Captain Phillip 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 . . . — — Map (db m127808) HM
An outbreak of piracy in 1822 prompted the United States to organize the West Indian Squadron, an anti-pirate fleet. Commanded by Commodore David Porter, the squadron in 1823 included 17 ships and 1,100 men based in Key West. For two years the . . . — — Map (db m72739) HM
Imagine what it was like to heat solid cannonballs in a hot shot furnace like this one, so gun crews could fire red-hot projectiles at wooden warships to set them ablaze. This process involved several soldiers. One soldier maintained the coal fire . . . — — Map (db m193410) HM
The Kemp family was one of the early settlers of Key West. Built on land purchased in 1845, this house replaced the family home destroyed by the Great Fire of 1886. It is the purest example of classical revival Key West-Bahaman style . . . — — Map (db m223473) HM
The 300-pounder Parrot had spiral grooves, called rifling, which caused its elongated, pointed projectile to spin. This made the Parrotts much more accurate than smoothbore Rodman cannon that fired round cannonballs. The Parrot's muzzle-loaded . . . — — Map (db m225067) HM
This mansion was built by
Robert Curry as a result of the
"Great Fire” of 1886. The fire
leveled the Curry family home,
businesses, and two thirds of
the business district. After his
death the mansion became the
home of the southernmost . . . — — Map (db m192418) HM
Founded in 1984, We stand as the oldest cigar manufacturer in the Florida Keys preserving the historical cigar manufacturing industry that began in Key West in 1831. As the years passed new generation on family members have expanded manufacturing . . . — — Map (db m243882) HM
The Only Way In
The Sally Port served as the only entrance to the Fort. It was accessed by crossing a 1,100 foot wooden causeway from the island. All personnel and goods entered and exited the Fort through the Sally Port. A moat and drawbridge . . . — — Map (db m240189) HM
Necessary as a food preservative in the days before refrigeration, salt was a highly prized commodity. In 1830 Richard Fitzpatrick acquired 100 acres of wetlands and divided the area into large compartments, creating flat drying pans that were . . . — — Map (db m243875) HM
Sandy Cornish (Uncle Sandie) was born a slave in Maryland about 1793. He migrated to Florida in 1839 where with his wife Lillah's help he was able to buy his freedom. In the late 1840's his free papers were lost in a fire. Six unprincipled men . . . — — Map (db m223513) HM
The style of this home is often referred to as "saw tooth" house. As homes grew, so did the need for a fresh water supply. The use of multiple parallel gable roof lines was designed to collect the maximum amount of rain water to be stored in . . . — — Map (db m223216) HM
Built on Duval Street by John T. Sawyer to replace his mansion lost in the Great Fire of 1886. He was a master builder, sponger, and banker who owned a ship chandlery, & the steamboat City of Key West. The home was moved to it's present location in . . . — — Map (db m243890) HM
Built between 1938 and 1939, the Western Union is one of the oldest surviving wooden working schooners in the United States and the oldest remaining tall ships built in the Florida Keys. It laid and maintained telegraph cables between Key West, . . . — — Map (db m243840) HM
Conveniently located in the heart of Historic Old Town Key West. Seascape is a short walk to both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Around the corner from Shops, art galleries, restaurants, attractions and nightlife on the island.
On a . . . — — Map (db m243851) HM
Following the destruction of the first Key Wet Lighthouse during the devastating Havana Hurricane of 1846, a new lighthouse was built farther inland at its present-day location. The tower and keeper’s quarters were completed in less than and the . . . — — Map (db m243914) HM
Second Seminole War
Enraged by the government's imminent deadline for their removal to western reservations, Florida Indians launched attacks on military units and outlying plantations in December 1835.
