The Dean Park Historic District was created in 1997 by an ordinance passed by the Fort Myers City Council.  The district is bounded by First Street on the north, Palm Avenue on the east, Michigan Avenue on the south and Evans Avenue on the west.  Please see the Dean Park Historic District map on the “Maps” page of this website.

Dean Park Historic District, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization established in 1997 as a Florida non-profit corporation.  Its Articles of Incorporation were filed May 16, 1997, with the Florida Secretary of State.  Both that document and the corporation’s Bylaws are included under the “About” on this website.

Briefly, the corporation is managed by a Board of Directors, which can have up to nine members.  The Board is “self-perpetuating” in that the Board elects the new roster Board members at each annual meeting.  All residents and owners of Dean Park are welcome at all meetings of the Board; however, they are not voting members of the corporation.  There are also no dues or homeowners association fees charged to residents of Dean Park.  Funds to support the Dean Park Historic District, Inc. come solely from donations and fund-raising events.

National Registry of Historic Places:  Dean Park is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Designation as Historic District

On April 7, 1997, Dean Park was designated as a Historic District by the Fort Myers City Council. A map of the Historic District boundaries can be found in the “Maps” page of this website.

National Register of Historic Places

In 2013, Dean Park was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior after an intensive application process that first required city and state approvals.

Non-profit Corporation

On May 16, 1997, the Articles of Incorporation for Dean Park Historic District, Inc. were filed with the Florida Department of State. The corporation is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The affairs of the corporation are managed by a nine-person Board of Directors elected annually. It is funded by voluntary donations from residents of Dean Park; there are no mandatory dues.

Activities

The educational activities of the corporation include our upcoming Dean Park House Tour scheduled for March 2018 and the “House Bios” on this website, which include background information on each home in Dean Park and its original occupant.  We have sponsored a Code Enforcement Workshop on the city ordinances that apply to Dean Park, and a summary of that workshop can be found on this website under “Regulations.”

Dean Park residents attend meetings of the local Historic Preservation Commission (“HPC”)and provide input on applications for “Certificates of Review” for new construction within Dean Park.  We are also organizing a workshop for residents and will provide input to the HPC on  proposed “Design Guidelines” for all Fort Myers historic districts and amendments to the City’s historic preservation ordinances.

We also devote funds to maintaining the neighborhood, including updating the Dean Park Historic District signage this year and holiday decorations for the “Triangle,” the small park at the center of Dean Park.  Neighborhood gatherings include our spring “Bar-B-Q and Blues” party.