Sited to protect the strategic harbor at Key West, construction of Fort Zachary Taylor began in 1845 some 1,200 feet offshore from the city. After Florida seceded from the Union in January 1861, U.S. Army Captain James Brannan moved his troops from the

city into the fort to prevent its seizure by Florida militia.

For the remainder of the war, Fort Taylor served as an important Union military post, and by 1865 was armed with approximately 150 cannons of varying sizes. Fort Taylor continued in service as an army post until 1947 when it was decommissioned by the U.S. Army, and was then utilized by the U.S. Navy as a storage facility.

In the mid 1960s, the U.S. Navy deposited dredging fill at the fort, connecting it to the mainland. In 1968, excavations of the casements unearthed many of the original armaments from the fort. Recovered items included numerous cannons, gun cradles, carriages, a desalinization plant, and more than 1,000 cannonballs and projectiles.

Today, Fort Taylor is considered to have the largest collection of Civil War era cannons in the United States, with others still buried in the casements. In 1976, the U.S. Department of the Interior transferred Fort Taylor to the State of Florida for use as a state park facility.

The park is the site of the annual Key West Civil War Heritage Days festival in February, with Confederate and Union re-enactors participating in public events and activities, including a sea battle with schooners.

A beautiful beach at the southern end of the park provides opportunities for picnicking, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing. Visitors can also enjoy a short nature trail and bicycling within the park. Guided tours of the fort are available daily. Located in Key West at the end of Southard Street on Truman Annex.

www.floridastateparks.org/forttaylor

www.forttaylor.org

Image courtesy of The Florida Park Service.

Information provided by the Florida Division of Historical Resources, a division of the Florida Department of State.