First news of the attacks . . . — — Map (db m224141) HM WM
The first United States Marines arrived in Key West with Commodore David Porter's pirate-hunting fleet in 1823, and the Corps has played a vital role in the life of this island both in war and in peace intervals since that time, from 1939 until . . . — — Map (db m144537) HM
John Maloney Spottswood was born in Key West in 1920, educated in Monroe County and graduated from Riverside Military Academy. During World War II, he served in the US army. He established the first Key West radio station in September 1945. In March . . . — — Map (db m222861) HM
"Shotgun House" refers to structures that have a single room width and are 3-4 rooms in length. A common room configuration used the front room as a living room, the middle rooms as bedrooms, and the back room as a kitchen all connected by a common . . . — — Map (db m243687) HM
Sister Louis Gabriel of the order of "The Sisters of The Holy Names of Jesus and Mary”, arrived at the convent of Mary Immaculate on the evening of August 25, 1897. She spent the next 51 years dedicated to her work, the service to God and to her . . . — — Map (db m223491) HM
This historic site on Solares Hill marks the highest point in Key West. It measures 18 feet above the average mean sea level. In 1846, the Havana Hurricane hit Key West as a category 4 storm with seven foot high waves crashing through the Historic . . . — — Map (db m232281) HM
In 1863 the US Army started building a barracks for soldiers who had been crowded into storehouses on the parade ground and unfinished casemates on the fort's second tier. The three-story building—higher than the fort's walls to catch the breeze and . . . — — Map (db m240111) HM
On January 22, 1912, the "Flagler Special," the first passenger train ever to arrive in Key West and Henry M Flagler, Florida's empire builder, were tumultuously welcomed by the largest outpouring of citizens in the City's history. The train's . . . — — Map (db m208751) HM
Built in 1897 by Judge Vining Harris and his wife Florida Curry. This Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion was designed as a one bedroom home. Thomas Edison oversaw the home's original electrical design and installation. During prohibition the . . . — — Map (db m222473) HM
Spanish American War
On January 24, 1898, the battleship USS Maine sailed from Key West for Havana to protect the lives of American citizens threatened by riots. Three weeks later, on February 15, a mysterious explosion sank the . . . — — Map (db m224161) HM WM
Key West entrepreneurs have used this building, built in 1896, for a wide range of commercial businesses. It is a classic example of longevity achieved through adaptive reuse. Through its history, this building served as a sponge warehouse, dry . . . — — Map (db m243699) HM
The first shipment of sponges
left Key West and arrived in
New York City in 1849
starting an island industry
that lasted 50 years. Sponges
grow in sponge beds
in approximately 20 feet of
water. They are harvested
. . . — — Map (db m223340) HM
This grand structure stands as a testament to the faith and fortitude of Key West’s diverse community. Three previous churches on this historic site were destroyed by hurricanes in 1846, 1909 and the Great Fire of 1886. The current concrete church . . . — — Map (db m232118) HM
Oldest in Florida Diocese, the present church (1912) is the fourth on this site. John Fleeming, one of the four original owners of the island, is buried here. His widow donated the property, stipulating that the church pews be free. Rectory built . . . — — Map (db m84328) HM
This structure is one of many water towers that stood along the Key West waterfront. The advent of the Industrial Age introduced steam-powered engines. Fresh water heated by coal fires created steam and was the fuel of choice during the 19th and . . . — — Map (db m223378) HM
About 1820, Stephen Mallory came to Key West with his parents, Ellen and John. At that time his mother was one of the few women on the island. He attended school in Mobile and Nazareth, Pennsylvania. His widowed mother's boarding house was the sole . . . — — Map (db m223518) HM
Following World War I, the Naval Station transformed the waters inside of the Outer Mole Pier into a submarine training base. Five metal "finger" docks were built to service submarines. During World War II, German U-boats sank 49 ships off the . . . — — Map (db m222502) WM
In 1622, the Spanish treasure galleons Atocha & Santa Margarita sank in a violent hurricane about 30 miles off the coast of Key West. The lost treasure cargo was worth millions even then. Despite years of searching, the treasure was lost for . . . — — Map (db m245828) HM
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams Ill was one of the foremost American playwrights in the 20th century. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from the University of Iowa. During the winter of 1944-1945 his play "The Glass Menagerie" was . . . — — Map (db m223492) HM
This 1884 bungalow, with its wide front porch and simple architectural details was a private residence until 1986. Originally built on the edge of town it has become the center of Key West's Historic District.
Today it is occupied by the . . . — — Map (db m245834) HM
The fort was not built as a prison, and it has no dungeons. But prison it became, and at times "hard cases" were clapped into magazines or secure gunrooms.
One man who knew this room was Dr. Samuel Mudd. He was shackled in irons after trying to . . . — — Map (db m246656) HM
Key West's most devastating fire was ignited in a coffee shop next to the San Carlos Institute at 2:00 a.m. on April 1, 1886. The fire raged for 12 hours as it raced through the center of the city burning 16 cigar factories, 200 houses and . . . — — Map (db m223291) HM
The Arch House is the oldest remaining Carriage House in the Historic District. It is recognized as a novelty of architectural design and function. In Key West during the 1880s, it was uncommon for the average person to possess a horse much less a . . . — — Map (db m243705) HM
This concrete structure was
built on the mainland and
transported by Flagler's
railroad to the current
location in 1917. Its purpose
was to protect the connection
between the land line and the
125 mile long underwater
telegraph cable lines . . . — — Map (db m192426) HM
Paul Cold moved this 1850s farmhouse to this location just after the Civil War.
