Thomas Phillips was an early developer on what was then known as Crescent Beach. In 1924, he built the arches as a gateway to what he hoped would be a successful devlopment called San Carlos on the Gulf. The 1924 arches allowed traffic to flow both on and off the island under a separate arch, with sidewalk arches on each side, allowing for safe pedestrian traffic as well. They remained for 55 years, to the delight of many, until their removal in 1979 to make way for the present sky bridge from San Carlos Island to the barrier island of Fort Myers Beach.