National Register of Historic Places

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida
Listed
October 14, 1973
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000597

About this property

The Jupiter Inlet Light is a lighthouse located in Jupiter, Florida, on the north side of the Jupiter Inlet. The site for the lighthouse was chosen in 1853. It is located between Cape Canaveral Light and Hillsboro Inlet Light. The lighthouse was designed by then Lieutenant George G. Meade of the Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Meade's design was subsequently modified by Lieutenant William Raynolds. The Jupiter Inlet silted shut in 1854, forcing all building supplies to be shipped in light boats down the Indian River. Work was interrupted from 1856 to 1858 by the Third Seminole War. The lighthouse was completed under the supervision of Captain Edward A. Yorke in 1860 at a cost of more than $60,000. The lighthouse was built on a hill once thought to be an Indian shell mound or midden (and sometimes falsely rumored to be a burial mound), but which is now determined to be a natural parabolic sand dune. The top of the 105-foot (32 m) tower is 153 feet (47 m) above sea level. The light can be seen 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) at sea. The lighthouse structure is brick with double masonry walls. The outer wall is conical, tapering from 31.5 inches (800 mm) (eight bricks thick) at ground level to 18 inches (460 mm) (three bricks thick) at base of lantern. The inner wall is cylindrical and two bricks thick throughout. Circumference at base is about 65 feet (20 m) and at the top about 43 feet (13 m). The lighthouse was painted red in 1910 to cover discoloration caused by humidity. Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 sandblasted the paint from the upper portion of the tower, and the tower was repainted using a potassium silicate mineral coating.

Location

Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida
26.94756, -80.07949

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
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5.6 mi
Seaboard Airline Railroad Station
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6.1 mi
Gate House
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6.3 mi
Olympia School
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8.4 mi
Palm Beach Winter Club
Industrial
8.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Locha-Hatchee (First Engagement)
1838Early Republic
1.3 mi
Battle of Loxahatchee
1838Early Republic
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse?

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

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