-led tour tickets are $30.  We chose the self-guided route and downloaded an app to our phones that gave us the audio information we needed.  It was quite sufficient for us to find the tour interesting and informative.  We enjoyed it very much.  These are their winter vacation homes and each house has windows and doors on both sides in every room for cross-ventilation.  There are glass barriers that keep visitors from entering the homes, so you are viewing each room from the doorway.  If you want special access to the interior, you’ll have to pay $50 to attend the “Inside the Homes” tour with a docent on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

The self-guided tour included the ornamental gardens and the research gardens (where Edison grew/researched a source of rubber, the swimming pool (one of the first personal pools in the area), both houses, the workshops, the laboratories, and the museum.  I suggest allowing at least two hours to see it all. Make sure you have your camera because the grounds are stunning.  Since there was a lot of botanical research conducted, the grounds are incredibly lush.

Edison bought the property from a cattleman in 1885 for $2750.  That was likely a lot of money back then, but it sounds like a pittance today. He and his wife took up residence there during the harsh Northern winters. They often hosted friends at their winter estate, including Henry and Clara Ford in 1914.  The Fords loved Ft. Myers as much as the Edisons did.  In 1916, they bought the craftsman-style house next door.

In particular, I enjoyed the small details of the homes.  The electric chandeliers that Edison designed throughout his home were cool because no two were identical.  I got a kick out of the chimes that Edison used to summon everyone to the dinner table.  The picture molding in many rooms that allowed them to hang photos and artwork without putting holes in the walls (and rearranging items easily) made me sigh longingly for the historic facility that I managed for 12 years. It, too, had that same picture molding.  Personally, I think modern houses should be built with it too.

The craftsman-style wood-beamed ceiling in the Ford house just made me gasp.  Such beautiful craftsmanship!  Much of the furniture on display did belong to the two families.  Ford’s dining room even displays his wife’s china in her favorite pattern.

I never realized that the men met when Ford (early in his career) came to work for Edison.  Though they each had separate studies, there is a large joint laboratory on the property.  After all, much of the research and experimentation they did would have benefitted them both (finding a new source of rubber, for example).

There are ornamental gardens, as well as edible plant gardens and more to explore.  As I said, we cut our visit short due to the heat and humidity.  The audio information on the app was thorough and easy to understand.  The signage and paths were clear and we had no trouble finding our way from stop to stop.  The area is also ADA accessible, including the extensive verandas for the homes.

I am glad that after all these years, I was finally able to check this attraction off my list.  American ingenuity can an impressive thing to see.  Let’s start a new travel movement.  Everyone grab your best friend or your smartest friend (hopefully they are the same person) and visit the Edison/Ford Winter Estates in Ft. Myers.  Maybe someday the history books will call our movement “Friendship Ingenuity Travel.”

Is there a place that you had always wanted to visit that you finally got to see? Share it in the comments.