Edison Guest House

Edison Guest House. . , Entry in Seminole Lodge Guest Book , , Harrie Monkhouse, Guest , March 21-April 3, 1916, Have you ever dreamed a dream of Heaven? , Where the Garden of Eden grows? , Well, come down with me to the Florida Coast , Where the Caloosahatchee flows, Come down with me to Seminole Lodge , Where grapefruit and oranges bloom, , Where bananas and palms trees skirt the shore , Of the pool you swim in at noon, Come down with me and meet our dear Hosts, , In this Heaven of sunshine and haze, , And then you’ll know why on the Florida coast- , The birds brush their throats in mere praise-, The home was originally built for Edison’s good friends Ezra and Lillian Gilliland as their winter retreat. The Gilliland’s only enjoyed three years in Fort Myers, and sold the home to Ambrose McGregor in 1891. The McGregor family lived year-round in the house until 1902. The road that runs along this home was named McGregor Boulevard, in honor of Mr. McGregor, in 1914., Edison purchased the home in 1906, and created a guest house for family and friends. This building houses the dining room, kitchen/pantry area, and servant’s quarters for the Estates., Visitors such as Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone stayed for days, while Charles Lindbergh came for dinner. Many received reminders of a Florida visit when mangoes, grapefruit, guava, and orange marmalade would arrive at their northern homes.