On September 23, 1696, the barkentine Reformation, sailing from Jamaica to Philadelphia, foundered in a hurricane off the nearby Florida coast. Jonathan Dickinson, a young Quaker merchant, along with his wife, child and about 20 other survivors, managed to reach the mainland, only to fall into the hands of hostile Indians who held them captive.
They eventually were released and struggled up the coast to St. Augustine, where the Spanish governor sent the few survivors by open boat to Charleston. From there they continued to Philadelphia. Dickinson’s account of their harrowing experience was published soon after, and was widely read throughout colonial America.
The site of part of Jonathan Dickinson’s captivity was probably a large shell mound at the mouth of the Jupiter Inlet. Hundreds of years later the pioneering DuBois family built their home atop this very mound. Their home – and the shell mound that was Dickinson’s campsite – can still be seen today in DuBois Park, just across from the Jupiter Lighthouse.
Only one mile away from this historic site is a 606-acre Intracoastal property, appropriately named Jonathan’s Landing for this brave 17th century colonist.
The master plan for Jonathan’s Landing is worthy of this dramatic setting. Sixty acres of freshwater lagoons and 60 acres of navigable saltwater channels wind through the community. Indeed, the award-winning water management system at JL is considered a model for other waterfront communities.
The islands formed by these water passages have developed into a series of residential neighborhoods, while the lush natural foliage along the saltwater channels remains intact. Acres of open spaces and extensive native and tropical landscaping create an environment that is both appealing and sensitive – home to herons, egrets, pelicans and other birds in abundance.
Winding among the homes and islands of Jonathan’s Landing is the challenging Fazio designed 18-hole golf course. The centrally located private golf club features Old Florida architecture, Florida traditional dining rooms and lounges, along with a pro shop. The Club’s tennis center offers ten Har- Tru® tournament-quality tennis courts. For the community’s fishermen, boaters and yacht owners, there’s a full service marina with wet and dry storage, Ship’s Store, Marina Club and restaurant, and fresh and saltwater fishing.
Two more golf courses – a second Tom Fazio golf course set among stands of cypress, palms and pine, and one designed by Arthur Hills, are located about 12 miles west at Old Trail. These courses offer a “natural preserve” environment for members to enjoy.
Each residential area in Jonathan’s Landing is a private enclave, with no through traffic within the neighborhood. The community includes a total of 27 such villages, most offering recreational areas with pools and decks, while others feature private pools and deep-water docks.
Today, over 300 years after Jonathan Dickinson’s ordeal, residents of Jonathan’s Landing enjoy a casually sophisticated golf and water-oriented lifestyle, where security and maintenance tasks are accomplished by a skilled and dedicated professional staff.
