Jupiter Inlet, Florida Lighthouse

In early 1851, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was proposed by the Florida Lighthouse Board. The Board wanted to ward off danger from the dangerous shoal offshore where the Loxahatchee River flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Acting quickly, Congress appropriated $35,000 for the lighthouse in 1853. Also that year, the lighthouse location was chosen as part of the Fort Jupiter Reservation. George G. Meade, the Union general who defeated General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg, designed the tower.

The construction of the lighthouse started in the year 1854. Many conditions and situations caused great delays with the construction of the lighthouse.  Mosquitoes, sandflies, sickness, and the threat of Indian attacks stopped the work on the lighthouse several times. As with the horrible Indian attack at the Cape Florida Lighthouse in 1836, any threat of attack was taken seriously. Shutting of the inlet by silt in 1854 was the biggest cause for delay. Because the inlet was closed, workers were forced to send 500 tons of construction materials down the Indian River, located 35 miles north of the lighthouse in shallow boats, which slowed the construction considerably. Construction was again halted in 1859 with an outbreak of Jupiter Fever. Due to the many delays, the lighthouse was not finished and the light turned on until July 10, 1860, just before the Civil War.

The 115 foot tall brick tower, which cost nearly $61,000, contained a fixed light, varied by a brighter white flash every 90 seconds. The light was produced by a state-of-the-art first order Fresnel lens made by the Henry Lepante Company of Paris. The cone shaped tower was left a natural brick color, but dampness discolored it over the years. Due to the extent of discoloration to the brick, the lighthouse was painted fire engine red in 1910.

The light was not lit for very long before it was darkened by the Civil War. It seems that the Union found this a convenient place to unload supplies, so the Confederate assistant keeper successfully captured the lighthouse from it's Union sympathizing head keeper.  Important parts of the lens were removed from the tower and hidden in the area of Lake Worth Creek for the duration of the war. At the end of the war, the parts were recovered and the lighthouse was relit on June 28, 1866.

During the 1880's and 1890's, the lighthouse grounds underwent a few changes. A second keeper's dwelling was built in 1883. In 1886, the U.S. government established a life-saving station on the south side of the lighthouse. This was built to rescue people at sea, therefore relieving the keepers of rescue duties.  In the year 1898, a telegraph station was added to the lighthouse station.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse were hard hit in the early 1900's with the migration of birds. Wire screens were installed at the light to keep birds from crashing into the panes of glass. Buckets of dead birds were collected daily at the base of the light. Along with the migration problem, insects were also fierce.  Even at the top of the lighthouse, the bugs were so thick, that by morning, they would sometimes have to be scraped off the glass by the bucketful.

Sadly, in 1927, the original 2-story keeper's house burnt to the ground. This keeper's house measured only 26' x 30', and housed three families.  It was never rebuilt.

Engineers substituted electricity for the old mineral lamps and weights in 1928. In case of power failure, they also installed a diesel generator. Unfortunately, that same year a hurricane struck the tower and disabled the emergency generator. The keeper had to reinstall the old mineral lamps and turn the light by hand.  Not only did the generator suffer from damage, but one of the bull's-eyes was smashed. The bull's-eye was sent to Charleston to be reassembled and is now held together with a band of brass. During this hurricane, it's been said that the top of the tower swayed 17 inches. The same hurricane killed 1,836 people, mostly from drowning.

The lighthouse was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. 

In 1999, renovation began at the lighthouse. During this time, archeologists discovered the lighthouse was built on an ancient Indian mound dating back to 700 A.D..  The town held a relighting ceremony in April of 2000, attended by thousands.

Today, the lighthouse is open for guided tours lasting approximately 45 minutes long. The tours are given Sunday thru Wednesday from 10-4. With Coast Guard personnel living on the property, guided tours are necessary.  If you head off to see this beautiful, historic lighthouse, keep in mind that in order to take the tour to the top, you must be 4 foot tall and wearing supporting shoes (no flip flops).