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Stuart
The small town
ambiance and historical beauty make this wonderful area unique.
Stuart sits
right on the Intracoastal Waterway with a revitalized waterfront
downtown offering lots of quaint stores and restaurants. Stuart,
the county seat of Martin County, remains a small, affluent community.
The chamber's motto is "Enjoy Our Good Nature".
Martin County
is the site of several shipwrecks from the 1700s when Spanish galleons
carrying gold and silver doubloons and other treasures wrecked offshore
in a hurricane. Other ships met the same fate over the years and
in 1875, a U. S. Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson
Island. It still stands today as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge and
is listed on the National Register for Preservation of Historic
Places.
Those early
settlers came to stay in an area once known as Potsdam and in 1895
changed to Stuart. Railroad magnate Henry Flagler probably contributed
most to the tourism industry in Florida with the construction of
the Florida East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to Miami. By 1894,
the FEC track had reached Stuart opening up a whole new way of life
to area residents. Citrus and pineapples could be shipped by rail;
and tourists arrived in the area by train seeking sunshine and a
new place to visit. The railroad station became one of the primary
meeting places in town as residents gathered to meet the trains
and greet visitors to the area.
There are numerous
natural and historic attractions in the area. The restored Lyric
Theater in historic downtown Stuart offers stage and music. The
Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island portrays American households
at the turn of the century.
For those interested
in experiencing nature, there is camping, hiking and fishing available
in the historic preserve, nearby Jonathan Dickinson Park. Snorkelers
can enjoy Bathtub Reef, a unique beach park with worm coral formations,
located on the sound end of Hutchinson Island. Sun worshippers can
enjoy many of Hutchinson Island’s other magnificent beaches.
Known as the
"sailfish capital of the world," Stuart attracts numerous
sportsfishermen looking to catch the coveted sailfish and other
sport fish offshore and in local waters.
Stuart offers
many different types of residential neighborhoods. Waterfront homes,
family neighborhoods, gated golf course communities and adult retirement
condominiums.
Related
Links:
Martin
County Online
Guide
to Treasure Coast Dining
Florid
Fairways Online
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