Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fort Taylor
Through the Ages: 1861 - 1947
Photographed by Pete Payette, May 8, 2024
1. Fort Taylor Marker
Quick Facts
Longest serving U.S. coastal fortification (1861-1947)1898 to 1901
Originally sited 1,100 feet off the island of Key West to protect its harbor
Held by the Union Army for the duration of the American Civil War
Never fired upon
Only surviving Civil War-era desalination plant
Provided largest treasure of Civil War-era guns and munitions1914 to 1945
Continued to serve in World Wars I and II1947
Acquired by the U.S. Navy from the U.S. Army1962
Served as a radar installation during Cuban Missile Crisis1971
Designated as a National Historic Site1973
Designated as a National Landmark1976
Acquired by the State of Florida from the U.S. Navy1985
Opened as a Historic State Park
Modernization
In 1898, the walls of the Fort were lowered and Battery Osceola was added. Civil War cannons can be seen embedded in the concrete on the second level.
Casemates
Gun rooms include excavated cannons, cisterns and tidal-flush latrines.
Barrack
Built
this page online
Erected by Florida State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, Cold • War, World I • War, World II.
Location. 24° 32.85′ N, 81° 48.577′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It can be reached from the intersection of Angela Street and Quay Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: To Guard the Harbor (a few steps from this marker); Like the Rock of Gibraltar (within shouting distance of this marker); Hidden Treasure (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Osceola (within shouting distance of this marker); Sally Port (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Zachary Taylor (within shouting distance of this marker); Life in the Barrack (within shouting distance of this marker); Zachary Taylor (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.
Also see . . .
1. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. Florida State Parks (Submitted on February 1, 2024.)
2. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Photographed by James Hulse, January 13, 2026
2. Fort Taylor Marker
The view of the marker at the entrance to the fort.
Photographed by James Hulse, January 13, 2026
3. Fort Taylor Marker
The view of the fort near the center section of the grounds.
Photographed by James Hulse, January 13, 2026
4. Fort Taylor Marker
One of the big guns of the fort.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 13, 2024, by Pete Payette of Orange, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on January 13, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. 4. submitted on January 14, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
