Key West: Fort, Station and Town

Turn the pages to see each stop on a map from its own era. Pins mark where each marker stands, sometimes a few miles from the ground it describes.

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1. 1. FORT TAYLOR1845–1947 · Monroe County · 601 Howard England Way, Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park, Key West
2. 2. UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU1823–1950 · Monroe County · 57 Front Street, Key West
3. 3. THE TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSE1890–1956 · Monroe County · 111 Front Street, Key West
4. 4. NAVAL DEPOT AND STOREHOUSE; BUILDING ONE; U.S. COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS1833–1939 · Monroe County · 291 Front Street, Key West
5. 5. PHILIP L. COSGROVE HOUSE, 18721871–1947 · Monroe County · 321 Whitehead Street, Key West
6. 6. SOUTH FLORIDA'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY1892–1959 · Monroe County · 700 Fleming Street - Monroe County Public Library, Key West
7. 7. WALTER R. MICKENS VFW POST 6021/ WILLIAM WEECH AMERICAN LEGION POST 1691898–1952 · Monroe County · 803 Emma Street, Key West
8. 8. EDUARDO H. GATO HOUSE1847–1951 · Monroe County · 1327 Duval Street, Key West

The dashed line connects the stops in visiting order. It isn't a road route or the path anyone marched. Google Maps handles the driving, starting from wherever you are.

FORT TAYLOR

Monroe County · 601 Howard England Way, Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park, Key West

Fort Taylor was constructed in 1845 as part of the Third Tier System of Defense which called for the establishment of masonry fortresses constructed along America’s coastline to prevent Sea attacks on the United States. This fort was an important defensive structure in the United States because of its command over the waters over the Straits of Florida and of the Gulf of Mexico. When completed, the fort was three stories tall, held and 140 cannon and was home to almost 450 soldiers. Fort Taylor remained under federal control during the Civil War and was the headquarters of the US Navy East Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron. The current form of the fort is largely the result of alterations made in 1898, including the removal of the upper two tiers, filling case-mates with sand and obsolete ordinance, and construction of modern rifled artillery emplacements Battery Adair and Battery Osceola. Fort Taylor continued to defend the United States during the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. The Fort’s service to the nation ended in 1947. Fort Taylor is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Historic National Landmark.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1852 map · Key-West Harbor, approaches. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU

Monroe County · 57 Front Street, Key West

On February 9, 1870, a joint Congressional resolution authorized a national weather service. As one of the original observation stations, Key West was critical for weather forecasters. The Department of Agriculture purchased this lot in 1903 on the Key West Naval Station (1823-1974) to construct a new office for the U.S. Weather Bureau. Designed by architect Frank H. Jackson, the Classical Revival structure was completed in 1912. The building housed weather observers and rain gauges to report temperatures and storm warnings to the public. Daily marine bulletin broadcasts began in 1913. By 1921 telegraph, cable, and wireless reports provided data to the nation's meteorological services. Transferred to the Department of Commerce in 1940, the Key West Weather Bureau provided observations and hurricane warnings for the Caribbean area. By 1940 the Weather Bureau had played a key role in America’s aviation and commerce. The Navy purchased the property in 1950 for use as Quarters T, housing female personnel. After the base closed in 1974, private owners began preservation efforts. The Weather Bureau building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and restored in 1990.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1852 map · Key-West Harbor, approaches. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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THE TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSE

Monroe County · 111 Front Street, Key West

Built in 1890 as quarters for Navy officers, the Little White House later was used by American Presidents William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Truman used the facility as a vacation home and functioning White House between 1946 and 1952. National legislation was drafted and official government business was conducted daily from the site. Perhaps the most important of these actions occurred on December 5, 1951, when Truman enacted a Civil Rights Executive Order requiring federal contractors to hire minorities. The house is considered the birthplace of the U. S. Department of Defense and the U. S. Air Force as a result of the Key West Accords of 1948. President Eisenhower used the site in 1956 while recuperating from a heart attack. In 1961, the house was the venue for a summit between President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan during the Bay of Pigs incident. Kennedy returned in 1962 after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Secretary of State Colin Powell and foreign leaders held an international summit here in 2001. The Little White House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1852 map · Key-West Harbor, approaches. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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NAVAL DEPOT AND STOREHOUSE; BUILDING ONE; U.S. COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS

Monroe County · 291 Front Street, Key West

On September 13, 1833, the United States government purchased this harbor-front lot. The Naval Depot was authorized by an Act of Congress on July 21, 1852. Capt. J. M. Scarritt and Lt. J. J. Philbrick supervised the construction of this building. By 1856 the brick walls were laid in common bond pattern, and the roof was completed in 1861. During the Civil War, the Union’s West Indies Blockade Squadron was headquartered here. Distinguished by a buttressed brick pier arcade of 17 bays, the Naval Depot retains its original lookout cupola, masonry exterior, gable roof, and interior loft space. Known as Building Number One, it served as the Naval Administration Building until 1932. On December 15, 1932, the offices of the 7th Lighthouse District opened in this building. By 1939 the Lighthouse Service, as part of the U.S. Coast Guard, continued to use the Naval Depot as its Key West Station headquarters. In recognition of its significance in America’s military history through the Civil War, Spanish-American War and two world wars, the Naval Depot and Storehouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and remains Key West’s oldest brick structure.

