Historical village

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Originally located on the San Carlos Bay, it represents a typical winter home on Sanibel in the 1920s and 1930s. The cottage was named Morning Glories after the blue flowers that grew on the island

Shore Haven and the Caretakers' Cottage have also reopened in the aftermath of the storm

A sister home to Morning Glories, Shore Haven is also a Sears and Roebuck kit house that was purchased in 1924 by Ross and Daisy Mayer In the early 1920s, the Mayer brothers landed on the beach fronting the San Carlos Bay Deciding to live side-by-side, the families built Shore Haven and Morning Glories and shared facilities, including a bath house, an artesian well and a generator

The two-story Verona model home, Shore Haven's exterior was restored to its 1924 look, with the exception of the sun porch The structure also serves as the village's administrative building

The Caretakers' Cottage was built after 1925 behind the Mayers Over the years, it served as a guest house, bath house, caretakers' cottage and annex In the 1950s and '60s, Hannah and Isaiah Gavin, after farming and living on Sanibel for decades, stayed there to help widowed Daisy Mayer with housework and gardening The cottage was donated and moved to the village, along with Shore Haven, in 2012

In addition to the four buildings, there are a handful of exhibits for visitors to take in

“We have the brand-new Sanibel Lighthouse exhibit, with blown-up photos of before and after the hurricane,” Alfino said, noting that it is in Shore Haven “We have the lens from the lighthouse ”

“We have the Sanibel Plan, we have a small exhibit on that,” she added, explaining that Shore Haven also features information and photos about each of the nine historical buildings on the grounds

Inside of the Caretakers' Cottage, the Black History exhibit features pictures and explanatory posters about the early Black families on the islands, along with memorabilia provided by the Gavins, Walkers and Jordans There is also a video where descendants speak to their experiences and family's history

When the village closes for season, restoration is anticipated to begin immediately on the buildings still closed: Miss Charlotta's Tea Room, the Burnap Cottage, Rutland House, post office and schoolhouse

“We are waiting for the closure and for the city,” Alfino said “The city owns the buildings and is, more or less, responsible for the repairs they're doing the assessments and structural reports ”

She reported that Miss Charlotta's Tea Room needs a new roof Officials are waiting on a structural engineering report to see if the Burnap Cottage is racked on its foundation The Rutland House's floors were saltwater washed in the surge, and the back room and gift shop will need a full reconstruction

“The schoolhouse is totally racked,” Alfino said “There's a good chance it's going to have to be taken down and rebuilt using the same materials That's not going to be ready for reopening in October ”

The post office is in good shape It is closed because it is near the damaged buildings and is small

“The goal and the hope is that we will reopen everything, except the schoolhouse,” she said

Residents and visitors are invited to stop by before the seasonal closure

“There's a lot to see and people who have been coming have been having a good time,” Alfino said

“And they can also walk the grounds, they can view the buildings from the outside,” she added “So you can still have that whole educational experience even through you can't go in all of the buildings ”

Through May, the Sanibel Historical Museum and V i l l a g e ' s o p e r a t i n g h o u r s a r e T u e s d a y s t h r o u g h