House of Refuge Museum

While my parents were here, we visited the House of Refuge Museum at Gilbert's Bar. It's located oceanfront along Hutchinson Island, about 25 minutes from us. "Gilbert's Bar" refers to Don Pedro Gilbert was one of the most ferocious pirates to roam Florida waters. He sailed his ship, "Pinda" during the 1820s and 30s. Gilbert would light fires on the beach at night, to tempt boats to shore. Boats would head toward the fires, and the shore, and run aground on the rocky shoal. Gilbert's men would then kill the crew, help themselves to the cargo, and then burn the ship. Thus, the rocky reefs off of the shore are called Gilbert's Bar. Gilbert and most of his crew were the last pirates to be hung in the US. They were hung in Boston in 1836.

We are in the area of Florida's coastline called the Treasure Coast. The name comes from numerous ships of Spanish Galleons that wrecked off of this coastline during the 17th and 18th centuries; there are still artifacts from these ships being recovered today. The Treasure Coast runs from the Hobe Sound area, which is just south of us, up to Sebastian Florida.

Because of the numerous wrecks in the area. There were 10 shipwreck life-saving stations, or houses of refuge, built 26 miles apart, from Cape Canaveral south to Key Biscayne. The one at Gilbert's Bar is the only one that remains, as well as the oldest building in Martin County. The "keepers" lived in the houses with their families, and patrolled the beaches on horseback, looking for shipwreck survivors. The lower level of the house was for the keeper and his family, while any survivors were housed on the second floor.

During this time, the area was very barren. As a result, the keeper and his family rarely saw anyone else. Their lives seemed very similar to that of lighthouse keepers. Supplies were delivered once a quarter. There were also bears, panthers, and other animals in the area, that you'd only expect so see much farther north and west today. The local Indians became a source of local knowledge, as well as friendship.

In 1915, the US Lifesaving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service merged to become the US Coast Guard. As a result, the House of Refuge became controlled under the Coast Guard. Shortly before the Pearl Harbor attack, the Coast Guard turned the refuge houses over to the US Navy as patrol stations. Some members of the Coast Guard remained, as the coast of Florida was under watch for German submarines and aircraft at this time. The threat was real, as there are maps that show torpedoed ships just off of the coast of Stuart.

Here are a few photos of the House of Refuge.