Community projects

Mackle Model Home Mapping Project

Between 1965 and 1978, 772 Mackle-built model homes were constructed on Marco Island. Almost half a century later, a considerable number of these historic Florida houses remain, coloring our community landscape. As an extension of The Florida House exhibit (February 25 – June 7, 2025), which explored the houses’ unique history and architecture, Marco Island Historical Society’s Collections Department, with assistance from its volunteers, launched a project to locate and document the remaining historical Mackle homes on Marco Island. The team used publicly accessible real estate portals, historical documents from the MIHS collections, and addresses provided by museum visitors to create a database that will be a valuable resource to researchers and community members for years to come.

For questions on whether your Marco Island home is Mackle-built, please email curator@themihs.org.

Marco Island Woman’s Club Records Preservation Project

As a part of its mission to preserve and share the history and heritage of Marco Island and the surrounding communities, the Marco Island Historical Society has partnered with the Marco Island Woman’s Club to carefully select, gather, organize, catalog, photograph, and preserve the Club’s historically significant documents and records utilizing the highest museum standards. This ensures that the items are stored in archival-grade materials, safeguarding these vital historical records for future generations to study and appreciate. By adhering to these rigorous preservation practices, the MIHS ensures the longevity and accessibility of the Club’s legacy, maintaining the integrity of its rich history for years to come.

The Marco Memory Project

Throughout two semesters, Meagan Boritz, an intern at MIHS and a graduate student from UNC-Greensboro, collaborated with the Historical Society on her capstone project. This initiative, known as the Marco Memory Project, kicked off in January 2019. Using MIHS social media platforms, digital and print publications, and in-person events, it actively engaged the help of community members and museum visitors in identifying unknown people, places, or events in photographs from our permanent collection. With their assistance, we were able to supply crucial information to hundreds of historical photographs that previously lacked context.

The project achieved significant recognition, earning a gold award in the 2019 Southeastern Museums Conference Technology Competition. The Historical Society staff continued to run the Marco Memory Project column in the Coastal Breeze News until the end of 2020, further expanding the scope of the project.

Island Country Club 50th Anniversary

In 2016, the Island Country Club (ICC) marked its 50th anniversary. The original buildings of the club were crafted by Deltona Architect, Herbert R. Savage, in the 1960s as part of the development of Modern Marco Island. Club leadership reached out to the Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) for help in sharing the long history of the Island Club. The MIHS staff enthusiastically accepted and promptly began researching 50 years of ICC history, which included gathering historic images, printed materials, and videos. This extensive research culminated in a well-documented narrative and a collection of images that the Island Country Club now cherishes as a vital part of its heritage.

Historical Naming Projects

In 2014, concerned that first responders occasionally had difficulty responding to calls due to the island’s unnamed alleys, Marco Island Historical Society board member Craig Woodward devised the idea to name the alleys for key historical figures. Woodward and several other members of the Historical Society worked together to draft a list of names that had not been previously recognized in some way on the island. The proposal was submitted to the City in June and approved in October that year. These eleven alleys can be found around the island and include: Capt. Horr Way, Durnford Way, Griffis Way, Herb Savage Way, Jim Vensel Way, Muspa Way, Neil Bahr Way, Silver Spray Way, Tony Lema Way, Weeks Way, and Wells Sawyer Way.

The following year, in 2015, the Marco Island Parks and Recreation Committee (PRAC) received a nomination from the Marco Island Historical Society to rename the Smokehouse Bay Bridge to the Herbert R. Savage Bridge. The PRAC unanimously voted to recommend that the Marco Island City Council proceed with this name change, honoring Mr. Savage’s significant architectural contributions that influenced the design and character of Marco Island’s early Polynesian-themed buildings. On May 30, 2016, a ceremony was held on the bridge to officially rename the Smokehouse Bay Bridge as the Herbert R. Savage Bridge.

Marco Island Archaeological Digs

2013 – The Big Sift
When ongoing sewer construction threatened historically significant sites in Caxambas, the Marco Island Historical Society, with funding support from the City of Marco Island, launched The Big Sift—a five-day excavation involving both volunteers and professional archaeologists. Led by archaeologist Gene Erjavec and overseen by Advanced Archeology, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, the dig was part of a larger $30,000 study to document the area’s historical value. Artifacts uncovered during The Big Sift are now preserved and exhibited at the Marco Island Historical Society and Museum.

1995 – Key Marco Excavation
In 1995, the Marco Island Historical Society joined forces with the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society to orchestrate a large-scale professional excavation by the University of Houston of an archaeological site just off Bald Eagle Drive in Old Marco Village that was under the threat of development. The MIHS was instrumental in acquiring volunteers and resources from various community partners to document and preserve the contents of this valuable historical site. Rare artifacts such as projectile points, shell necklaces, pottery fragments, net weights, and tools were recovered and preserved in the University of Houston and Marco Island Historical Society collections.