About the Life-Saving Station

Be swept back to a time when night-time beach patrols and perilous high seas rescues were the only way to save shipwreck victims along the coasts of the United States. The original Indian River Life-Saving Station was built in 1876 for use by the United States Lifesaving Service, a government organization created to respond to the alarming number of shipwrecks along the coastlines of the United States and the precursor to today’s U. S. Coast Guard.

The building was first located 400 feet closer to the shore, but a sand dune began to form around it almost as soon as it was finished. It was moved to its present location in 1877, and today has been meticulously restored to its 1905 appearance, complete with diamond-shaped trim. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.