It is the oldest surviving house on White Street.
At that time, this part of White Street was a dirt road running through open fields.
The 1884 Library of . . . — — Map (db m243872) HM
On April 18, 1982 at the head of the highway
out of the Florida Keys, the United States Border Patrol
established a road block. For the first time in the United States’ history, an entire section of the county was officially treated as a foreign . . . — — Map (db m224521) HM
On April 23, 1982, the Conch Republic declared the secession of Key West from the United States. The short lived "war" was in response to a border patrol check point in Florida City subjecting all vehicles to searches for illegal immigrants. . . . — — Map (db m223016) HM
Captain Phillip Cosgrove
purchased this stately home
for the price of $1,600 in
1871. This was a prime
location with its proximity to
the deep-water port and in
what was then the center of
the city. It's believed that the
Captain's wife . . . — — Map (db m192423) HM
Built in 1917 as a “club” for Cuban cigar makers. It was the center of social and community life for the Cuban population at the height of the cigar industry in Key West. The building was alive with constant din of domino games between the cigar . . . — — Map (db m233701) HM
This is the site of two Curry homes. William Curry, Florida's first millionaire, raised his eight children in the original house built in 1869. His son Milton built the current mansion in 1905 keeping the original kitchen from his father's house. . . . — — Map (db m223450) HM
These coral islands surrounded by warm water are ideal habitats for birds, turtles, shellfish, coral, fish, and other form of ocean life. Nearby Bush Key is a spectacle of sooty and noddy terns during their March to September nesting season. View . . . — — Map (db m100242)
Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations
ALTAFF
Literary Landmarks Register
Where Hemingway lived and wrote from 1931-193
This site is dedicated as a Literary Landmark by the Association of Library Trustees, . . . — — Map (db m243893) HM
One of the grandest of the
7 mansions constructed by
the children of Florida's first
millionaire, this structure was
built by Charles Curry in 1887.
Dr. Joseph Norman Fogarty
purchased the home in 1900
for his bride . . . — — Map (db m243418) HM
Built of heart pine by shipbuilder and merchant Samuel Filer. In 1920, the structure was moved back forty feet to its present location. The double parlor features wall murals painted in 1925. The house has been sold only once, in 1920, to the . . . — — Map (db m245842) HM
In 1773 George Gauld, a British surveyor & cartographer, placed the Southernmost Point at 24°29'N latitude and 82°35'W longitude. At the time Cayo Hueso, now called Key West, was part of the Spanish Empire. John Simonton purchased the island . . . — — Map (db m87412) HM
Two large, unplastered first and second floor rooms at the north end of the barracks served as post hospital. There was also a makeshift isolation facility on Hospital Key, almost two miles away.
Though Fort Jefferson was considered a healthful . . . — — Map (db m225084) HM
The Johnson/Archer House at 1016 Fleming Street, is a grand, Classic Revival historic dwelling, defined by its unique wooden columns, encircling porch and enlarged front dormer.
Thomas B. Johnson, one of Key West's most talented . . . — — Map (db m243691) HM
John Dewey was a world renowned philosopher and educator, arguably one of the most influential men on America's educational system. From 1938 to 1950 Dewey spent every winter during the twilight of his years in Key West, enjoying the laid back . . . — — Map (db m233813) HM
The Kapok Tree, Ceiba Pentandra, is also called the Ceilba tree or Silkcotton tree, which grow to
40 meters(130 feet) or more. It was the sacred tree of the Mayan people who believed that souls of the
dead climbed a mythical kapok whose branches . . . — — Map (db m240119) HM
The City of Key West declared bankruptcy in 1930. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was tasked with an extensive restoration and beautification program to rebuild the local economy and transform the community into a vacation paradise. In . . . — — Map (db m223371) HM
The cemetery consists of 19 acres and approximately 100,000 individuals are buried on the grounds. It was created after the devastation of a previous city burial site during the 1846 Havana Hurricane. Each grave site can hold up to five bodies, two . . . — — Map (db m243712) HM
The Lewinsky Building
1920
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior — — Map (db m224659) HM
Built in 1890 on the waterfront as a two-family dwelling for the base commandant and paymaster, this building was known as Quarters A and B. It was converted into a single-family residence in 1911. President William Howard Taft visited this site in . . . — — Map (db m32659) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m32655) HM
Built in 1905, this house originally stood on Big Pine Key. It was first used as the home of a section boss on the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler's Over-Sea Railway.
