082. Fort East Martello
Historic Marker Number 82 is located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard next to the Key West International Airport.When John Simonton purchased the island of Key West in 1822, many people believed that Key West would be the ‘Gibraltar of America’, protecting America’s shipping lanes and coasts from foreign danger because of its strategic location. Understanding the need to protect the nation’s financial and military investments, the U.S. government commissioned the construction of a series of fortifications in and around Key West in 1845 in order to guard the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico.The first of these island-based fortifications was Fort Zachary Taylor, located on the western end of the island, whose construction took twenty-one years. To protect the fort from ground assaults construction began on two twin martello forts in 1862. During the Civil War, the Union used the forts as a stronghold and rallying point for the blockade of Confederate supply lines.The architectural design of this fort is based on the Martello Tower, a Genoese defense system originally from the island of Corsica dating from the sixteenth century. The masonry structures are round at the base and three to four stories tall. The walls were eight feet thick and built to support heavy gunnery on the flat roof of the fort. Cannons could swivel 360° to fire on threats from any direction.The reasons that the citadel or central fortification of both forts is not round as in traditional martellos reflect the time and circumstances during which the two forts were built. The country was on the verge of a Civil War and the forts were part of a vital ring of defensive structures.Square buildings are significantly easier to build and generally more cost efficient. The remote location of the structure, on the shoreline surrounded by salt ponds, called for additional fortification. Both the East and West Martello Towers were designed with casement walls as a first line of defense. If the forts were attached by land the brick casements could be used to repel any land-based threat with the knowledge that defenders could always fall back to the security of the citadel tower if they were overrun.In their storied history, neither of the Martello Forts needed to fire a shot or had a casualty caused by war. However, Fort East Martello suffered from a number of problems from the onset. Outbreaks of yellow fever delayed work alongside tension between the slaves, free blacks, factions of the pro-Confederate population and the U.S. Army.Further setbacks hindered progress, the most significant of which was a devastating hurricane in October 1865 that destroyed components at both forts and threw the remaining construction plans into limbo. A little over a year later, construction on both forts halted, leaving both in an unfinished state.The fort remained empty for decades but was put to military use during the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.Fort East Martello has operated as a museum since 1951 and focuses on Key West’s 200-year history.
054. Fort West Martello
Historic Marker Number 54 is located at 1100 Atlantic Boulevard on Higgs Beach.Fort West Martello is one of three Civil War-era forts in Key West. The shape and design of Martello forts date back to the Napoleonic Wars. These types of forts were considered nearly impregnable.The forts, a marvel of military engineering, were designed to withstand any amount of bombardment. The structures consist of a round tower that stood two to three stories tall with cannons mounted on a flat roof. The cannons could be swiveled 180 degrees to engage a hostile threat from any side of the fortification. The rounded walls were an average of eight feet thick and were ideal to deflect cannon fire. Over time, the advent of rifled cannon fire eventually made all masonry fortifications obsolete.Martello forts were commonly built along vast expanses of shorelines where large fortifications were not feasible. To understand this particular fort’s location and strategic importance, you must view Key West as it was in the 1840s. At that time, the majority of the buildings were centered around the deep-water port in what is now our historic district. West Martello, situated at the edge of an expansive salt pond, was far enough from the historic district that it was considered to be in the ‘country’ by Key West’s citizens.Due to its remote location, an inner courtyard surrounded by a thick casement wall was built for added protection. The military reasoned that since West Martello was so far from both Fort Taylor and the East Martello, soldiers would need extra protection to withstand an invasion at the casement wall fortifications and, if need be, retreat to the central citadel until reinforcements arrived.Construction on West Martello began in 1862 but the fort was never finished. It is believed that during the 1890s, much of this unique fortification was removed and used as fill during the reconfiguration of Fort Taylor from its three-story Civil War height to its current one story.West Martello was abandoned after 1866. However, on three separate instances, it was called back into service. The first was briefly before the Spanish-American War. In an effort to modernize defensives on the island and in recognition of the strategic importance of the fort, a battery of two guns was installed on the ocean tower casements. A second occurrence was during World War II when an anti-aircraft battery was located within the fort walls. Most recently, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the U.S. Army strung the beaches in front of the fort with rolls of barbed wire, portable missile launchers and searchlights.Today the remains of the fort are home to the Key West Garden Club. Under their guidance, the military might of years past has given way to a wide variety of community events, educational activities and the occasional wedding. The Garden Club has preserved historic pathways that wind through graceful arched courtyards adorned in lush, colorful foliage. Spectacular strangler fig tree roots envelope historic brick fortifications surrounded by unique, subtropical gardens filled with a wide array of plants not seen in other parts of the country.
