Page Updated: November 09, 2023
Fort Zachary Taylor
Fort Zachary Taylor - Key West FL
Designed in 1843 as a key installation in the US Army’s Third Tier System and one of three forts built in Key West during the civil war era, Fort Zachary Taylor provided harbor and island defense for Key West through four wars: the American Civil War, The Spanish-American War, and both World Wars.
Constructed by masons using red clay brick and natural cement, the original outer walls of the fort were 5 feet thick, rose almost 50 feet from the water, and were surrounded by water on all sides.
With the evolution of warfare at the turn of the 20th century, the fortification was reduced to a single story.
Fort Zachary Taylor was deactivated in 1947.
Part of the extremely popular Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, we opted to skip the highly sought after beach in favor of wandering the desolate red-brick corridors of the fort - passing prison cells, gun ports, and the largest cache of Civil War cannons in the United States.
The day of our visit, we had the fort completely to ourselves. Those looking for a more exciting experience can find weapon demonstrations and historical reenactments the 3rd weekend of each month throughout the year.
scenes from Fort Zachary Taylor
-b&b
Key West
Key West Lighthouse
