STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — A treasured piece of Treasure Coast history is getting a new lease on life.
After nearly 150 years of withstanding powerful storms along the Martin County coastline, restoration work on the historic House of Refuge museum is now nearing completion.
Located on Hutchinson Island between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, the museum has been surrounded by scaffolding for months as crews work to preserve the county’s oldest building.
“It’s a beautiful maritime history for our community,” said Catherine Larsen, the keeper of the House of Refuge. “We’re not a very big museum but we have a mighty story.”
See also: Okeechobee Music Festival causes hours-long backups on Highway 70, US 441 in county
Built in 1876, the House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar once served as a safe haven for shipwrecked sailors along Florida’s East Coast.
“We’ve had as many as 22 sailors here, shipwrecked sailors convalescing,” Larsen said. “We would nurse them back to health and make sure that they got back on their vessels to continue the supply chain, carrying supplies for still the new developing world.”
After nearly 150 years of withstanding powerful storms along the Martin County coastline, restoration work on the historic House of Refuge museum is now nearing completion. (WPEC)
Of the ten Houses of Refuge that once lined Florida’s east coast, the building along SE MacArthur Boulevard is the only one still standing today.
“We have withstood 75 storms, many of which were hurricanes, but here we are,” Larsen said. “We’re still here.”
Larsen, who works for the Historical Society of Martin County, said they’re working to preserve the past.
For the past nine months, the museum has been undergoing a $1.8 million restoration project.
“We have put a new roof, windows, doors, decking,” said Larsen.
The goal is to bring the historic gem back to its former glory and charm so that it can honor the stories for many more years to come.
“A lot of people cherish our beloved house,” Larsen said.
Construction is expected to wrap up by April 1, with the museum set to reopen to visitors about four to six weeks later.