Fort Taylor

Fort Taylor. Through the Ages: 1861 - 1947. Quick Facts , . Longest serving U.S. coastal fortification (1861-1947) , . 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 , 1898 to 1901 , . Provided largest treasure of Civil War-era guns and munitions , 1914 to 1945 , . Continued to serve in World Wars I and II , 1947 , . Acquired by the U.S. Navy from the U.S. Army , 1962 , . Served as a radar installation during Cuban Missile Crisis , 1971 , . Designated as a National Historic Site , 1973 , . Designated as a National Landmark , 1976 , . Acquired by the State of Florida from the U.S. Navy , 1985 , . 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 to house soldiers, the Barrack includes the dining halls, cisterns, infirmary, offices, chapels and the Sally Port.