Crowder, Hailie

For much of the 20th century, mariners in the United States were able to utilize the radio beacon system to aid in navigation; however, in spite of its importance in U.S. nautical history, there has been very little historical or archaeological research published about the system. The Jupiter Inlet Light Station Radio Beacon Building, located at what is today known as the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (JILONA), was part of this coastal network of radio beacons. This thesis involves the methodologies of historical research and terrestrial laser scanning and serves several purposes: to provide JILONA with information about and a digital point cloud of the radio beacon building for future use in a planned museum onsite, to create a much-needed historical narrative of the U.S. radio beacon system, and to aid the Florida Atlantic University Department of Anthropology in future terrestrial laser scanner and modeling efforts. Because the project was undertaken at the request of JILONA, this thesis is to be considered a work of public archaeology.