Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

[cw1865]

Dateline July 1863, General Meade commands the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg. No, this isn't PA this is Jupiter, FL and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, lying between the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and the Hillsboro Lighthouse alerts sailors of its presence. Before his famous command during the Civil War, then Lieutenant Meade made the original plans for this lighthouse in 1853. The lighthouse would ultimately be completed in 1860. It stands at the confluence of the Loxahatchee River and Indian River Picture taken from across the Loxahatchee River at U-Tiki restaurant.

This particular site would later take part in WW2. While the vast majority of WW2 did not happen on US soil, the Battle of the Atlantic was a battle that lastest nearly the entire course of the conflict. Boca Raton airport and Lantana airfield were both involved in air patrols to hunt down German subs lurking off the coast. "Station J" near the ligthhouse was designed to intercept radio messages from German subs.

During the Civil War itself the Confederates disabled the ligth, I am presuming so as not to aid the blockade, and the lighthouse was dark for the course of the conflict.

 

[captaindrew]

Nice photo, that's in my neighborhood. Our own @Joshism works there. I work on the water in the area so I go by there fairly regularly although I'm long overdue to stop and pay Josh a visit.

 

[captaindrew]

A couple more photos

 

[cw1865]

Nice. I currently live in Boynton Beach, FL, so last weekend I went up there and had lunch at U-tiki. I went over to the lighthouse but it closed at 2pm so I will have to return to climb it.

One little criticism of the site is that they have two cannons and an anchor they salvaged off of a Spanish shipwreck found in 1987. Very cool.....

The plaque though.....

I understand typos, I get it, no big deal in texting and WORD, etc. But honestly? Monuments? Pretty bad actually.

Bogata, Columbia?

I even understand why Americans want to spell Colombia with a 'u' given Columbus, Columbia, District of Columbia, Columbia River. The 'u' is more common and when you say Colombia in American English if you had to guess not knowing, guessing 'u' wouldn't be a bad guess. But Bogata?

 

[51st Georgia]

Meade also redesigned the Cape Florida lighthouse on Key Biscayne, FL. I noticed the plaque stating this waiting to pay my entrance fee for the beach

In an 1855 renovation, the tower was raised to 95 feet (29 m), to extend the reach of the light beyond the off-shore reefs. That year the original lamp and lens system was replaced by a second-order Fresnel lens brought to Cape Florida by Lt. Col. George Meade of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. The heightened tower with its new, more powerful light, was re-lit in March 1856.[13]

Simeon Frow became the keeper in 1859. Confederate sympathizers destroyed the lighthouse lamp and lens in 1861 during the American Civil War. The light was repaired in 1866, and Temple Pent was re-appointed keeper. He was replaced in 1868 by John Frow, son of Simeon Frow.

 

[donna]

Nice photos. Hope to visit sometime. Always like all the lighthouses. I actually collect small models of them.