Fort Zachary Taylor (Key West, Florida)

 park, military, fortification, interesting place, 1850s construction, state park, U.S. National Historic Landmark

Fort Taylor was built starting in 1845 as part of the Third-System of coastal fortifications. It was made obsolete by rifled naval artillery before it was completed.

As of 1851, it was intended to be armed with eighty-eight 32-pounder guns, ten 24-pounder guns, three field pieces, twenty flank howitzers, forty-two 8" heavy seacoast howizters, five 10" heavy mortars, five light 10" mortars, two 16" stone mortars and ten coehorn mortars for a total of 185 guns.

Fort Taylor was one of only three forts in the South to remain under Union control throughout the war. The harbor was used to store captured Confederate blockade runners and the fort cannons ensured they would never leave.

The fort used to be out in the water, but the bay around it has been filled in.

The massive Civil War-era three-tiered brick and granite fortress was cut down to one level when the bulk of the fort was converted to be part of the Endicott-era defenses of Key West.
In a typical military move to cut down construction costs, the existing obsolete Parrott and Rodman cannons were used as fill for the new concrete batteries. This was only discovered in the 1970s when the site was turned over to the state.

As a result, Fort Taylor represents the largest repository of Civil War heavy artillery anywhere, although the bulk of it is encased in concrete and will take years of tedious work to remove and restore.

It is now a Florida State Park, They have a fairly decent beach. There is an entry fee and it is a LOOONG walk in. Many people bicycle in.

www.fortzacharytaylor.com/
Park Rangers Office: (305) 292-6713
floridastateparks.org/forttaylor/default.cfm