Later, it was the home of Maggie and Henry Atwell and their four . . . — — Map (db m224425) HM
Arrived, Key West, August 3, 2015
21 feet × 7 feet. Steel and Wood
The Mariana landed in Key West with 23 men and one woman on board. It had taken just over 24 hours to make the 111 mile voyage from Cárdenas, Cuba. Empty 55-gallon . . . — — Map (db m245831) HM
Dade Lodge #14 was built by
esteemed Miami architect, Henry
Hohauser for a local order of
Masons. The architural style of
the building is Streamline Moderne.
The new look embraced simple lines
And aerodynamic curves in . . . — — Map (db m224190) HM
It protected the fort walls from (1) heavy seas, and (2) enemy landings.
Most of the moat wall was built in 1849-1851, but digging the moat to full depth, a task for prisoners, was not completed until 1873.
Beginning in 1861, dozens of . . . — — Map (db m225073) HM
At the end of 1822, mere
months after the first US flag
was planted in Key West,
Commodore David Porter was
sent to take charge. Porter
commanded the West Indian
Squadron nicknamed the
"Mosquito Fleet". Porter was
ordered to end the reign . . . — — Map (db m192412) HM
This corner building was built as a grocery store for the surrounding community. It was common to find a laundry, drug store, billiard hall, dry goods store, coffee shop, ice cream parlor and bakery in every neighborhood. The stores were informal . . . — — Map (db m223181) HM
"The Snake Pit" — People slept in their cars behind the bar. The restrooms often flooded; you walked on bricks to keep your shoes dry. Men in clothes swiped from clotheslines gambled tens and twenties at the pool table. The picket fence lining the . . . — — Map (db m224215) HM
This building holds the dual distinction of being one of the oldest commercial structures in Key West and the oldest remaining drug store building. Dr. John Maloney opened the Key West Drug Company in 1903. In 1908 he purchased the adjacent . . . — — Map (db m223386) HM
Originally a four room house
built on Whitehead Street in
the late 1820's by Richard
Cussans, a ship's carpenter.
The structure was moved
to its current location in
1829 and expanded for
Captain Francis Watlington
to . . . — — Map (db m224175) HM
The island of Key West, along with the rest of the Keys, has no reliable source of fresh water. Under this porch is a cistern for the storage of rainwater, the only fresh water available in old Key West. Rain was captured off the roof in gutters, . . . — — Map (db m243924) HM
Built about 1838 and moved to this location after the hurricane of 1846, the Patterson-Baldwin House is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in Key West. The Classical Revival style house is reputed to have been built, but never occupied, by . . . — — Map (db m84333) HM
In Key West the heroism of Ida Barron and Betty Bruce planted the seeds of what has now grown to become the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden in Mallory Square.
Betty Bruce and Ida Barron along with Bahamian artist Alton Lowe and . . . — — Map (db m246043) HM
The origins of the Mole Pier date back to several years before the Civil War. It was a wooden dock for Fort Taylor With plans to expand the Naval Station into a submarine base following World War I, engineers redesigned and extended the pier as a . . . — — Map (db m243928) HM
The single story structure on the back of the house was moved here by Alexander Patterson after the devastating hurricane of 1846. It is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in Key West. Mr & Mrs Pinkney lived in the cottage where his . . . — — Map (db m223297) HM
Installed in 1906,
The Presidential Gates welcomed
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
On March 31, 1987,
they were opened to all the
citizens of the City of Key West,
The State of Florida
and the Nation
on . . . — — Map (db m224524) HM
The Labor Day Hurricane of Monday, September 2nd, 1935 was officially the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the United States. The storm bore sustained winds of 200 miles per hour with gusts up to 350 miles per hour and a barometric reading of . . . — — Map (db m224418) HM
The original building was constructed in late 1868 as a real estate speculation by the Pinder and Curry families of Key West. At first leased as a cigar factory to Cubans fleeing political turbulence in Havana. “The Doors” has been intimately . . . — — Map (db m224454) HM
Constructed in 1886 by Samuel Otis Johnson. The structure started out as a grocery and butcher shop as well as a residence. It was purchased in 1913 by Dr. William Richard Warren. Doctor Warren's medical offices consisted of the front porch used as . . . — — Map (db m85272) HM
Erected after the Fire of 1886 by a Bahamian merchant. It is one of the many structures built during this era by immigrant Irish brick layers from Boston. The second floor was at one time used by the U.S. District Court.
