Train Depot
ALMOST FINISHED
Updated: 4:25 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, 2014 | Posted: 4:23 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, 2014
JUPITER
Old Jupiter rail depot getting restored
By Bill DiPaolo Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Southern heartwood pine from North Florida, diamond-shaped shingles and hardware similar to what was used a century ago are all part of the restoration of the former Henry Flagler railroad depot at Sawfish Bay. “We are preserving history,” said Mary-Therese Delate, chairwoman of the restoration committee for the Loxahatchee Guild, standing on the dusty wood floor of the 52-by-22-foot depot. “Along with the Jupiter Lighthouse, DuBois House and Tindall House, this is another part of history for the people of Jupiter to be proud of.” The guild is aiming to raise about $200,000 to gut the interior, install a new roof, build new doors and a deck and do other repairs on the structure that was built in 1915 and was once a stop on Flagler’s railroad to Key West. When used to load and unload passengers and freight, the single-story structure was on the east side of Alternate A1A just north of Indiantown Road, near the current site of Bell’s Mobile Home Park, according to Jupiter records. Volunteers are working to open the depot on Aug. 1, the 100th anniversary of its first use. Plans call for turning the former depot into a museum. The building would be available to civic groups. Rental for weddings and other events, like at the Jupiter Civic Center, would not be allowed. Working on such an old building is both a joy and a challenge, said Stephen Agnelli, manager of A&A Development Group, a Palm Beach Gardens company that is the general contractor for the restoration. “This structure is really built well. In the old days they used common-sense construction,” Agnelli said. Betty Bush, publisher of the now-defunct Beacon News, bought the building in 1966. Bush moved the depot to a lot on the west side of Seabrook Road, just north of Tequesta Drive. She made it her home, turning the front and back loading docks into porches. In 2011, Tequesta paid Bush $225,000 for the 2-acre parcel. Tequesta officials planned to demolish the sagging building and turn the property into a park. In 2012, Jupiter paid about $111,000 to load the depot onto a truck and move it to its location at Sawfish Bay Park. The Loxahatchee Guild plans a gala on Jan. 31 at the Turtle Creek Club to raise money for the restoration. Tickets are $135 each. For information, go to loxahatchee guild.org . bdipaolo@pbpost.com
