Stuart Florida: Walking the Beach

Behind the House of Refuge. There’s an endless expanse of deep blue ocean with white topped waves rolling in and sunshine everywhere. It’s not only a gorgeous stretch of beach, it fairly oozes history.

The House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Shoal (Bar) - supposedly named after Don Pedro Gilbert, a pirate who is said to have lured ships onto the rocks by hanging lanterns on the shore. It was one of 10 built in the late 1800s along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Over the years, it assisted many shipwreck survivors.

It was also used as a lookout for enemy submarines during World War II. The U.S. Navy had very few ships to defend our coastline in the early years of the war. German U-boats sunk 35 vessels off Florida alone in 1942. Locals took turns watching the sea and sky with binoculars and reporting any movements observed.

Another war story, told to me by a Stuart old-timer, was about a U-boat attacking a tanker near the House of Refuge. One of its torpedos hit a nearby reef and the explosion was so violent it knocked people out of their beds in town. The townspeople grabbed up clothing, water and food and rushed out to the ocean to find sailors swimming through burning water to shore.

The House of Refuge became a museum in 1955. It’s the oldest building in Martin County and the only one left of the 10 originally built.

Until next time . . .