Us Life-Saving Service

Ten houses of refuge, unique to Florida s east coast, were constructed by the US Life-Saving Service between 1876 and 1886. When ships traveling along the almost uninhabited coast were grounded or wrecked on reefs, survivors often made it to land but had no way to reach civilization. House of refuge keepers and their families provided food and shelter to victims of shipwrecks. The keepers lives were monotonous but punctuated with the excitement of an occasional shipwreck. The US Life-Saving Service provided the framework on which the east coast of Florida developed. With the establishment of the US Coast Guard in 1915, the Life-Saving Service houses of refuge became Coast Guard stations."
"Sandra Thurlow, of Stuart, has been telling the world about the importance of houses of refuge in the development of Florida for decades. She has written magazine articles, as well as a scholarly article for the Florida Historical Quarterly.
She has given illustrated lectures about houses of refuge from Jacksonville to Miami. She authored with her daughter-in-law, Deanna Thurlow, "Gilbert s Bar House of Refuge Home of History," about the only house of refuge that still stands.

Now she has joined with Dring, president of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association, to compile a new book published in Arcadia Press s Images of America series." --TC Palm

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