A gateway to the past in Volusia County may be in jeopardy, as homeowners in Holly Hill fear the city's famed arches may have suffered their final blow.

Golfer Dwight Lewis witnessed what many in Holly Hill fear could be the last days of the nearly century-old arches, built by most historical accounts around the 1920s.

"I just saw the car was smashed right into the column, and was all smashed in the front," Lewis said.

The damage from Friday's crash left the base of the column crumbling to pieces.

Holly Hill police Chief Steve Aldrich said the section of Calle Grande Street that runs underneath the arches and leads to the Riviera Country Club golf course will remain closed until the integrity of the arches can be determined.

With their Roman motif, the arches were built during a time when the Florida coast was the playground to the very rich, including the Rockefellers and the Flaglers.

The arches were once part of the Rivera Hotel, which is now a retirement community. Now, homeowners fear the deteriorating arches may become a part of the past.

To golfers and homeowners in Holly Hill, the arches have become such a part of the community, that they would rather have them repaired than see them come down for good.

"Hopefully they'll find the money to repair it, if it's repairable," said Greg Nichols, a local homeowner. "If not, it would be a shame to see it come down."

"I think they should stay," Lewis added.

John Simco, a structural engineer and golfer, took a look at the base of the arches, and believes they can be saved.

"They ought to preserve it. They basically should preserve it," Simco said, "because it has a significance to the community."