Spirit of Fort Myers

Rachel getting a makeover

he has endured pranks and time. Now, the Spirit of Fort Myers” gets a little nip and tuck. The stone sculpture is enduring a restoration that includes new lighting, cosmetic and minor structural work. Better known as “Rachel at the Well,” the iconic sculpture was dedicated in 1926 at Llewellyn Drive and McGregor Boulevard, gateway to the historic Edison Park neighborhood.

Rosa Lowinger & Associates, a Miami firm, is restoring the work sculpted by German-American artist Helmut von Zengen. Pranksters in past years had filled Rachel’s running urn with bubbles or painted her in Fort Myers High School green and white. This project will include some traffic delays; completion is scheduled for May, officials insist. Costs were not released.