Thomas Edison’s Caretaker’s House

The center section of the Caretaker's House was the only structure on the grounds when Thomas Edison purchased the property from cattle baron Samuel Summerlin in 1885. Built in cracker style on land straddling a cattle trail called Wire Road, now McGregor Boulevard, it is one of the oldest standing structures in Fort Myers. Samuel Summerlin, the youngest son of Jacob Summerlin, came from a family that owned one of the largest cattle herds in the state. In the early 1860's, Samuel built a crude road from Fort Ogden to Punta Rassa, where he established shipping pens and a dock used to send Florida cattle to Cuba and bring in goods such as flour and sugar. In 1878, Jacob Summerlin bought a wharf and related facilities at Punta Rassa from Captain F. A. Hendry, along with 1,000 acres for cattle holding, and moved there with Samuel. By 1880, Jacob had become one of the foremost figures in the Florida cattle industry, but after the Spanish government placed a high tariff on imported beef in 1883, he sold his South Florida holdings to several of his sons, including Samuel. As part of these expanded holdings, Samuel had bought the land he later sold to Edison from Francisco Abril in June of 1879 for $500. Edison purchased it six years later for $2,750, reflecting its rising value. The cracker house on the estate is believed to have been built in the early 1880's. Edison intended from the beginning to keep the house as part of his Fort Myers estate, and after considering moving it, he instead repaired it for use as a year-round home for his caretaker. He enlarged it with additions in 1903 and again in 1928, when an L-shaped wing with a second-floor apartment and garage and tool storage below created the layout seen today.

Fort Myers, Florida · United States