Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in Jupiter, Florida

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is in Jupiter, Florida, on the northern bank of the Loxahatchee River. Like many lighthouses, Jupiter Inlet had a tough beginning.

It all started in 1853 when Congress agreed to provide monies to build a lighthouse in the area of Jupiter Inlet to help guide ships along the coast and away from the shoals. Five hundred tons of building materials had to be gathered and shipped 35 miles to build the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. The supplies would then have to be transferred to smaller vessels to get them across the Indian River bar. This was quite a rough trip before construction on the Jupiter Lighthouse could even get under way.

Then just two years later, the Third Seminole War got started over the destruction of some prized banana plants ruined by some very careless surveyors. George Meade, who was in charge of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse project, feared for the lives of his workmen and ask for some guns and ammunition for protection. It was decided that construction just needed to be stopped until the Indian hostilities were ended.

Several more years passed and the war ended. But construction on the Jupiter Lighthouse could still not be started. With the Inlet closed, the water around the site was stagnant and mosquitoes became their next threat. Jupiter Fever, as the disease was called, was a mixture of malaria and yellow fever; and it quickly attacked the lighthouse construction crew. The rest of the unaffected crew still had mosquitoes and very hot weather with which to deal. After everyone recovered, the construction on the tower again commenced and in 1860 Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was finally put into operation. By 1861, the Civil War brought trouble to the lighthouse and parts of the light were stolen. Jupiter Lighthouse remained dark throughout the rest of the Civil War.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is a conical, red brick tower, 108' tall and the oldest structure in Palm Beach County. At first it was left unpainted but around 1970, it was painted fire engine red. Jupiter Lighthouse was renovated in 1999 and is now a more subdued red brick. Its walls are 31 inches thick at its base and taper to 18 inches at the top. Proudly sitting on an Indian mound, Jupiter Lighthouse is 146' above water so its light can be seen 25 miles out at sea. In 1973 Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Jupiter, Florida is very proud of the fact that Burt Reynolds of Hollywood fame used to live there. When you reach the top of the 105 steps of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, you can see what was once his sprawling ranch before he filed bankruptcy in 1996.

The site of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is now owned and maintained by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society who has focused on educating the public of their diverse heritage since 1971. Public tours of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse are offered, and there is a small historical museum and a gift shop on the grounds for your enjoyment.