 On September 15, 2004, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.On the side welcoming southbound travelers to Stuart is the phrase, "Atlantic Gateway to the Gulf of Mexico", which commemorates the 1923 opening of the cross-state Stuart to Ft. Myers canal.Local residents would soon lament the degradation of clean waters and sport fishing in the St. Lucie River, after completion of the canal.