Stuart Welcome Arch

Stuart Welcome Arch
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Stuart Welcome Arch from the north: August 2010
Location	Bet. 2369 and 2390 NE Dixie Hwy, Jensen Beach, Florida
Coordinates	27°13′31″N 80°13′13″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1926
Architect	Nat C. Hodgdon; A.L. Doenges
Architectural style	Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	04000971
Added to NRHP	September 15, 2004

Stuart Welcom Arch from the south: August 2010

2006 dedication plaque

The Stuart Welcome Arch (also known as the 1926 Welcome Arch or Rio-Jensen Beach Arch) is an historic arch-shaped structure which straddles County Road 707 between 2369 and 2390 Northeast Dixie Highway in Jensen Beach, Florida. It was built in 1926 to mark what was then the town line between the town of Jensen to the north and the town of Stuart to the south. During the Great Depression, the town of Jensen went bankrupt and was dissolved, while the town (now City) of Stuart was forced to relinquish much of its territory north of the St. Lucie River. Today it is located entirely within the unincorporated area of Martin County. It has been restored several times over the years. On September 15, 2004, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

On the side welcoming southbound travelers to Stuart is the phrase, "Atlantic Gateway to the Gulf of Mexico", which commemorates the 1923 opening of the cross-state Stuart to Ft. Myers canal. Local residents would soon lament the degradation of clean waters and sport fishing in the St. Lucie River, after completion of the canal.

References

• Martin County listings at National Register of Historic Places
• Martin County markers at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
• A Symbol Stands, but the Dreams Have Shifted at New York Times