009. Key West Fire Station
Historic Marker Number 9 is located at 1026 Grinnell Street on the corner of Virginia Street.Key West Fire Station #3 was built in 1907 and is one of the oldest fire stations in the state of Florida. When the station opened, the Key West Fire Department had twelve paid firemen and 200 volunteers with horse drawn steamers and hose carriages. Each station had its own outfit name – this station housed Sunnysouth Engine Company and Tiger Hose Company No. 3.The station has endured several hurricanes, the worst being the storm of 1909 that hit Key West with winds in excess of 100mph. During the storm, Chief Hyam Fulford ordered his men to take the steam engine outside in the backyard. Shortly after the order was given, the roof was heavily damaged but the building endured.Notice the concrete block construction. The rough-hewn blocks, known locally as ‘Indian blocks’, are solid concrete. They were a popular building material in the late 1800s and were thought to make a structure fireproof.Fires were fought with horse drawn steamers and hose carriages until 1914 when the Key West Fire Department received its first two American La France motorized fire engines. The first engine went to Station No. 1 and the second to Station No. 3.During the Great Depression in the 1930s, Key West was in a state of bankruptcy and the City had no money to pay its employees – the firemen were paid in script instead of money. The script (like coupons) was used to purchase food, clothing and necessities. Unfortunately for the fire fighters, merchants would only redeem the script for one half of its face value. Many of the island’s firefighters went on strike, all except the firemen of Station No. 3.By the late 1940s, several changes were made in the building including the addition of interior stairs. A cement hose trough and wooden hose racks were also built behind the station. In addition, all of the horse drawn steam engines and horse stalls behind the station were removed to make room for a new kitchen and bathroom. The sash windows were replaced with jalousie windows and the original red brick engine room floor was covered with a concrete slab.Fire Station No. 3 became the Key West Firehouse Museum with the mission of preserving the history of fire fighting in the Florida Keys in 2010 and is open to the public.
017. Gato Cigar Factory
Historic Marker Number 17 is located at 1100 Simonton Street at the corner of Simonton and Amelia streets.This is the second Gato Cigar Factory located on this site. The first factory was a three-story wooden building constructed in 1871. The first floor of the factory was used for receiving tobacco and distributing cigars. The second story consisted of rows and rows of benches and rolling tables where workers produced a wide range of cigars. In front of the workers was a raised lectern for a reader, who was paid by the factory workers to read books, poetry and daily newspapers. On the third floor, the tobacco was both stored and sorted and the best grade of tobacco leaves was chosen for the outer layer of the cigars.In 1915, the original building was destroyed by fire. Construction of a new fireproof factory was started in 1916 and completed in 1920. During the construction of the new factory, Eduardo Hidalgo Gato temporarily moved his operations to several buildings on the island that had been vacated by the cigar companies that had relocated to Tampa.When Gato opened his new factory in Key West, he did everything he could to insure that he had the best cigar artisans working under his roof. To better the lives of his workers, he built a city of 40-cigarmaker cottages around his factory, introduced the first street car system, created a hospital and supported a baseball league.The average day of factory workers was very structured. Sorters would arrange the Cuban tobacco leaves into twenty shades of brown. The most expensive leaves were used for the wrapper. The rollers knew exactly how many tobacco leaves to roll into cigars each day. All the rollers had their own rolling tables and were paid by the number of cigars they crafted each day. A good roller could produce an average of 300 cigars a day.The factory itself was illuminated only by natural sunlight. Cigar factories were typically built on a North/South axis so the windows faced East/West, thus maximizing the hours of sunlight.In 1894, the Gato Cigar Factory employed 500 workers and produced 70,000 cigars every single day. In December 1899, the factory output reached 400,000 cigars a week. From 1895 to 1900, Key West averaged $2,300,000 a year in cigar exports.
