Lighthouse 150th Anniversary
Celebration a Success

Huge Crowd Assembles for the Event Despite the Cold

JUPITER -- Despite the bitter cold, close to 1500 people came to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum on Sunday, January 10th to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Jupiter Light! The public ceremony was hosted by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society (LRHS), the Bureau of Land Management and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (JILONA), partners. All the activities were free to the public.

The historic ceremony honored the January 1860 arrival of Captain Edward Yorke and the hardy men who built the landmark Jupiter Light. It also celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the National Landscape Conservation System and the Lighthouse’s recent designation in that system. Guest speakers included James Snyder, Loxahatchee River Historical Society Board Chairman, Robert V. Abbey, Director of the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Bruce Dawson, Field Manager, BLM Eastern States. BLM Director Abbey made a presentation to the Society acknowledging its enduring efforts as keepers of the light.

Festivities kicked off at the Museum with authentic Children's Maritime Heritage games and special guest, Pedro Zepeda, from the Seminole Tribe of Florida demonstrating Seminole Traditional Arts. Young and old enjoyed free tours of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, including ninetyfour year-old Jupiter resident Walter Schuler, who climbed to the top of the Lighthouse! That might be a record.

Archaeologist Bob Carr, executive director of the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, unveiled three new interpretive signs on the Pathway to History and gave a Discovering Jupiter Inlet's Native American Roots presentation. The fascinating lecture was presented in conjunction with the important exhibit highlighting the original Native American inhabitants of our area, all funded by the Florida Humanities Council. Carr will present the lecture again at a future Historical Society lecture.

Miss Florida USA 2010, Megan Clementi, and Alyssa Rivera, Miss Florida Teen USA launched Megan’s statewide Tour of Florida Lighthouses bringing awareness of Florida's maritime sentinels while she Climbs for the Cure. Sweet Adeline group Women of Note dazzled the audience with renditions of Auld Lang Syne, Brother Love, When Will I Be Loved and Imagine. After their performance, they surprised visitors in the Museum’s newly remodeled Station J Café with an impromptu show.

The Lighthouse Anniversary Cake-Off competition included Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, Seagull’s Diner, Cake Kingdom and Publix. The public was served cake provided by Mangrove Bay and refreshments were served by volunteers from the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa. Judges for the competition were Chef Joseph Scarmuzzi, In The Kitchen, Jan Norris, retired Food Editor Palm Beach Post and Miss Florida USA. The winner of Best Tasting Cake went to Seagull’s Diner, Best Historical Accuracy went to Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa and Cake Kingdom won three categories: Most Creative, People’s Choice and Judges Choice Best Overall. The winner in each category was presented with a historic framed photograph giclee imprinted with the Anniversary Celebration and award.

The Society gave special thanks to the many volunteers and community partners who contributed their time and assistance to making this historic celebration very special: LRHS Volunteers John Walker, Steve Kruspe, Evelyne Bates and Karen Wilkens; Florida Atlantic University Honors College volunteers, Janice Barry, Dr. Jeffrey Buller, Sandy Ogden and Pamela Dyar; Ritz-Carlton volunteers; Women of Note; Pedro Zepeda; Robert Carr; and Vicki Silver Also, special thanks went to Tamara Tula, Sarah Stuve, Paula Linden, Bailey’s Nature Gallery, Megan Clementi, Alyssa Rivera, Chef Emily Waldron, Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa; Chef Ricky Goopesingh, Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa; Andy Delong, Publix,; Chef Ralph Nutbalm of Mangrove Bay and Karen Siegel, Seagull’s Diner; Jaye Norris, Cake Kingdom; Chef Scarmuzzi, Jan Norris and Lenore Pinello, Gallery Gourmet and Kirk Pratt, Holtec Center; Superior Rentals and Molly’s Trolleys.

The Loxahatchee River Historical Society also thanked the Town of Jupiter Parks & Recreation, Village of Tequesta and US Dept. of Interior Bureau of Land Management for their contributions to the celebration. The Loxahatchee River Historical Society staff was honored to coordinate and host this truly historic 150th Anniversary event at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum.

Check the JILM website for upcoming events: www.jupiterlighthouse.org.

Beneath Palm Beach County’s oldest existing structure, the blue and silver all-weather aluminum plaque mounted will be dedicated in a ceremony on July 10, 2010 when the Loxahatchee River Historical Society re-enacts the first lighting of the tower in 1860. The five-by-seven foot monument will include large markers for up to 300 sponsors who contribute to the sesquicentennial celebration. Each marker measures four by one-and-a-half inches with space for up to five lines each.

The minimum donation per sponsorship is $300. To obtain a form for your plaque message, call the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum at (561) 747-8380, extension 102. Or, call Snyder at (561) 575-3350.

Jamie Stuve, president & CEO,
Loxahatchee River Historical
Society, presided at the
ceremonies for the 150th
Anniversary of the Jupiter
Inlet Lighthouse.

Visitors to the 150th Anniversary
of the Lighthouse return from a
trip to the top.

Jupiter pioneer, Roy Rood, is shown with
Miss Florida, Megan Clementi, at the
Lighthouse ceremonies.