eBay

223 JUPITER INLET LIGHT, FL, HL 151, #150 of 9,500 issued 01/1995, retired 12/1996, made in China, box (#6), Certificate of Authenticity, tent card

Each piece will be double boxed and packed for a 30' drop should that occur in handling. Shipper only insures first $50 valuation at no additional cost. PLEASE NOTE: I will only refund this amount ($50) if damage occurs unless buyer has purchased additional insurance. If buyer wishes additional insurance, the cost associated with additional insurance will be calculated and buyer will pay additional cost.

Soon after the United States took possession of Florida in 1821, lighthouses began to spring up all along the peninsula’s coast. In contrast to the scenic landscape, the waters surrounding Florida are filled with hidden dangers. Treacherous shoals and reefs, unmarked headlands, and shifting sandbanks made navigation a formidable task. In 1856, funds were authorized to build a light station on Jupiter Island, 15 miles north of present day Palm Beach. Jupiter Island is located at the mouth of the Loxahatchee River, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. A large reef located just offshore created a major obstacle to westbound ships needing to cross the Gulf Stream before heading north.

Difficulties plagued the construction of Jupiter Inlet Light from the onset. Mosquitoes, trouble from native Seminoles, and oppressive heat were only the beginning. Because the shallow inlet waters made it impossible for large boats to navigate, building materials had to be unloaded at another location 35 miles away, and brought in on small shallow draft scows. It was not until July of 1860 that the lantern was finally lit. The 105' brick tower raised the focal plane of the 1st-Order Fresnel lens to 146' above sea level.

Jupiter Inlet Light was designed by George Gordon Meade, a career Army officer who built many of Florida’s lighthouses, including the revolutionary screw pile light on the Florida Reef. The newly installed light was unfortunately short lived. A little more than a year after its lighting, Confederate soldiers removed the lens from Jupiter Light in an effort to frustrate a Union shipping blockade. In an interesting historical footnote, it was the same General George Meade who would later face down Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg.

Shortly after the Civil War, Captain James A Amour found the lens buried in nearby Jupiter Creek. By the end of 1866, he had the light reinstalled and fully operational. A year later, Captain Amore brought his new bride to lonely Jupiter Island and enjoyed a record 40-year career as lightkeeper.

In 1928, a dreadful hurricane pounded the area around Jupiter Inlet, completely knocking out the lighthouse’s new electrical system. Despite a severely infected hand, Keeper Charles Seabrook somehow managed to reinstall the light’s old mineral lamps. Weakened by pain, however, he was unable to operate the lamps manually. His 16-year-old son convinced his father that he could climb the tower and keep the light moving. With the tower swaying 17' off center, this brave young lad turned the light by hand for 4 excruciating hours.

Tropical storms are a sobering part of Florida coastal life. Although a sign in front of Jupiter Light states “It has not missed a night in over 100 years,” the light was briefly put out of commission after a severe hurricane struck the tower in the 1950s. In 1972, another powerful gale forced a streamer aground just south of Jupiter Inlet. Thanks to the gallant effort of the Lightkeeper, all passengers and crew got off the freighter safely, including 3 orphaned puppies, who were adopted by the Keeper.

In recent years, Jupiter Inlet Light has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building itself is actually built on an ancient Native American mound of oyster shells. The distinctive red tower is, without a doubt, one of the most recognized sites on the Florida coast. Although the beacon is now fully automated, the original 1st-Order Fresnel lens is still in-place. Visitors are encouraged to visit the famous sentinel and share a part of history.

Lighthousefriends.com UPDATE (11/2021): The Loxahatchee Historical Society initiated public tours of Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in 1994. A gift shop and museum for the lighthouse are housed in what were the married men’s quarters for a Navy Radio Direction Finding (RDF) station that located U-boats during World War II. The Navy operated a wireless telegraph and radio station adjacent to the lighthouse from 1905 until World War II, when it was converted into an RDF station. Most of the Navy structures were demolished to make room for modern housing for the lighthouse keepers and Coast Guard personnel that operated a LORAN station several miles to the north. A Weather Bureau Station and an Air Force tracking station that monitored missile test from Cape Canaveral were also located on the lighthouse reservation at one time

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse underwent an $850,000 restoration in 1999-2000, which made this oldest of structures in Palm Beach County look just about as good as new. In May 2008, the lighthouse and surrounding land was designated a federal Outstanding Natural Area. While the recognition was appreciated, money for improvements was what was really needed. As part of the federal stimulus program designed to jump start the economy, $1.1 million was set aside for the natural area in 2009. These funds were divided almost equally between maintenance of the lighthouse and habitat restoration. The interior of the tower was painted, and the adjacent oil house was completely refurbished. Walking trails, wooden overlooks, and informational signs were also added to the property.

MEASUREMENTS: L = 5” x W = 4¾” x H = 7”

CONDITION: Very good. Displayed for a short time in glass-enclosed curio cabinet.

If damaged in shipping, buyer must save damaged carton to show shipper’s rep condition of boxes.

b for the most part, I only collected full size Harbour Lights. GLOWS and Little Lights of Mine will be clearly identified as such should I find I have any.