091. Tennessee Williams Museum
Historic Marker Number 91 is located at 513 Truman Avenue between Duval and Simonton streets.This 1884 bungalow is a part of the architectural history of Key West. It was built at the edge of Key West's Historic District on a street that was then known as Division Street. The street was so named because it was the demarcation line between the developed and relatively pristine portions of the island. By the 1900s, Key West's building growth crossed Division Street and began to encroach on the salt ponds to the southeast. In little a more than 100 years, this private residence at the edge of town found itself in the center of Key West's thriving historic district.During that period, a residential building located at 1431 Duncan Street, on the salt pond side of Division Street, came to prominence as the home of Tennessee Williams. Williams began vacationing in Key West in 1941 and often stayed at the historic La Concha Hotel on Duval Street. It is believed that he wrote the final draft of A Street Car Named Desire while lodging there in 1947.Williams established residence on the island in 1949 when he purchased the house on Duncan Street which served his home until his death in 1983. It is now privately owned and not open to the public. During Williams’s time in Key West, Division Street was renamed Truman Avenue to honor President Harry S Truman's stays in the Little White House (see Historic Marker #59).In the 1940s, Key West became a hub and gathering place for Avant Gardé artists, writers, entertainment icons and intellectuals. Their works and influence became the backbone of the literary movement that resulted in Key West and the Florida Keys being recognized as the cultural and historical location it is today. During his time on the island, he won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama for his plays A Street Car Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.Williams lived and worked in Key West for thirty-four years. He had a vibrant personality and was not only a valued friend to many of the distinguished luminaries of his day but also a friend to the Key West community. He oversaw the filming of his screenplay, The Rose Tattoo, in Key West in the early 1950s. The film’s Key West premiere was held at the San Carlos Institute (see Historic Marker #63). The now famous film was based on his Broadway play of the same name that won a Tony for Best Play in 1951. These accomplishments helped to establish Williams as a famous playwright and Key West as a literary and cultural destination for visitors from all over the world.The Tennessee Williams Museum is run by a not-for-profit organization established in 2013 with the goal to keep the literary legacy of this great writer and his life in Key West alive and available to the public. To this end, the museum showcases historic archival materials directly related to the writings and artistic creations that won Tennessee Williams praise as a writer. It now has the equal responsibility of providing a home for the legacy of the famous playwright and resident of Key West -- Tennessee Williams.
060. Thompson Fish House
Historic Marker Number 60 is located at the end of Margaret Street on Thompson’s pier in the Historic Seaport.The Thompson Fish House was part of Norberg Thompson’s sprawling enterprises in and around the Historic Seaport. He built the wooden structure at the end of the pier in conjunction with the Turtle Kraal pens and turtle canning building in the vicinity. The structure has had many uses over the years. It started out as a waterside packing location for fresh fish and turtles from the local fleets. The sea fare was packed in ice from an icehouse (see Historic Marker #80) and transferred to trains to ship to mainland Florida, Cuba and beyond. Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway terminal (see Historic Marker #75) was a short distance by water or land from the fish house.For a time, there was a submerged wooden cage suspended beneath the building used to house exotic fish and maritime specimens caught by local fishermen. Selling the specimens to aquarium and maritime research ships proved a lucrative side business.From 1928 to 1930, Ernest Hemingway resided at the Trev-Mor Hotel (see Historic Marker #6) and often disembarked from this pier for many of the fishing excursions that fueled his love of the sea and the stories and lore of the local fishermen he met.During the golden days of shrimping in the 1950s, the pier was the epicenter of that industry. The burgeoning success of the shrimp industry brought entrepreneurs from all over the country along with a cast of colorful characters.
