Preserving Estero history is taking a significant step forward. The College of Life Foundation has recently pledged to donate $50,000 in matching funds to relocate the Alvarez Smith House and finish the renovations necessary for tours, visitors, and public display.

Built in 1916, this house will join the restored, authentically furnished Hall-Hanson-Collier House and the 1904 Schoolhouse in Estero Community Park. The two existing structures offer unique historical and educational experiences for our community. The Alvarez Smith House will be a fantastic addition.

The Estero Historical Society initially requires $100,000 to relocate the house, and this matching grant brings the move nearer. However, donations are still necessary to achieve the $50,000 matching grant. Any funds exceeding the match will be allocated for the house’s restoration.

Jaquin “King” Alvarez met and married his wife, Anna “Annie” Jane Fernandez, on Mound Key in Estero Bay.  He was a commercial fisherman from Spain.  They later moved inland to Estero.  They were pioneers who worked in the orchards and built a family living in the house built in 1916. Jaquin Alvarez died in 1944.

One daughter born on Mound Key, Della, married Hugh Smith and continued the family’s tradition of working in the orchards.  The “Smith’s Orange Blossom Snack” shop became a stop for early visitors.

Huge feasts were held at the property, with cars parked up and down Highlands Avenue.  Many weddings and funeral receptions were hosted. The front porch was a popular gathering place for everyone on the street.

 Della (Alvarez) Smith died in 2004 from Alzheimer’s disease, one month short of 88 years old.  She was the “Grand Matriarch” of her family, dispensing love and strict rules in harmony.

Your donation to the Estero Historical Society enables them to utilize matching funds and relocate this historical house to the Estero Community Park, helping to preserve the area’s history.

To support this worthy cause, please visit www.esterohistoricalsociety.com.

You can also send checks to:

Estero Historical Society
P.O. Box 1314
Estero, FL 33929