Happy birthday to the Jupiter Lighthouse! Lit for the first time on July 10, 1860, the oldest structure in Palm Beach County is celebrating 163 years of operation. Our own Jupiter Lighthouse, standing a bright red against the blue sky, is a significant monument to our town’s history.  

Timeline  

1860 – Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was officially lit for the first time. 

 1861 – Confederate sympathizers chased off the head lighthouse keeper along with taking the oil, lamps, and other supplies necessary to run the lighthouse for the duration of the Civil War. 

 1866 – The lighthouse was re-lit for the first time after the war. 

 1888 – The Jupiter Weather Bureau and Signal Station were commissioned next to the lighthouse station. 

 1905 – The Navy established a wireless telegraph (radio) at the site. The lighthouse bricks were painted red for the first time and the iron work was painted black. 

 1911 – The Miami Weather Bureau and Signal Station opened, leaving no need for the Jupiter Location, so it was shut down.  

 1923 – The Jupiter Inlet opened, making the lighthouse a half mile from the Atlantic Ocean. 

 1973 – Jupiter Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

 1985 – The lighthouse got a makeover; the bricks were painted their iconic fire truck red with a white undercoat. 

 1987 – The last lighthouse keeper, Mitchell Oakland, was transferred because at this time, the lighthouse was now fully automated.  

 2008 – One of three in the United States, Jupiter Lighthouse was congressionally-designated as an Outstanding Natural Area.  

 2009 – Tindall Pioneer Home was restored. 

 2010 – Lighthouse Keeper’s Workshop was restored. 

 This year, lighthouse anniversary day is scheduled for July 8. Join the Bureau of Land Management from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day full of family fun and games at the lighthouse deck. Visitors will get a special guided tour of a day in the life of a keeper, flags over Jupiter Inlet presentation, and a tour of the plants native to the area. There will also be two historian-on-deck presentations for you to enjoy and learn more about how the lighthouse came to be.  

 Take a walk-through history as you visit the lighthouse grounds, Tindall Pioneer Homestead and Keeper’s Workshop before going to the Scoop Coop food truck for a snack and enjoying live music from The Digs. Don’t miss out on the chance to discover our town’s oldest monument! 

 Visit the lighthouse website for more information and other events! 

 Written by, Megan Bauries 

 For all your Real Estate Needs, Call The Simmonds Team

Posted by Amy Simmonds
on July 7th, 2023

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