Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Commodore David W. Porter

1770-1843

— Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden —

Commodore David W. Porter Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, May 4, 2023

1. Commodore David W. Porter Marker

Inscription. David Porter went to sea in his youth with his father on merchant vessels. He entered the Navy in 1798 as a midshipman serving with distinction in the naval war with France and the war against the Tripoli pirates. He became a national hero during the War of 1812 and during his service he was promoted to the rank of captain and assigned to the Naval Board. In 1822, he was given command of the West Indies Squadron and on April 23, 1823 he established the Naval Station at Key West the newly acquired Territory of Florida. This was the first permanent settlement on the island. The mission of the squadron was suppressing piracy in the West Indies. Pirates were operating freely near the coasts of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Commodore Porter assembled a Mosquito fleet of eight shallow draft schooners and five 20 oared barges to be used together with the USS Sea Gull, the first steam vessel to see active service. Porter was now able to follow the pirates into their havens in the shallow waters and channels of the islands Porter’s authoritarian style did not make him popular in Key West or in Congress. After an unauthorized altercation

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with the Spanish Government in Puerto Rico, Porter was court marshaled. In 1830, a new administration asked Porter to return and appointed him Consular General of Algiers and later Minister to Turkey serving in that post until his death. By freeing the sea of piracy and and establishing the first Naval Station, Porter was one of the founding fathers of Key West. He also began the long standing tradition of Key West as a Military outpost.
Donated by
Friends of the Key West Navy League • Monroe County Veterans Council • Marine Corps League Detachment 745 • Navy League Key West Council
All Who Served The Armed Forces of the United States

Erected by Friends of the Key West Navy League, Monroe County Veterans Council, Marine Corps League Detachment 745, Navy League Key West Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is April 23, 1823.

Location. 24° 33.579′ N, 81° 48.422′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It can be reached from the intersection of Wall Street and Tift’s Aly, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, May 4, 2023

2. Commodore David W. Porter Marker

within the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Wall Street, 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: Judge William Marvin (here, next to this marker); A. Maitland Adams (here, next to this marker); Asa F. Tift (here, next to this marker); William A. Whitehead (here, next to this marker); Captain John Huling Geiger (here, next to this marker); Marco Golan (here, next to this marker); Jefferson B. Browne (here, next to this marker); The Origins of Island Roots & Key West Memorial Sculpture Garden (a few steps from this

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marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.

Also see . . .
1. Commodore David Porter, USN, (1780-1843). (Submitted on May 9, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. The Key West Sculpture Garden – Where History Meets Art. (Submitted on May 9, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 834 times since then and 89 times this year. Last updated on May 3, 2025, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.