05/22/2026
To help celebrate Martin County's "Historic Preservation Month" and the 150th Anniversary of The House of Refuge being built on March 10th, 1876, check out this recently unearthed never before seen film footage of the House of Refuge Museum at Gilbert's Bar, located on the East Coast of Florida in Martin County.
This rare film footage includes a "Casual Gathering" sometime in 1955, as well as the Official Opening of The House of Refuge Museum in January, 1956. Followed by the "Formal Dedication" of The House of Refuge Museum on December 9th, 1956. The footage also includes a ceremony at Memorial Park, located in Stuart, Florida.
Please feel free to Share this post, and Comment with any Friends or Family you may recognize with their name and timeframe in the film. Special Thanks to all involved: Jes Robinson and Robert Steele at Elliott Museum-Stuart, Local Historian Sandra Thurlow, Catherine Larsen at The House of Refuge, Treasure Coast Multimedia, and all the folks at The Stuart Heritage Museum. Martin County Library System Martin County Board of County Commissioners StuartLife - The City of Stuart, Florida
Recently unearthed never before seen film footage of the House of Refuge Museum, located on the East Coast of Florida in Martin County. This rare film foota...