Santa Rosa Life-Saving Station
Vicinity of pensacola, florida
Background
Constructed in 1907 by the US Life-Saving Service using a prototype plan, the Santa Rosa Life-Saving Station was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915. In the 1930s, the Coast Guard made major alterations, removing the lookout tower, reworking the interior, and replacing the majority of original interior features. Now part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the building is owned by the National Park Service and serves as law enforcement offices and the registration office for Fort Pickens Campground. It is one of few surviving examples of this station type. The park asked JKOA to assess the feasibility of restoring the station to its original appearance while accommodating contemporary uses.
Project Summary
JKOA performed an extensive investigation of the Life-Saving Station and the Coast Guard garage to identify remaining early or original features as part of a Restoration Feasibility Study. JKOA’s research, performed concurrently with the physical investigations, uncovered the original prototype plans and specifications. Despite extensive modifications, the station building retains significant evidence of the original design which, combined with a comparison study of the prototype plan, provides a credible basis for restoration of the building to its original form.