Jensen Beach, Florida
Encyclopedia
Jensen Beach is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Martin County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
, the CDP has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) is water.
Ocean Breeze Park
is an incorporated town located within unincorporated Jensen Beach.
Waveland
was the original name for the area from Crossroads Hill (south of N.E. Center Street) south to the tip of Sewall's Point
and west to Warner Creek.
"Jensen" originally meant the area immediately adjacent to today's Downtown Jensen Beach.
Jensen Beach is a sweet place to kick back and just lax. It was rated the "Top Spot for Beach Volleyball" in 2008 by the "Prime Time Magazine" is a part of the Treasure Coast
which derives its name from the ships that wrecked during the 17th century because of coral reefs in the shallow waters. Artifacts and treasures from these ships of Spanish origin can still be discovered today.
Dennis Jefferson is currently the mayor of Jensen Beach
The Skyline Drive area is among the highest points in south Florida.
of 2000, there were 11,100 people, 5,059 households, and 3,025 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1531.8 /sqmi. There were 5,805 housing units at an average density of 801.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.80% White, 2.25% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.77% of the population.
There were 5,059 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78.
20.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,674, and the median income for a family was $49,787. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $25,118 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $22,921. 8.3% of the population and 5.0% of families were below the poverty line. 8.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
. Martin County
life guards are in attendance. The beach is used for sun bathing, surfing, and swimming.
Designated sections of the Jensen Sea Turtle Beach are barricaded off in order to protect the nests of the sea turtles. The three species found on this beach are the loggerhead
, leatherback turtle and green sea turtle
. Loggerhead nests are the most common type found on this and adjacent beaches. Locations of the sea turtle’s nests are marked with the approximate date in which the eggs were laid and the expected date in which the eggs will hatch. These notifications are meant to discourage tourists and residents from visiting the beach in the evening hours during these time periods. Efforts are made to protect both species of sea turtles since nests have been declining in recent years due to the severe erosion of the beach.
By 1894, the Florida East Coast Railway
reached Jensen Beach, and freight shipments were loaded directly onto the freight cars.
By 1895, Jensen was called the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” shipping over one million boxes of pineapples each year during the June and July season. To help deal with the increased Pineapple production, a Pineapple Factory was built.
A hard freeze in 1895 devastated most of the small pineapple plantations. Also, two fires, 1908 and 1910, destroyed most of Jensen Beach and its remaining Pineapple farms. The industry finally collapsed in 1920 due to a wide variety of financial and agriculture problems. Growers decided to turn their efforts in another direction: raising citrus. The pineapple has become a symbol of Jensen Beach. The fruit legacy is celebrated annually during the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival.
In 2004 Jensen Beach was hit by two hurricanes. On September 5, 2004, Hurricane Frances
made landfall at Hutchinson Island with winds of 105 mph. On September 25, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne
made landfall on Hutchinson Island with winds of 120 mph.
.
.The 2006 Florida Teacher of the Year, Connie Dahn, teaches there.
since July 1989.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Martin County
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) is water.
Ocean Breeze Park
Ocean Breeze Park, Florida
Ocean Breeze Park is a town on the Indian River in Martin County, Florida, United States. It and Briny Breezes in Palm Beach County are the only two towns in Florida in which all residents live in a mobile home park bearing the name of the town. The population was 463 at the 2000 census. As of...
is an incorporated town located within unincorporated Jensen Beach.
Waveland
Waveland, Florida
Waveland, Florida, was a community in what is now Martin County, Florida. which encompassed all of Sewall's Point, that part of Rio lying east of Warner Creek, and that part of Jensen Beach lying south of N.E. Center Street, more or less.A U.S...
was the original name for the area from Crossroads Hill (south of N.E. Center Street) south to the tip of Sewall's Point
Sewall's Point, Florida
Sewall's Point is a town located on the peninsula of the same name in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,946 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,053 . Both the town and the peninsula are named for Capt...
and west to Warner Creek.
"Jensen" originally meant the area immediately adjacent to today's Downtown Jensen Beach.
Jensen Beach is a sweet place to kick back and just lax. It was rated the "Top Spot for Beach Volleyball" in 2008 by the "Prime Time Magazine" is a part of the Treasure Coast
Treasure Coast
The Treasure Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida, generally considered to include Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. The area stretches from Hobe Sound in the south to north of Sebastian in the north and includes the cities of Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach...
which derives its name from the ships that wrecked during the 17th century because of coral reefs in the shallow waters. Artifacts and treasures from these ships of Spanish origin can still be discovered today.
Dennis Jefferson is currently the mayor of Jensen Beach
The Skyline Drive area is among the highest points in south Florida.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,100 people, 5,059 households, and 3,025 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1531.8 /sqmi. There were 5,805 housing units at an average density of 801.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.80% White, 2.25% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.77% of the population.
There were 5,059 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78.
20.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,674, and the median income for a family was $49,787. Males had a median income of $34,368 versus $25,118 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $22,921. 8.3% of the population and 5.0% of families were below the poverty line. 8.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Recreation
The main public beach in Jensen Beach is on Hutchinson Island and is called Jensen Sea Turtle Beach. It's a wide sandy beach on the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Martin County
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
life guards are in attendance. The beach is used for sun bathing, surfing, and swimming.
