LOFTHUS SHIPWRECK NAMED PALM BEACH COUNTY’S
FIRST UNDERWATER ARCHAELOGICAL PRESERVE
MANALAPAN, Fla. (January 28, 2004)--- The
wreckage of Lofthus, a 223-foot Norwegian shipping
vessel that sank off the coast of Boynton Beach in 1898,
will be officially designated as Palm Beach County’s
first underwater archaeological preserve during a ceremony
at Boynton Beach Intracoastal Park on Saturday, Feb. 7 at
2:00 p.m. The designation makes the shipwreck state property,
protecting it from destruction and salvage. The ship’s
deck beams, mast, bow and hull have created a marine sanctuary
for a variety of tropical fish, stingrays, anemones and
spiny lobsters, and is considered a significant local dive
spot.
During the ceremony, Jennifer McKinnon from
Florida’s Division of Historical Resources, Bureau
of Underwater Archaeology in Tallahassee, will present the
state’s official bronze dedication plaque, which will
later be mounted onto a two-ton concrete monument and placed
underwater at the site of the wreck. Boynton Beach mayor,
Jerry Taylor, and a representative from the Town of Manalapan
will also describe the importance of the site’s designation
in terms of economic development and historical preservation.
A highlight of the ceremony will be a brief history of the
Lofthus provided by Historical Society of Palm
Beach County president, Harvey Oyer, whose great-great-
grandparents were among the first to board the grounded
ship and help salvage its cargo before it sank. An eight-foot
underwater schematic of the dive site will also be unveiled,
and Lofthus pamphlets with the ship’s history
and dive information will be given to the public.
The Lofthus was built and launched
in England in 1868 and was first used in the East Indian
trade. It was later purchased by a Norwegian for use in
transferring lumber throughout the Americas, before eventually
being blown off course by a storm and wrecking off the coast
of Boynton Beach. The wreckage now rests in 15-20 feet of
water.
The Lofthus shipwreck is the state’s
eighth underwater archeological preserve. The other sites
are Half Moon near Miami; Urca de Lima
off the coast of Fort Pierce; San Pedro in the
Florida Keys; City of Hawkinsville on the banks
of the Suwannee River; USS Massachusetts off the
coast of Pensacola; SS Copenhagen near Pompano
Beach; and SS Tarpon off the coast of Panama City.
The Friends of Lofthus group, formed
by local community residents, historical organizations and
civic leaders, spearheaded the local effort to designate
the site as an underwater archaeological preserve, in hopes
of preserving an important part of South Florida’s
history. The designation is a joint project of the Department
of State; the Historical Society of Palm Beach County; the
Boynton Beach Historical Society; the City of Boynton Beach;
the Town of Manalapan and the Marine Archaeological Research
& Conservation Reporting team.
For more information about the Friends of
Lofthus, contact Lou Frazer, (561) 274-3211.
For more information about the Florida Department
of State Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Archeological
Research, contact (850) 245-6444.
