Welcome to another historic location in Martin County.
The Gilbert's Bar House Of Refuge is located on MacArthur Blvd on Hutchinson Island. The House of Refuge was built in 1876 and the first keeper was Frederick Whitehead, previously an assistant keeper at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. This station was one one of ten Houses of Refuge commissioned by the U.S. Life Saving Service on Florida's east coast. The USLSS merged with the revenue cutter service in 1915 to form the US Coast Guard. The USCG used this station in World War I and World War II before it was saved by Martin County in the 1950s. It is now the only remaining House of Refuge in Florida and is also believed to the oldest surviving structure on the Treasure Coast. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and open to visitors most days, although there is a fee. You do not need to enter the walled grounds to find the cache.
In addition to the House Of Refuge, visitors here can also enjoy Ross Witham Beach. Its rocky shore is particularly popular in stormy conditions, both for surfers in the water and those landlubbers who enjoy seeing the water leap high into the air when large waves crash into the rocks. The rocks are part of the same Anastasia Formation that runs from St. Augustine to Miami that can also be seen at places like Bathtub Beach (south of here on Hutchinson Island) and Blowing Rocks Preserve (Jupiter Island). This is also a popular spot for photography and fishing. There is a dock / fish pier across the street on the Indian River Lagoon.
There is a also plaque on the SE corner of the House Of Refuge exterior walls dedicated to the wreck of the Georges Valentine just offshore.