067. Key West Lighthouse
Historic Marker Number 67 is located at 938 Whitehead Street on the corner of Truman Avenue.The U.S. Navy has had a presence in Key West since 1823 when it established Naval Station Key West. Almost immediately after the base was established, it became evident that a lighthouse was necessary to assure the safe arrival of both military and commercial vessels navigating the shallow, coral reef-laden waters off the Florida Keys. Sailing ships and coral reefs have never mixed well. From the 1840s to the 1860s, an average of one ship per week was wrecked on the reefs surrounding the island.In 1825, the first lighthouse, a 65-foot tall structure, was built at the shoreline of the island. This location proved fatal. During the Havana Hurricane of 1846, high winds and tidal surge destroyed a majority of the buildings on the island. The lighthouse was washed out to sea along with fourteen individuals who had taken refuge in the tower during the storm.Following the devastation, even though dangers to shipping and transportation remained, the U.S Congress allocated funds to replace the lighthouse. The current lighthouse, which was completed in 1848, stands closer to town on ground that is 14 feet above sea level. When the first lighthouse keeper, Michael Mabrity passed away before the 1846 hurricane, his wife Barbara took his place. A female keeper was nearly unheard of during the nineteenth century. To her credit, she served for thirty-two years at both Key West lighthouses.It was evident that the tower was not tall enough to serve ships out at sea, so, over time, Congress appropriated additional funding that allowed the tower and the property to undergo a number of upgrades including the installation of a Third Order Fresnel Lens in 1858. As the town expanded and trees reached maturity, the light became obscured. In 1894, an additional twenty feet was added to the tower extending the height and range of the beacon. The lighthouse currently stands at 100 feet tall. Final upgrades included the addition of the Keeper’s Quarters and eventually the electrification of the light.In 1969, the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Lighthouse with the advent of advanced technology eliminating the need for a full-time lighthouse keeper.Today, this sentinel of the sea stands as a museum dedicated to Key West’s maritime heritage and to the men and women who bravely kept the light burning through the threats of war and inclement weather.
026. USCGC Ingham Museum
Historic Marker Number 26 is located at Truman Waterfront.The 327-foot U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham was commissioned in 1936 and served for 52 years until it was retired in 1988.During World War II she served on convoy duty in the North Atlantic and has been credited with the sinking of German U-boat 626. She later served in the Mediterranean and served as the flagship for many landings in the Pacific Theater. Also, during World War II, the Ingham carried a crew of over 200 enlisted men and eighteen officers. She was a formidable mini destroyer. Her weapons included 5-inch 38-caliber guns, depth charge racks, 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, 20 millimeter and 50-caliber guns, and K-guns. She served as the Command Ship in MacArthur's Maravelles, Corregidor, and Manila campaigns.The Ingham continued to serve during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam and was awarded two Presidential Citations for her Vietnam service – a rare accomplishment. She is the most decorated ship in the Coast Guard and exhibits the ribbons and battle stars on her bridge.In the 1980s, the Ingham was involved on drug interdiction patrols in the Caribbean. She also participated in the Mariel Boat Lift saving the lives of hundreds of Cuban refugees.The Ingham has been declared a National Historic Landmark by the United States Government and is a national memorial to all Coast Guard men and women who lost their lives in battle from World War II through Vietnam. This museum is operated by veterans as a non-profit organization and appreciates your support.
