It's around 8:00 P.M. October 16, 1904, Captain Prospero Martolo and his crew of 12 men are extremely exhausted from battling a severe storm for three days. The pounding waves and torrents of rain and wind have battered the ship and crew, and they are no longer able to control their ship. Captain Martolo knows they are miles off course; but, he has no idea of their exact location. They are unable to keep the ship in deep water. The Georges Valentine has been knocked broadside to the sea and towering waves are washing over her deck, the hull is breaking apart, the deck house and life boats have been washed away, and there is no shelter aboard ship for the crew to escape the horror of this night. The three steel masts have been ripped off the ship killing one crew member. The ship is being blasted apart by the wind and waves; and, most of the crew are now in the ocean at the mercy of this violent storm. Five men are missing and will never be seen again. The surviving crew must somehow muster what remaining strength they have if they are going to survive this nightmare. Their only hope is to make it to shore without being swept away by the pounding surf.
The first man ashore is Victor Erickson of Sweden. He has managed to haul Ernest Bruce onto shore. Their cloths have been ripped away during the storm. They are naked, cold, injured and too tired to move. The spend the next few moments trying to catch their breath before making their way up the rocky shore line to seek help. This part of southern Florida is very sparsely populated. There is no roads, no train, and no electricity for many miles. Miraculously, they are only a few yards from a house of refuge. They knock on the door and the refuge house keeper Captain William Rea is awakened and answers they door.
This house of refuge is one of ten houses built along Florida's eastern coast line back in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, and they are fully equipped to handle this emergency. The nearest doctor is ten miles away and there's no phones here. Captain Rea and his wife offer immediate aid to both sailors.
Captain Rea and Victor Erickson go out into the storm again and spend most of the night looking for the rest of the crew. Seven of the twelve crew are in the house of refuge by dawn.
But Captain Rea is unaware that the Spanish ship Cosme Calzado ran aground in the same storm three miles north of Georges Valentine. Fifteen of the sixteen crew survived that ship wreck. They made their way to shore and saw a sign pointing south stating "refuge House 3 Miles". They are able to make the three miles journey through wind and blowing sand to the refuse house where Captain Rea and his wife are now caring for 22 crewmen, filling the refuge house to capacity. It will be several weeks before these men will be able to make their way home.
Each of the ten refuge houses has their own thrilling stories of rescue. But, Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge is the only one still standing and it's a great place to visit. Your personal tour guides will share many interesting facts about this house of refuge and how this house was utilized through WWII. If you are into scuba diving, the Georges Valentine is only about 100 yards offshore and is an underwater archaeological preserve.
This map shows the location of all ten houses of refuge along Florida's east coast.
This is Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge as seen from the ocean side. It was completed on March 10, 1876, and is the only remaining refuge house. The upper level housed 20 cots for injured sailors. The main level is the keepers living quarters. Let's take a tour inside!
This is the keepers bedroom. The mosquito netting was a must back when this was a wilderness area!
For those of you that are into quilting, this is a signature quilt and is not part of the original furnishing.
This is the dining area.
This is the kitchen.
The next two pictures are the living area.
These are the signs placed along the beach to direct sailors towards the refuge house.
This is the view of the Indian River Lagoon looking out of the back window. This dock was used to supply the refuge house with food and medical supplies and the only means to civilization.
This is a view of the Atlantic Ocean looking towards the sunken Georges Valentine.
This tower was built during the early part of WWII to watch for German submarines. Most people don't know that German subs sank over forty vessels near Florida's Treasure Coast!
If you are interested in historic sites or just enjoy being along the ocean, this is a place to visit. It is just North of Bathtub Beach so bring your swim suit and don't forget the sun screen! Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge is located at 301 SE MacArthur Blvd. Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Florida.
