Fort Myers Beach advisory board, volunteers and archaeologists press to preserve and reopen Mound House underground exhibit

Fort Myers Beach—— Community advocates, museum staff and a former project lead urged the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center advisory board on Feb. 27 to preserve and reopen the Mound House——underground archaeological exhibit, saying it is a rare heritage attraction that draws visitors statewide and internationally.

Charlie Streeter, of Bonita Springs, who identified himself as a longtime member and past president of the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society, told the board: "Mound House is super special. You got nature, history, and archaeology in one package." He and other speakers pressed the town for a careful assessment of funding, physical damage and grant restrictions before deciding the exhibit's future.

The board heard detailed history and technical context from Teresa Schover, who said she worked on fundraising and development for the Mound House and helped raise $4.5 million for the property. Schover told the board she supported a methodical review rather than an immediate closure, saying, "I am here to request respectfully that you do not throw out the baby with the bathwater or in this case, the storm water." She urged the town to consult past grant partners and the Division of Historical Resources before making long-term decisions.

Adam Knight, the town staff member who presented the Mound House report, said staff are pursuing technical, legal and grant options. Knight said the museum has had record attendance since Hurricane Ian despite the underground room remaining closed, and staff have converted the former "digging deeper" space into a new Artifact Preservation Center for collections storage and public-facing, behind-the-scenes programming.

Why it matters

Speakers and staff emphasized three linked reasons to keep exploring repair and reopening: (1) the undeground exhibit—is a nationally rare in situ shell-mound display that supports heritage tourism and local education, (2) large outside grants and donor funds historically supported excavation and exhibit work and partners may have continuing contractual or stewardship expectations, and (3) the site—faces repeated saltwater intrusion and structural risks that require specialized engineering, conservation and environmental controls.

What was said and what staff reported

- Grants and partners: Schover noted more than $600,000 in funding from the Florida Division of Historical Resources supported the excavations and exhibit. Knight said staff have been speaking with state and federal cultural resource representatives and with potential funders; he said the town is also exploring grants targeted at planning for cultural sites.

- Damage and technical issues: Board discussion and Schover's account made clear the exhibit was intentionally designed to allow periodic water intrusion and to pump and drain water out. But repeated high-water events have produced greater erosion and structural problems: Knight and Schover referenced five separate saltwater intrusions in recent years, with the worst measured "about 32 inches and 51 inches" above the concrete floor for two storms (Helene and Milton, respectively). Schover said some subsurface areas and the back entrance have collapsed and require a structural inspection and likely retrofit of footings, improved sump/pumping capacity and upgraded humidity and filtration systems.

- Public safety and environmental health: Knight said staff have observed mold and mildew growth in the underground room and that the town intends to obtain a certified industrial hygienist and an air-quality inspection before permitting public access. He said town legal and permitting staff are also reviewing National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultation requirements for future work involving descendant communities.

- Funding and timetable: Knight and several board members described a multi-year, multi-step approach: technical assessment (structural, hygienic and hydrologic), planning/design, and phased restoration and exhibit work. Knight gave order-of-magnitude planning numbers discussed with exhibit firms: a planning phase in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars (examples discussed placed planning-phase work in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range) and implementation costs that could run substantially higher; Knight said he will pursue state special-category grants that typically require a local match. Board members and the Friends of the Mound House also discussed capital-campaign and private-donor strategies.

- Community and partners: Schover and Streeter urged involving past grant partners, including Florida Communities Trust and the Division of Historical Resources, plus academic collaborators (Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Florida and others) and indigenous stakeholders. Knight said the town legal team has started reviewing the file and that staff have contacted state archaeologists and FEMA cultural-resource specialists for technical advice.

Other operational news in the staff report

Knight reported on museum operations that are unrelated to a formal vote: January 2025 was a strong month for visitors (1,025 visitors by the town's count) and the Mount House recorded its highest attendance since before Hurricane Ian. Staff moved museum collections into a new Artifact Preservation Center in a former exhibit room and plan a public lab day on April 12 in partnership with the Florida Public Archaeology Network. Knight also listed recent sponsorships and grant awards supporting programs and water-quality equipment (including a $22,000 earlier grant for a water-quality gauge and a $5,550.34 supplemental calibration award from the Fort Myers Beach Water Foundation).

Board and council posture

Vice Mayor Jim Adderhold and other members reported recent, separate council-level support for keeping the underground exhibit a priority. Knight reported that at a separate council presentation each councilmember "verbally voted individually, unanimously to also support the opening of the underground exhibit and the repair and the study" (as described in Knight's staff report). On Feb. 27 the advisory board and staff described a continuing effort to coordinate technical reviews, grant applications and community consultation.

Quotes

"Mound House is super special. You got nature, history, and archaeology in one package," Charlie Streeter said.

"I am here to request respectfully that you do not throw out the baby with the bathwater or in this case, the storm water," Teresa Schover told the board.

"We're trying to find the issues so we can fix the issues," Adam Knight said of the staff—led assessment and next steps.

What happens next

Knight told the board staff are scheduling an industrial-hygiene and air-quality inspection, assembling structural and hydrologic assessments, and compiling permitting and grant documentation for state review. Board members and Friends representatives discussed launching fundraising and outreach to historical and archaeological networks while staff pursue formal grant applications. Knight said staff will update the board as technical surveys and grant opportunities progress.

Ending

Board members and speakers repeatedly urged a deliberate, multi-stakeholder process rather than a quick closure. "We're in for the long haul," a board member said as the meeting closed, underscoring that reopening the underground exhibit will likely require phased technical work, outside funding and continued public engagement.