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The gallery deck railing at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse suffered from rust issues for many years. Staff unsuccessfully attempted to resolve the issues with regular maintenance, but the railing had become too deeply rusted and needed to be replaced entirely to ensure visitor safety.
Review of photo and archival records confirmed Jupiter’s gallery deck railing had been replaced several times, each time altering the design. The accompanying photos provide a look through the changing appearance of Jupiter’s railings.
The new railing retains the general appearance of the railing since 1973. It is made from marine-grade stainless steel which should prevent future rust issues. A number of small improvements to the design provide increased visitor safety, including reduced spacing between the vertical bars and lowering the bottom bar.
Historic architect Ken Smith designed the new railings. Robinson Iron of Alabama fabricated, pre-painted, and installed the new railings. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse closed October 10-14, 2022 for the removal of the old railing and installation of the new railing that included some painting.
The total project cost was $73,907. The Loxahatchee River Historical Society (LRHS), the 501(c)3 nonprofit that has operated the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse since 1994, secured a $35,000 Gene Oakes Grant from the Florida Lighthouse Association for the project. This grant program is funded by sales of the “Visit Our Lights” Florida license plate, which now features Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Grant funds are available for restoration and preservation projects involving any historic Florida lighthouse. The remainder of the project was funded by a grant from the Bureau of Land Management, which owns Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area, including the lighthouse itself.
All photos accompanying this article were provided by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society.
This story appeared in the
Jul/Aug 2023 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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