
A storied private island named after a revered 1920s inventor and electrochemist is now for sale about 20 miles off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida.
Often referred to as Little Bokeelia Island, because it sits at the boquilla (Spanish for “little mouth” or “small opening”) of Jug Creek, the 104-acre island is known as Burgess Island, after Dr. Charles Frederick Burgess purchased the property in 1924 due to being fed up with taxes in his home state of Wisconsin.
According to the Florida Museum, Burgess was a pioneer in electrolysis and electrochemistry, and made a fortune manufacturing dry cell batteries for flashlights, radios, and other applications through his business, the Burgess Battery Company.
While living on the island, Burgess would tinker with new ideas beyond batteries, including a new method of boat propulsion using vibrations, and an alternative floating material for Navy lifejackets using cattails, called typha, after kapok was in short supply due to World War II.
Burgess and his wife Ida May would go on to build a number of structures on the island, including multiple guest cottages and a “winter laboratory.” In 1928, the inventor completed a large Mediterranean-style mansion designed by St. Petersburg architect C. Sedgewick Moss, who is responsible for a number of historic properties found throughout Tampa Bay.
Over the years, Burgess became extremely well-known in his field, and would eventually become the president of the American Electrochemical Society. His high stature allowed Burgess to rub elbows with notable figures and celebrities, who often visited his island, including cartoonist and conservationist J.N. “Ding” Darling and Thomas A. Edison. It’s even rumored that Edison planted a number of banyan trees on the island that are still there today.
Burgess died of a heart attack in 1945 in a Chicago hospital, and since his death, the island has changed hands a number of times.
Burgess Island is currently owned by multi-level marketing tycoon and founder of ItWorks, Mark Pentecost, who purchased it in 2015 for $14.5 million, according to property records. Pentecost has since dumped millions into the island, reports the Wall Street Journal, adding a nine-hole golf course, a pool, multiple sports courts, a helipad and more.
The current asking price for Burgess Island is $89 million, and the listing agents are Michael McCumber and Anthony Caraballo of Waterfront Realty Group.
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Photos via Zillow











































This article appears in Apr. 16 – 22, 2026.
