Jupiter Lighthouse

The history of the lighthouse is a colorful one. The man who designed the lighthouse was George Gordon Meade and it took over seven years to complete.

In 1856, tensions between the US Army and the Seminole Indians flared into an all out war across South Florida. From their homeland in Big Cypress Swamp, Chief Billy Bowlegs and a few hundred Seminole warriors mounted raids against soldiers and settlers alike. Since Mead could not predict where or when the warriors would attack, the lighthouse was put on hold for two years. Finally, in 1858, a weary Chief Billy Bowlegs accepted a large government cash offer to relocate all followers to a reservation in Oklahoma.

The much delayed lighthouse was built in five months and on July 10, 1860, the light was officially lit by a Lighthouse Service inspector.