Lee Trust for Historic Preservation

07/26/2026

You can own a piece of Fort Myers history.

05/23/2026

We can help you protect your historic home from demolition for a McMansion. Email is at: [email protected]

Can you protect your historic house from demolition by a future owner?

Perfectly good historic houses are being demolished and replaced by McMansions all across the country. The most wasteful and least sustainable way to create new housing. There are several ways to protect a historic house from being demolished by a future owner.

The first is being located in a local historic district that provides protection from demolition. National Register listing does not protect a property from demolition. Only a local ordinance can do it.

If your house is not in a local district, placing a preservation easement on the deed is another option. This is a legal restriction limiting what a future owner can do to the property. Typically, the easement is held by a non-profit preservation organization or the state historic preservation office which has the authority to visit the property and force compliance with the restrictions in court if necessary.

Placing an easement on a property can affect the value of the property. It may be possible to donate the easement to the non-profit and receive a tax deduction to offset the loss of value. Talk to your local preservation org. and tax advisor to determine what is possible in your state.

Generally, the easement is accompanied by a document identifying the character-defining features of the house and what can and cannot be changed by a future owner.

An example of this is described in Chapter 2 of "Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners."

Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are only available in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.

Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!

© Scott T. Hanson 2026.

05/23/2026

If you grew up in Lee County you may remember these iconic arches. For many of us it was the signal that we had finally arrived at Fort Myers Beach! We'd head over a little swing bridge, get our blanket set up at Lynn Hall Park, get an ice cream at the Dairy Queen and take a walk on the wooden pier.

In the late '70s the Sky Bridge arrived and much of that experience changed.

There's a group though, Restore Fort Myers Beach Arches, They have been working diligently for years to raise the funds to restore what remains of the arches. The plan is to construct them at Bowditch Point. Here's your chance to help restore this icon of our childhood, enter your historic Lee County and family photos today. Follow the link to submit.

https://www.createphotocalendars.com/photo-contests/71668329-B3A9-438C-BA50-4189703EE351?fbclid=IwdGRjcAR-ckhjbGNrBH3MXWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWJabXJLaG5IQ3RlTDdWMnlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEePT_hCyozKof6ffiFYpT3S4-uFNJAjw_SUXSd_oYbiX5ltBclC4v053AUHFs_aem_Drrw1V3c8GlJFg2H3IprFQ

05/13/2026

The key words are "Equal Quality."

“Repairing historic features is almost always less expensive than replacing them with new materials of equal quality,” says Scott Hanson.

Scott is quoted several times in a new article titled "Buying a Historic Home: What to Know Before You Buy and How to Preserve It" on the Redfin Blog. Authors Allie Drinkward and Alison Bentley talked to several leading preservation experts for the piece. Read the article at: https://www.redfin.com/blog/buying-a-historic-home/

This wonderful spiderweb window was restored by homeowner Mike Amole on his Victorian house in Pennsylvania.

"Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners" delves deeply into window repair and restoration.

Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.

"The Window Sash Bible, "Storm Windows," and "Window Glazing" by Steve Jordan are also available in our shop. Save on cost and shipping with our combo-pack!

© Scott T. Hanson 2026.

04/14/2026

Using modern materials on a centuries old home can sometimes be the beginning of the end. In this case latex paint was the culprit. A $340,000 "restoration" may be the demise of this piece of Civil War history. If you have a restoration project and you're uncertain, please give us a call and we can connect you with an expert.

The historic Klingel House on the Gettysburg battlefield is crumbling due to structural problems linked to a restoration project conducted more than a decade ago.

04/12/2026

If Rachel could talk surely she could tell a few tales from the past century. McGregor was barely paved when she celebrated her first birthday, since then she's seen land booms come and go, hurricanes too, a few mischievous high schoolers armed with soap suds, but she is resilient. You can't keep a good woman down. Happy Birthday Rachael! You are the Spirit of Fort Myers.

04/07/2026

"Gina Sabiston, who leads the city’s own Historic Preservation Committee and Virginia Harper, president of the Lee Trust for Historical Preservation, gave council members an earful on Monday, April 6."

Here are the details. (News Press Subscription is just $1 for the first month).

Coca-Cola reliefs, original Edison Bridge light poles, Snack House sign tossed in pile, historians say without regard for importance.