“Pug was always enchanted by the many wondrous things he saw in the world: snow squalls in the Grand Teton Mountains, red ripe, fragrant October apples in a Vermont orchard, the white stucco buildings of Greece mingling gracefully with a cobalt-blue Mediterranean Sea; and indeed all these things served to soothe his soul and lift his spirits, but nothing delighted Pug more than spying the Ocracoke Lighthouse in the glow of a pale moon’s light. Every night he rode his bicycle down the back streets and side roads of the tiny island, savoring each sight and sound until he arrived at the milky talisman. Standing there in the quiet, Pug wept, overcome by the sheer beauty of a simple, faithful building.”

I wrote that about the Ocracoke Island lighthouse in a Pug Adventure titled, “Pug At The Ocracoke Island Lighthouse” but it could easily apply to the Jupiter Lighthouse.

 
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Jupiter, Florida

A few weeks back, I drove up the beach a bit to take a look at this, one of the 30 lighthouses in the state of Florida.

“The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is the oldest existing structure in Palm Beach County and was first lit on July 10th 1860. The lighthouse stands on an ancient Native American archaeological site, circa 700 AD, and is 156 feet tall with 105 steps from the base to the top. The light was manufactured in Paris by Henry-Lepaute and reputed to be the oldest existing first order Fresnel lens in Florida.

George Meade, a Lieutenant at the Bureau of Topographical Engineers and later the general who defeated Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, designed the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Construction began in 1853, but was halted by Seminole attacks and later because the workmen were plagued by mosquitoes, extreme heat, and diseases, which were called Jupiter Fever, most likely malaria or yellow fever.

In 1973, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was put on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. For a number of years, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse was painted a ‘firehouse’ red, but during the 1999 restoration by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, the tower’s color was returned to the natural red brick. The work on the tower took 8 months and cost $858,000. The lighthouse is an active maritime aid to navigation.”

Tours are given daily. The museum alone is well worth the admission price. And the gift store has an abundance of books relative to the lighthouse and surrounding area as well as all the usual stuff you’d expect to find.

My wish for you today is that you explore the historical sites near you. Contemplate life in those times. What clothing was the norm? What transportation was commonplace? Horses? Early cars? And what did hardships did people have to endure on a regular basis in order to survive? It’s through learning about who went before us that we learn about our own journey.

Make sure you visit their website. Check out their menu. It’s really creative! www.jupiterlighthouse.org

Jupiter lighthouse information is courtesy of Loxahatchee River Historical Society.

Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credit: Diana Taylor, Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

For copy & paste:
http:www.pugatthebeach.com/newbook.html
http://www.amazon.com/Pug-Beach-Island-Dogs-Reflections/dp/0974448400 (Pug At The Beach book)
http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org (Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse)