Architecture on First STreet

When reading a most simple definition, architecture, according to any dictionary, can be considered the practice and science of building. What this straightforward definition fails to specify is that architecture is so much more complicated, involving strict principles that concerns beauty.  

The desire to construct has historically constituted an effort in building something esthetically beautiful. “The erection of structures devoid of beauty is mere building, a trade and not an art form.”[1]When structures are built with only stability and practicality in mind, the utilitarian considerations are done so according to the appropriate standards of engineering. Only when “the idea of beauty is added to that...does a structure take its place among works of architecture….[Thus] architecture…[can be defined as] art which seeks to harmonize in a building th[at] requir[es]...utility and...beauty.”[2] In past centuries, there had been a longstanding practice when buildings were planned and executed both according to the whims of the owner and with the community and surrounding landscapes in mind. A structure is not just a private construct, but a public entity that is to be viewed and admired, which can attest to why many historic downtown areas, or metropolitan sections of cities, have unison in style and design. 

The following six estates represent Fort Myers's Millionaires' Row, built during the Gilded Age, (1901 - 1928). Each one is a prime example of architecture, a harmonious balance between utility and beauty. While the Row did contain countless other residences, all later razed, or demolished, this Exhibit focuses on the first six historic estates, their families, and connections to the development of the historic downtown area. Altogether, it was these northern industrialists who braved the risk moving down south, bringing with them their expertise in industry and through hard work, determination, and a great deal of investment, Fort Myers transformed from a cattle ranch frontier to an industrial city. 

Scroll down to explore the rich architectural history of Fort Myers!