Edison & Ford Winter Estates Awarded $50,000 Grant

 The Edison & Ford Winter Estates has been awarded a $50,000 preservation grant for restoration of the Edison Botanic Laboratory by the Florida Legislature through the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission.  The Edison Botanic Laboratory is located at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Edison Botanic Laboratory was a project of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone who were searching for a viable source of organic rubber which could be grown and produced in Southwest Florida.  Through their work, they discovered that goldenrod leaves would  produce the latex to be distilled for a commercial source of rubber.  The Laboratory and the surrounding research gardens were active in the 1920’s and 1930’s and established the winter homes of the two inventors as a center for plant research.  Today, the site is one of the most visited historic home sites in America and serves more than 200,000 visitors and school children every year. 

The grant from the State of Florida is part of a total $630,000 project for restoration of the original 1928 laboratory structure.  Additional funds have also been received from The 1772 Foundation, HUD EDI grants, the Edison Ford Winter Estates Foundation, and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Inc. It is planned that the laboratory building will re main open throughout the project. Architects for the project are Parker Mudgett Smith.  Chris-Tel Company is the restoration contractor. 

Last year, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates received the top award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for restoration of the Edison and Ford buildings along the river, and this year the site received the top national award for restoration of the historic landscape from the National Garden Clubs Inc. 

The Estates is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The Estates is the winner of the 2009 National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures” at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. For additional information call 239-334-7419 or visit the web site at www.efwefla.org.

Estates Wild Wizard Outreach Program

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates was awarded a grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation during its Major Annual Grant Cycle (2009-2010) to implement the Estates Wild Wizard Outreach Program in southwest Florida.  On March 26, 2010, 1 PM, the Estates Wild Wizards Outreach Program will visit Tice Elementary School, one of over 70 schools and youth centers in Lee, Glades, Collier, Charlotte and Hendry Countries that have been funded for the outreach science program.

The Estates Wild Wizard Outreach Program is presented by Estates staff and is approximately an hour in length with follow up classroom and home study activities.  In 2008 – 2009 the Estates visited 47 schools, performed 52 shows for 13,735 students throughout Lee County. The Grant from the Southwest Community Foundation has made it possible for outreach programs throughout southwest Florida.

“The project has clearly shown the importance of working with regional schools to provide curriculum-based, hands-on science programming that helps interpret the work of the two famous inventors and their winter homes, laboratory and research gardens,” says Chris Pendleton, Estates president & CEO.  “Students are engaged in the contemporary theatre style presentations of science that characterized the project and tie them to examples of scientific method and specific inventions.” 

The focus of this year’s program is “Henry Ford:  Innovation, Invention and Green Science Wizard.”  The objectives of the program include engaging students in learning and experiencing basic science concepts through hands-on demonstration science.  The program enables students to learn about the basic elements of scientific inquiry, the scientific method, the nature of invention and how science has moved mankind forward.  The program creates an environment where students will “have fun while learning” as well as challenging students to read and explore more through follow up activities in their classrooms and at home. 

“The mathematics, science and reading skills ability of southwest Florida students are a primary focus of the schools and families in the community,” says Pendleton. “School budgets are particularly challenged at this time.  There is a need to offer assistance to remedy this situation for our young students and create a learning opportunity which will encourage them to learn and grow.”

Although only a few years established as a non-profit institution, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates has initiated new programs and educational activity including the Estates Wild Wizards Outreach Programs, monthly Estates Homes School programs, Edison & Ford Inventor’s Summer Camp, scholarships, adult education, horticultural workshops, and a variety of events and programs.   For more information on the Estates educational programs contact the Estates education coordinator at 239-334-7419.