March 10, 2026 was the 150th birthday of the House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar. The Historical Society of Martin County gives that date as the official anniversary of the station built on this stretch of Hutchinson Island in 1876. On that day the building was still under restoration. The anniversary kickoff came a month later at the Coastal Colors Paint Out on April 11 and 12, and even then the museum stayed closed for tours.
The doors opened again at the end of May after an 11-month restoration. By the Keeper's late-September report, more than 3,500 guests had come through. This fall begins the House's first full winter season since the restoration started, and the restoration kept it at its original size. Room is limited in the building, along MacArthur Boulevard and in the van that brings lecture guests over from the Elliott Museum. That small scale shapes how anyone on the island gets to see the House this winter.
The money went into keeping it the same building
Martin County owns the House of Refuge, and the Historical Society has managed it since 1955. Reports on the cost differ a little. WPTV reported in March that the county was investing nearly $1.8 million. CBS12 described a $1.8 million project covering a new roof, windows, doors and decking. REG Architects, the firm on the project, puts the cost at $2 million. Its description lists structural repairs to the foundation, columns, rafters and beams, a historically accurate wood-shake roof, and minor repairs to the building envelope. The Historical Society credits The Tradesmen Group with leading the specialized work.
Most of that work went into the foundation, rafters, beams and wood shakes, things a visitor might never notice. None of the work described made the House any bigger. The station built in 1876 to shelter shipwrecked sailors is still the same building. Its rooms set the visitor count for every exhibit and talk this season.
Inside, the sea takes up more of the room
The House kept its size but has more to show. The biggest addition is The Tempest, an immersive installation built around Ralph Papa's mural Of Storm and Splendor. It uses art, light and sound to recreate the storms and shipwrecks that made a refuge station necessary on this coast.
In the Quarters, a pop-up exhibit covers lightships, the floating lighthouses anchored near shoals and reefs where a tower couldn't be built. The first U.S. lightship went out off Virginia in 1820, and the fleet eventually grew to 56 vessels. The exhibit sits well in a building that served the same purpose from shore.
The staff has grown as well. Kenda Bedford has come back as the House's second Assistant Keeper. Keeper Catherine Larsen describes the year ahead in her Keeper's Report for the Historical Society:
"With a strong team in place, expect great things to happen at the House of Refuge! We have an exciting season ahead, and I am looking forward to expanding our programming, bringing more history to life, and creating even more opportunities for our guests to connect with this very special place."
The Oceanside Lecture Series is the main part of that expanded programming, and it is where the House's small size matters most.
Thirty-five chairs, and the ride starts at the Elliott
Each Oceanside lecture is capped at 35 attendees. No one parks at the House for these talks. The Historical Society runs a shuttle from the Elliott Museum at 825 NE Ocean Boulevard. It asks guests to get to the Elliott up to an hour before the lecture because shuttle space is limited. The Society explained the arrangement when it ran a shuttle for the April Paint Out. It cited limited parking at the House of Refuge, encouraged rideshare and drop-off, and capped the shuttle at eight passengers.
So the lecture season depends on three limits: 35 seats, a shuttle with limited room, and limited parking at the House itself. The opening talk shows how fast seats go. Catherine Larsen's "Welcome Back House of Refuge" on Wednesday, November 4 starts at 1:30 p.m. It takes guests behind the scenes of the restoration. By late October, its Eventbrite page was showing "Few tickets left."
Here is the full season as the Historical Society has posted it on its lectures page:
| Date | Talk | Presenter | Time | Tickets, members / non-members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 4, 2026 | Welcome Back House of Refuge | Catherine Larsen, Keeper of the House | Starts 1:30 p.m. | $5 / $10 |
| Mon., Dec. 7, 2026 | Saved by the Soroptimists | Marie Kennedy | 1:30–3 p.m. | $5 / $10 |
| Mon., Jan. 11, 2027 | The Roaring '20s and the Real McCoy | Al Simbritz | 1:30–3 p.m. | $5 / $10 |
| Wed., Jan. 20, 2027 | Turning the Tides panel | Panel | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | $40 / $50 |
| Wed., Feb. 3, 2027 | Scalawag, Marauder, Pirate: The Don Pedro Gilbert Story | Rob Urbanovich | 1:30–3 p.m. | $5 / $10 |
| Wed., Mar. 3, 2027 | The Witham Legacy: Ross and Mabel Witham, Stories from a Daughter | Julie Witham Hartwiger | 1:30–3 p.m. | $5 / $10 |
The January 20 panel is the one evening event. It costs more because beverages, light bites and the shuttle are included, and it has the same 35-person cap. The talks follow the House's own history. December covers the Soroptimists. February is about Don Pedro Gilbert, whose name the station's location still carries. January 11 covers the Prohibition years offshore. The Historical Society's description of the series promises shipwrecks, pirates, Prohibition and rum runners, along with the people and legends that shaped this coast.
Plan the whole afternoon around the Elliott
Every lecture starts at the Elliott anyway, so it makes sense to plan the day from there. Charles Fazzino: Master of 3D Pop Art runs at the Elliott Museum through May 31, 2027. That leaves time to see it before any talk on the list, including the March one. On Saturday, November 14, the Elliott's free Cars & Coffee fills its parking lot from 8 to 10 a.m., rain or shine. Coffee, donuts and ice water cost $4.
The House is also open on days without a lecture. The Historical Society's ticketing page lists admission at:
- $12 adults
- $10 seniors 65 and older
- $8 ages 6 to 12
- Free for children 5 and under
- Free for veterans and active-duty U.S. military with ID
The Society's contact page posts House of Refuge hours as Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m., with closures on listed holidays. That page was posted before the restoration, so call ahead before driving over, especially around the holidays.
Bathtub Reef Beach is just south on the same road at 1585 SE MacArthur Boulevard. Martin County's beach page says Ocean Rescue staff are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. It sends visitors to the county's Safe Beach Day tool for live flags, closures and lifeguard-tower status. A morning visit to the House, before the 1:30 lecture crowd gathers at the Elliott, still leaves plenty of the Ocean Rescue window for the beach.
TCPalm included the House in its America250 history series this spring and described it as a roughly 150-year-old landmark of service and care. After November 4, the next talk on the schedule is the Soroptimists lecture on December 7, and tickets go through the Historical Society's calendar.
Hutchinson Island's history is part of why living on this coast feels different, and Susie Wilson Real Estate has helped owners and buyers here for decades. If a winter afternoon at the House of Refuge has you thinking about your own place on the island, or a second home nearby, reach out to request a free home valuation and consultation. We'd be glad to talk it through over coffee at the Elliott.