059. Truman Little White House
Historic Marker Number 59 is located at 111 Front Street in Truman Annex.Built in 1890 on the waterfront as a two-family dwelling for the base commandant and paymaster, this building was known as Quarters A and B. It was converted into a single-family residence in 1911. It had a few famous early visitors including sitting President William Howard Taft who visited in 1912 and the inventor Thomas Edison who stayed for six months during World War I. However, it was President Harry S. Truman’s visits the spurred the moniker ‘Little White House’.During his administration from 1946-1953, President Truman spent eleven working vacations (a total of 175 days) at the Little White House. A number of significant discussions occurred here including the merging of the Department of War and Department of the Navy to create the Department of Defense; the Marshal Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II; the development of the Truman Doctrine that sought to reduce the spread of communism; and the recognition of the State of Israel. While here, he wrote his fourth Civil Rights Executive order requiring federal contractors to hire minorities and drafted a letter that called for a cease-fire in Korea.President Truman made five post-Presidential visits to Key West between 1957 and 1969, each time visiting the Little White House, but staying in a private residence in town.Other U.S. Presidents have visited the Little White House after Truman. President Dwight D. Eisenhower utilized the house for meetings in 1955 while recovering from a heart attack. President John F. Kennedy used the site for a summit meeting with British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in March 1961, while former President Jimmy Carter visited with his family in 1996. Former President Bill Clinton used the house as a weekend retreat in 2005. In total seven presidents have used the Little White House for personal relaxation and as a presidential retreat.The house and grounds are a museum and are open to the public daily.
071. Custom House
Historic Marker Number 71 is located at 281 Front Street across from the Civil War memorial at Clinton Square.This large red brick building was constructed as the U.S. Custom House, but customs operations only formed part of what transpired inside its walls.Key West, along with Florida, became a United States territory in 1821. In January 1822, Alabama businessman John Simonton purchased the island for $2,000 because of its strategic location on the Florida Straits. Geographically, Key West is situated 128 miles southwest of mainland Florida and ninety miles north of Cuba. Its close proximity to trade routes connecting major ports in the United States, the Caribbean and the Americas made Key West an ideal destination for business entrepreneurs such as Simonton, as well as the U.S. military.Major industries ranging from salvaging, importing, exporting, fishing, sponging, sea salt and eventually cigar manufacturing formed the backbone of Key West’s nineteenth century economy. As a result, Key West’s population grew quickly. By 1890, Key West was the largest city in Florida with a population of 18,000 compared to Miami with less than 500. It was also considered to be the wealthiest city per capita in the United States.Key West’s expanding trade operations required a stronger Federal presence on the island. By 1828, Key West had been designated a U.S. Port of Entry, leading to the Federal Government establishing the Superior Court of the Southern Judicial District of the Territory of Florida in Key West.In 1833, the government purchased land near the harbor and erected a small wooden structure to house its customs operations. So lucrative were the customs operations, that by 1882 the annual revenue generated in Key West alone was greater than the amount of revenue received from all other Florida ports combined.Recognizing the importance of Key West’s growing economy, the U.S. Treasury authorized construction of a larger building in 1885 to accommodate its customs operations. This building’s Richardsonian Romanesque architecture is styled after federal buildings that were all the rage at the turn of the nineteenth century. The structure housed the customs offices, district court and post office.By the 1930s, customs diminished, and the court and post office moved to other locations. The Navy took possession of the building for the next decade and eventually abandoned the building as military need for it declined. The building stood vacant for the next twenty years until the state recognized its historical and architectural importance. In 1991 it was sold to the Florida Land Acquisition Advisory Council.In 1993 the Key West Art & Historical Society undertook an extensive $9 million restoration of the dilapidated building returning it to its original state. It now operates as the Key West Museum of Art & History.
066. Curry Mansion
Historic Marker Number 66 is located at 511 Caroline Street between Eaton and Greene streets.The site was originally where William Curry, Florida’s first millionaire, built his home in 1855. He lived here for nearly forty years. His son Milton, a partner in the William Curry & Sons Company, demolished all but the stone kitchen in 1905 and constructed the grand Victorian style mansion that stands on the property today.Local lore has it that in the kitchen, back when it was part of William Curry’s original house, a cook nicknamed ‘Aunt Sally’ baked the first official Key Lime Pie in the woodburning stove. This event would make the Curry Mansion the birthplace of the now world-famous Key Lime Pie.The Curry Mansion is a beautiful structure. Woodwork carved from Birdseye maple is featured throughout the 22-room mansion. The building is constructed of Dade County Pine, a wood that is both handsome and durable. Dade County Pine is stronger and more resistant to termites than other woods shipped in from around the world. This is one of the reasons the mansion has remained in pristine condition over its 115 years.It is rumored that William Curry gave each of his children $5,000 towards their new homes. It was either a handsome down payment or a clever way to entice his children to move out and find a house of their own. In a friendly rivalry, each of his children went to great lengths and expense to outdo one another.Milton Curry was one of the seven Curry offspring who built extravagant homes in Key West. The other seven homes are the Woman’s Club (see Historic Marker #2), the Southernmost Mansion (see Historic Marker #8), Fogarty’s Restaurant (see Historic Marker #18), the Hard Rock Cafe (313 Duval), and 612 Eaton Street (private residence).
