Renovation of the modest Cracker-style clapboard house on Jungle Trail that was the longtime home of citrus grower and fruit stand owner Richard Jones and his wife, Mary, is complete. After a ribbon cutting in late March, the historic house is now open to the public three days a week, serving both as a monument to the pioneering Jones family and as a window into the history of life on the barrier island.
Today, visitors to the Jones Pier Interpretive Center can lounge in rocking chairs on the screened front porch overlooking the pier on the Indian River Lagoon where Jones welcomed fishermen, passing boats that stopped to purchase fresh citrus, and trading vessels that brought needed supplies to early island residents.
“The completion of the Interpretive Center brings a new element to the public experience at Jones Pier Conservation Area that provides a glimpse into the history of the Jones family, as well as life along Jungle Trail,” said Beth Powell, director of Indian River County’s Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department…