We invite you to . . . — — Map (db m224463) HM
New Beginnings
In July 1968, Howard England was tasked to evaluate the value of Fort Taylor which was then the Navy's junkyard. The first excavations in December 1968 quickly revealed buried Civil War armaments.
For eight years, . . . — — Map (db m240182) HM
The home was purchased by infamous Prohibition Era rum-runner Raul Vasquez in 1920. During a rum-running trip to Cuba, instead of his usual cargo, Raul brought home the elaborately carved balcony balustrade. The rum and wine bottle balcony . . . — — Map (db m222485) HM
The Steam Plant's façade endures as an example of Art Deco design that was popularized during the Great Depression. It is one of the few art deco structures in Key West. Streamline Modern was a reaction to Victorian building ornamentation that . . . — — Map (db m223316) HM
Built with bricks from Fort Taylor dating back to 1845, this building is one of Key West's first hotels. It featured a car dealership on the first floor and hotel rooms on the upper two floors. Ernest Hemingway and his wife stayed here in 1928, and . . . — — Map (db m245843) HM
This house consists of three structures that reflect the growth of the island and lack of building materials and skilled labor during the 19th century. The original corner house, built by William Henry Albury, tripled in size with the addition of . . . — — Map (db m223262) HM
The William Alfred Johnson House at 824 Fleming Street is a grand, Classic Revival historic dwelling, defined by intricate gingerbread patterns and delicate wooden scrollwork. William A. Johnson, one of Key West's most talented carpenter-builders . . . — — Map (db m243703) HM
Historic Building
The William Curry Warehouse
Built in 1878 as a Hall and Bonded store by William Curry
(1821-1896). Key West's leading citizen and entrepreneur.
Born in the Bahamas, Mr. Curry arrived in Key West in 1837 finding . . . — — Map (db m224531) HM
In the 1890s, this was the site of expansive sponge docks. For over 50 years salesmen strolled these docks purchasing a variety of sponges for world wide markets. The ice and fish house constructed in 1948 when Florida pink shrimp were discovered . . . — — Map (db m223328) HM
This wooden structure was built by Norberg Thompson. It has seen many uses but began as a fish and turtle packing house serving supplier markets from around the world. Submerged wooden cages beneath the building were used to house exotic fish for . . . — — Map (db m243844) HM
Where It All Began
Fort Taylor was designed in 1843 by Colonel Joseph Totten, Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. The Fort was to be a key installation in the Army's Third Tier System of 42 coastal fortifications. Its purpose was to . . . — — Map (db m240156) HM
A self-guiding, easy-to-moderate tour of the fort's three levels takes about 40 minutes. Use this diagram to devise your own route. As you walk, think about the construction obstacles that confronted the US Army Corps of Engineers—shifting sands, . . . — — Map (db m240094) HM
These hill-like structures on the terreplein protected ammunition from enemy fire. They also could shield nearby gun crews if necessary. Sixteen traverse magazines are located between gun platforms on the open—and thus vulnerable—top tier of the . . . — — Map (db m225097) HM
This house was built for
the commanding officer
of the Key West
Submarine Base, but it was
President Harry S. Truman's
use of the site for working
vacations that earned it fame
as "The Little White House."
During Truman's 11 trips
here from . . . — — Map (db m192419) HM
As long as humans have inhabited the Florida Keys, turtles have been a valuable and much sought after food source. For decades, this building and its kraals operated as a cannery in the center of the turtle industry. Kraals take their name from . . . — — Map (db m223338) HM
As long as humans have inhabited the Florida Keys, turtles have been a valuable and much sought after food source. For decades, this building and its kraals operated as a cannery in the center of the turtle industry. Kraals take their name from the . . . — — Map (db m243419) HM
This is a 19th century military cemetery wherein United States Army soldiers and their families were interred. Although many remains were removed for re-interment at Fort Barrancas, Pensacola, Florida, remains are still within this hallowed site. . . . — — Map (db m224573) HM
This building represents the vital role accurate weather forecasts played in the growth and vitality of Key West. Before the Weather Bureau, Key West residents relied on their own measurements and telegraph reports to predict oncoming storms. The . . . — — Map (db m233703) HM
