Jupiter Inlet Light facts for kids
| Location | North side of the Jupiter Inlet in Jupiter, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°56′55″N 80°04′55″W / 26.94861°N 80.08204°W |
| Year first constructed | 1860 |
| Year first lit | 1860 |
| Automated | 1928 |
| Foundation | Concrete |
| Construction | Brick |
| Tower shape | Conical tower/cylindrical tower |
| Height | Tower: 105 feet (32 m), above water: 153 feet (47 m) |
| Original lens | First order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fixed white varied by two white flashes every 30 seconds |
The Jupiter Inlet Light is a famous lighthouse located in Jupiter, Florida. It stands on the north side of the Jupiter Inlet. This lighthouse was chosen as a building site in 1853. It is positioned between the Cape Canaveral Light and the Hillsboro Inlet Light.
The lighthouse was designed by Lieutenant George Meade. Another officer, Lieutenant William Raynolds, later made some changes to the design. Building supplies had to be brought in by small boats because the Jupiter Inlet was blocked in 1854. Construction was paused from 1856 to 1858 due to the Third Seminole War. Captain Edward A. Yorke finished the lighthouse in 1860. It cost over $60,000 to build.
The lighthouse was built on a natural sand dune. People once thought it was an ancient Indian shell mound. The top of the 105-foot tower is 153 feet above sea level. Its light can be seen up to 24 nautical miles away at sea. The lighthouse is made of brick with double walls. It was painted red in 1910 to hide stains from humidity. In 2004, Hurricane Jeanne blasted off some of the paint. The tower was then repainted with a special mineral coating.
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History of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
For thousands of years, the area where the Indian River meets the Jupiter Inlet was a gathering place for Native American tribes. In 1849, U.S. Army surveyors noticed this important spot. They suggested it would be a good place for military defenses. In 1854, President Franklin Pierce ordered that 61.5 acres of land be set aside for a lighthouse.
Building the Lighthouse
Lieutenant George Gordon Meade first designed the lighthouse. Later, Lieutenant William Raynolds made the design stronger by adding a double wall. Captain Edward Yorke oversaw the building of the lighthouse and the oil house. He arrived on December 31, 1859. The tower was finished in May 1860, and its light shone for the first time on July 10, 1860.
Lighthouse Operations and Changes
In 1889, a Weather Bureau station and a signal station were added to the lighthouse grounds. Ships passing by were given signals using flags during the day. At night, flares were used. A Naval wireless telegraph station was set up in 1890. In 1925, it was discovered that the lighthouse property was actually larger than first thought. It covered 113.22 acres. By 1930, the land grew to 121.95 acres. This area included the tower, a keeper's house, a radio beacon, and other buildings.
In 1936, the U.S. Navy started operating a Radio Compass Station at Jupiter. This station helped ships navigate. It also broadcast weather information and listened for distress signals. On July 1, 1939, all U.S. lighthouses became the responsibility of the U.S. Coast Guard. That same year, the U.S. Navy built an Intelligence Listening Post here. This secret station was used to listen to enemy radio messages.
World War II and Station J
By July 1940, the Navy's secret Radio Detection Finding Station, known as "Station J," was active. This hidden base was designed to intercept German U-boat radio messages. It helped warn Allied ships and allowed U.S. forces to find enemy submarines. Station J could pinpoint the names and locations of these submarines. In May 1943, 30 German submarines were destroyed. Another 37 were destroyed in June. Most of these were found by the team at Station J.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum
The Loxahatchee River Historical Society (LRHS) was started on January 11, 1972. Its goal was to protect the area's history. In June 1973, they opened the Oil House Museum. People could take tours of the lighthouse with permission from the U.S. Coast Guard. On November 15, 1973, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. By 1988, the Society opened the Florida History Center and Museum. It was located in Burt Reynolds Park.
In 1994, the LRHS made an agreement with the Coast Guard. They would maintain the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and offer regular public tours to the top. The LRHS also ran a small visitor center. In 1999, the LRHS began a big project to repair weather damage to the tower. This work was finished in April 2000.
In 2006, the old World War II building in Lighthouse Park was renovated. It became the new home for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society. On December 7, 2006, the history museum moved to Lighthouse Park. It is now called the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. The LRHS also signed a 30-year agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard. This allows them to manage more land around the lighthouse. They use this land for outdoor history exhibits. Now, all lighthouse and museum operations are in one place.
Today, the Loxahatchee River Historical Society runs the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. The museum is located at 500 Captain Armour's Way, Jupiter, Florida. Visitors can climb the lighthouse tower. They can also visit the History Museum by getting tickets at the gift shop.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (JILONA) Act was a law passed to protect this special place. Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Mel Martinez helped introduce it in the Senate. In the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Tim Mahoney, Congressman Ron Klein, and Alcee Hastings supported it. This law made the lighthouse and 120 acres around it an Outstanding Natural Area (ONA). This means it is part of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) National Landscape Conservation System.
The JILONA site is the first Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) in the eastern United States. Two other ONAs on the Pacific Coast also protect lighthouses: Yaquina Head in Oregon and Piedras Blancas Lighthouse in California. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on May 8, 2008. This protects the site forever for all Americans.
The JILONA is managed by several groups working together. These include the Bureau of Land Management, Palm Beach County, the Town of Jupiter, the Village of Tequesta, the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Jupiter High School's Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy. Over the past ten years, this group has completed many projects. These include restoring the lighthouse and rebuilding wetlands. They also stabilized river slopes after hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. They have also worked to improve habitats for endangered species. This partnership is very successful. In April 2008, the Jupiter Inlet Working Group received the Cooperative Conservation Award. This award recognized their efforts to protect Jupiter Inlet's environment and history.