Ecology
Sections of the beach where sea turtles lay their eggs are blocked off. Jensen Beach is known in the marine biology community for being a location for sea turtles to nest.Designated sections of the Jensen Sea Turtle Beach are barricaded off in order to protect the nests of the sea turtles. The three species found on this beach are the loggerhead
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
, leatherback turtle and green sea turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
. Loggerhead nests are the most common type found on this and adjacent beaches. Locations of the sea turtle’s nests are marked with the approximate date in which the eggs were laid and the expected date in which the eggs will hatch. These notifications are meant to discourage tourists and residents from visiting the beach in the evening hours during these time periods. Efforts are made to protect both species of sea turtles since nests have been declining in recent years due to the severe erosion of the beach.
History
The history of Jensen Beach in the 19th century revolves around pineapple farming. John Laurence Jensen, an immigrant from Denmark, arrived in 1881, and set up his pineapple plantation, which became the town of Jensen.By 1894, the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
reached Jensen Beach, and freight shipments were loaded directly onto the freight cars.
By 1895, Jensen was called the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” shipping over one million boxes of pineapples each year during the June and July season. To help deal with the increased Pineapple production, a Pineapple Factory was built.
A hard freeze in 1895 devastated most of the small pineapple plantations. Also, two fires, 1908 and 1910, destroyed most of Jensen Beach and its remaining Pineapple farms. The industry finally collapsed in 1920 due to a wide variety of financial and agriculture problems. Growers decided to turn their efforts in another direction: raising citrus. The pineapple has become a symbol of Jensen Beach. The fruit legacy is celebrated annually during the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival.
In 2004 Jensen Beach was hit by two hurricanes. On September 5, 2004, Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto...
made landfall at Hutchinson Island with winds of 105 mph. On September 25, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the season, as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida...
made landfall on Hutchinson Island with winds of 120 mph.
Economics
Downtown Jensen Beach is the site of the annual Pineapple FestivalPineapple Festival
The Pineapple Festival is an annual festival in downtown historical Jensen Beach, Florida. It is held every November and is very popular on Florida's Treasure Coast. It often has various local and national bands as well as rides, games, and food stands from local restaurants...
.
Education
Jensen Beach High SchoolJensen Beach High School
-History:JBHS opened in August 2004 with an enrollment of 1100 students in grades 9-11. A senior class was added the following year. It is an "open choice" school.The building complex is spread over , which includes of mitigated wetlands....
.The 2006 Florida Teacher of the Year, Connie Dahn, teaches there.
Media
As of September 10, 2010, Jensen Beach once again has its own newspaper, the free Pineapple Post.Historic landmarks
Historic landmarks in Jensen Beach include:- All Saints Episcopal Church erected in 1898 is the oldest church building in Jensen Beach as well as in Martin County. Adjacent to the church is All Saints Cemetery which is non-sectarian and serves the whole community.
- Capt. John Miller HouseCapt. John Miller HouseThe Capt. John Miller House is an historic wooden house located at what is now 12387 South Indian River Drive, in Eden, St. Lucie County, Florida. Its mail comes from the Jensen Beach post office in nearby Martin County. Built by local pioneer Capt...
(private) on Indian River Drive in Eden, built by an early settler in the late 1890s - Jensen Beach Christian ChurchJensen Beach Christian ChurchThe Jensen Beach Christian Church, originally known as the Jensen Union Church, is an historic church building located at 1890 N.E. Church Street in Jensen Beach, Florida. Built in the Gothic Revival style between 1910 and 1912 of site manufactured concrete blocks cast to look like stones, it was...
built in 1910-1912 - The Mansion at Tuckahoe in IndianRiverside Park
- Mount Elizabeth Archeological SiteMount Elizabeth Archeological SiteThe Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site, also known as Racey's Tuckahoe, St. Joseph's Novitiate or the Mount Elizabeth Indian Mound is a prehistoric midden and an archaeological site in Jensen Beach, Florida...
in IndianRiverside Park - Stuart Welcome ArchStuart Welcome ArchThe Stuart Welcome Arch is an historic arch-shaped structure which straddles State 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...
, on State Road 707, N.E. Dixie Highway
Sister cities
Jensen Beach has been the sister city of Gregory Town in the BahamasThe Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
since July 1989.
Notable people
- Ralph EvinrudeRalph EvinrudeRalph S. Evinrude was an American business magnate best known for being the Chairman of Outboard Marine Corporation, and the husband of singer and entertainer Frances Langford....
CEO of Outboard Motor Company with a test facility in Stuart, married Frances LangfordFrances LangfordJulia Frances Langford was an American singer and entertainer who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and also made film appearances over two decades.-Birth:...
and retired to Jensen Beach. - Derek FathauerDerek FathauerDerek Fathauer is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Fathauer was born in Stuart, Florida. He attended Martin County High School in Stuart, Florida. He and his twin brother Daryl played in the Ginn sur Mer Classic in October 2007, the first twins to do so in a PGA Tour event.-Amateur...
(1986–Present), PGA Tour Professional Golfer. - Frances LangfordFrances LangfordJulia Frances Langford was an American singer and entertainer who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and also made film appearances over two decades.-Birth:...
(1913–2005), singer and entertainer - Bobby LordBobby LordRobert L. Lord , better known as Bobby Lord, was an American country music artist popular in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
(1934–2008), country singer. - Jennifer SkyJennifer SkyJennifer Sky is an American actress. She is known for her role as Sarah Webber on General Hospital .-Personal life:...
(born Jennifer Kathleen Wacha) American actress