003. Oldest House
Historic Marker Number 3 is located at 322 Duval Street between Caroline and Eaton streets.The oldest house in southern Florida was originally located a block or two away on Whitehead Street. The Oldest House has weathered hurricanes, fires, and Key West’s harsh marine environment. Its resiliency is largely due to the skill of Captain Richard Cussans, a ship’s carpenter who built the house. His mortise and tenon joinery, horizontal wallboards and ventilation hatches or ‘scuttles’ have enabled the house to withstand the tests of time.The expansion of the city from its deep-water port beginnings was slowed by the existence of a natural saltwater pond that ran from Whitehead Street through the Old City Hall site to the seaport. By 1829, a large portion of the lake had been filled and the structure was moved to its current location.The house was enlarged to four rooms with a center hall to accommodate its next residents, Captain Francis Watlington, his wife Emeline and their nine daughters. Captain Watlington held a number of maritime positions in his career including pilot, port warden, wrecker, coastal pilot for the U.S. Navy during the Second Seminole War and the Inspector of Customs. One of his duties for the Customs Office was to oversee the lightships, vessels that were used as floating lighthouses at dangerous coastal and reef locations.Captain Watlington served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1858 to 1861 only to resign his office at the outbreak of the Civil War. He joined the Confederate Navy in Mobile, Alabama and served as the captain of the gunboat Gaines of the Naval Squadron.With the Union victory in Mobile, Captain Watlington surrendered in May 1865 and was paroled shortly after. He returned to Key West and his family and descendants lived in the house until the early 1970s.
078. Turtle Kraals & Cannery
Historic Marker Number 78 is located at 200 Margaret Street on the Thompson Pier.As long as humans have inhabited the Florida Keys, turtles have been a valuable and much sought after food source. Some of the earliest recorded history referencing the turtle population in the Florida Keys came from Ponce de Leon’s exploration of Florida in 1513. His travels took him through what we now call the Dry Tortugas. His three small ships captured 160 green turtles to fortify their food rations for the unknown voyage ahead of them. He termed the area ‘Las Tortugas’ which is Spanish for ‘the turtles’.The earliest maps of Key West show Turtle Kraals along its shores. Kraals consist of shallow water enclosures with wood poles driven into the bay bottom at intervals close enough to keep the turtles in and yet far enough apart to allow water to flow freely through the enclosure. In this case, you can see the remnants of concrete pillars, built in the 1920s, that were used to keep captured turtles at bay.‘Kraals’ take their name from the Dutch African word ‘corral’. The kraals were a convenient way to store captured turtles in the water until they were needed for meat, eggs, soup or destined for further transport.This small wooden turtle processing and canning building located next to the pier between the remains of two kraals had easy access to the pier, turtle trawlers and the Oversea Railway. It was here that, when needed, turtles could be hoisted from the kraals and processed, canned or packed for market.The greenish colored fat processed from the turtles was a prized ingredient in the preparation of turtle soup. The cannery produced cans of soup cherished in restaurants throughout the country and Europe. Soup canning ran from 1912 until 1957 when it was eventually discontinued and operations were moved to New York.Over the years the turtle population plummeted in the Keys and South America due to overfishing. Thanks to size limits and the Endangered Species Act passed in 1971, the turtle population has begun to recover. The turtle kraals and soup cannery building ceased operations in 1971.On June 23, 1994, this historic cannery was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The building is currently a turtle museum operated by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum (see Historic Marker #64).