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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PHILIP L. COSGROVE HOUSE, 1872

Monroe County · 321 Whitehead Street, Key West

Captain Philip L. Cosgrove, Sr., commanded the U. S. lighthouse tender Mangrove, the first rescue ship to aid victims of the 1898 explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor. This house, acquired by Cosgrove in 1871, incorporates remnants of federal judge James Locke’s one-story residence. In order to accommodate his growing family, Cosgrove paid $1,600 to enlarge the house to 2 1/2-stories. Remodeled in the Greek Revival style, it featured a gabled roof with jig-cut balusters and decorative scrolls at the tops of the square columns. Adaptations to the Key West climate were also incorporated, including a cistern under the floor with fish to help keep water fresh and keep out mosquitos. Cosgrove served in the Lighthouse Service until 1906, when his son, Phillip, Jr., took over his command. Three generations of the Cosgrove family occupied the house until 1947, when the house was acquired by William Gamble (1916-1976), a local jeweler and Key West city commissioner. Following Gamble’s death, the house was converted in 1978 into a resort. The Cosgrove House reflects Key West’s unique Conch architectural style, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Key West Historic District.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1852 map · Key-West Harbor, approaches. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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SOUTH FLORIDA'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY

Monroe County · 700 Fleming Street - Monroe County Public Library, Key West

On April 8, 1892, a group of citizens organized the Key West Library Association. The first public library was open in the old Masonic Temple September 15, 1892. After 1896, the operation was assumed by other civic groups, including the Key West Woman's Club, which for 44 years provided library service. Through the group's efforts, funds were raised to build the Monroe County Public Library which opened in November, 1959.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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WALTER R. MICKENS VFW POST 6021/ WILLIAM WEECH AMERICAN LEGION POST 169

Monroe County · 803 Emma Street, Key West

Following World War II, returning African American veterans faced segregation and were forced to establish their own veterans’ association posts. African American members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars in Key West united to build one post for both groups. Former Key West Mayor C.B. Harvey donated the plans and other members of the community contributed funds and materials. Post members worked on the construction in their free time. Completed in 1952, the building was named in honor of Key West veterans Water R. Mickens, killed in World War II, and William Weech, killed in the 1898 explosion of the U.S.S. Maine. In addition to serving Key West's military personnel, the post functioned as a community center. It hosted meetings, fundraisers, dances, and served as a storm and fire shelter. The post was part of the “Chitlin Circuit,” a network of venues across the United States that welcomed black entertainers. Performers such as Ruth Brown, Dinah Washington, B.B. King, James Brown, and Otis Redding played here. In 1963, the first meetings to discuss the integration of Monroe County public schools were held in the building. The post was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

1852 map · Key-West Harbor, approaches. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Full marker page →

EDUARDO H. GATO HOUSE

Monroe County · 1327 Duval Street, Key West

This house, with its elaborate Queen Anne style detailing, was built c. 1894 by E.H. Gato, Sr. (1847-1926). The Gato family was one of Key West’s most prominent families, and three generations of the family lived here until 1951. Eduardo H. Gato was a Cuban patriot who helped finance Cuba’s revolutionary leaders including Jose Marti, who fought for freedom from Spain. Gato came to Key West in 1874. He was instrumental in Key West’s evolution from a small fishing town to one of Florida’s wealthiest cities through his development of the Cuban tobacco industry. He built Key West’s foremost cigar factory, where millions of cigars, using tobacco imported from Cuba, were hand rolled and boxed for shipment worldwide. In 1917, he built the first fireproof cigar factory on Simonton Street and constructed a nearby “city” of frame cigar workers’ cottages, the Barrio de Gato, or Gatoville. Gato was president of the E.H. Gato Cigar Co.; vice-president of the Key West Bank; and proprietor of the Key West Street Car, a horse-drawn system. Eduardo H. Gato Jr. (1874-1948) served as vice-president of the E.H. Gato Cigar Company and oversaw the extensive Gato real estate holdings.

1943 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection · Sheet chosen by TreeAlive

1921 map · Key West, Florida · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

Full marker page →

Key West: Fort, Station and Town

8 stops across Florida, in trail order.

Google Maps does the driving, starting from wherever you are. We don't estimate distance or time on the road.

1. 1FORT TAYLORMonroe County · 601 Howard England Way, Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park, Key West
2. 2UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAUMonroe County · 57 Front Street, Key West
3. 3THE TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSEMonroe County · 111 Front Street, Key West
4. 4NAVAL DEPOT AND STOREHOUSE; BUILDING ONE; U.S. COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERSMonroe County · 291 Front Street, Key West
5. 5PHILIP L. COSGROVE HOUSE, 1872Monroe County · 321 Whitehead Street, Key West
6. 6SOUTH FLORIDA'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARYMonroe County · 700 Fleming Street - Monroe County Public Library, Key West
7. 7WALTER R. MICKENS VFW POST 6021/ WILLIAM WEECH AMERICAN LEGION POST 169Monroe County · 803 Emma Street, Key West
8. 8EDUARDO H. GATO HOUSEMonroe County · 1327 Duval Street, Key West