In 1855, Congress commissioned the construction of a lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet to help ships navigate the treacherous waters offshore. An army Lieutenant named George Gordon Meade got the job of designing the lighthouse and selecting a site at the confluence of the Indian and Loxahatchee rivers. Supervising engineer William Raynolds increased the height of the light to 108 feet and doubled the masonary wall to withstand hurricane-force winds. The result was a state-of-the-art lighthouse that has stood for more than 160 years. The Loxahatchee Historical Society is the current keeper of the lighthouse. Visitors can climb to the top and enjoy the panoramic view. Meade would go on to accomplish bigger things during the Civil War, but he certainly left his mark on Florida, designing five lighthouses in the state, including this one 
in what's now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Miami-Dade County. Back to the Beginning.
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in what's now Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Miami-Dade County. Back to the Beginning.RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE