Fort Taylor (2)

Fort Taylor (2) (1846-1947) - Construction of this Third System fort began in 1845 and was essentially complete in 1860. Named for Zachary Taylor and also known as Fort Zachary Taylor. Declared surplus and turned over to the Navy in 1947.

Fort Taylor 1872, by Seth Eastman

Fort Taylor from the land side 1861

Fort Taylor History

Fort Taylor was designed as a three tiered, double casemated, Third System brick and masonry fort in the shape of a trapezoid. The land face was 495' long and the seaward curtains were 255' long. There were four bastions, three seaward facing curtains and one land facing. It was located off shore about 1000' on the southwestern side of Key West Island, Florida. Construction began in 1845 and by the end of 1860 the fort was ready for occupancy.

U.S. Civil War

Union troops secured the fort for the Union 15 Jan 1861 and by March 1861 the fort had a complement of 178 guns. Fort Taylor, Fort Jefferson, and Fort Pickens were held by Union forces throughout the U.S. Civil War. Fort Taylor served as headquarters for the Union Navy East Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron and guarded some 300 captured vessels anchored in front of the fort. Fort Taylor never saw hostile action.

Fort Taylor U.S. Civil War Battery (edit list)

Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Notes
Battery Unnamed	6	10"	Columbiads	1861-18??
Battery Unnamed	83	8"	Columbiads	1861-18??
Battery Unnamed	42	42-Pounder		1861-18??
Battery Unnamed	11	32-Pounder	Howitzer	1861-18??
Battery Unnamed	36	24-Pounder	Howitzer	1861-18??
Source: CDSG

Endicott Period

Fort Taylor was upgraded during the Endicott Period with 9 batteries . The top two levels were removed and newer coastal artillery was emplaced. One additional battery was placed in one of two Martello Towers built to provide provide additional protection for the Fort.

Fort Taylor Endicott Period Battery (edit list)

Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Notes
Battery Seminole	8	12"	Mortar	1897-1903-1904-1942	Armament sold & removed 15 Dec 1944
Battery Osceola	2	12"	Barbette	1898-1899-1900-1943	Armament sold & removed 16 Oct 1944
Battery De Leon	4	10"	Disappearing	1897-1903-1904-1942	Battery destroyed 1962
Battery Covington	2	8"	Disappearing	1897-1903-1904-1917	Battery destroyed 1962
Battery De Kalb	2	6"	Pedestal	1904-1904-1906-1917	Battery destroyed 1950s
Battery Gardiner	2	4.72"	Pedestal	1898-1899-1900-1913	British Armstrong Guns Guns & Carriages to Hawaii Jul 1913 Battery destroyed 1962
Battery Ford	2	3"	Pedestal	1903-1904-1906-1946	Battery destroyed 1964
Battery Inman	2	3"	Pedestal	1904-1904-1906-1946	In West Martello Tower
Battery Dilworth	2	3"	Masking Parapet	1899-1900-1901-1920	Battery destroyed 1970s
Battery Adair	4	3"	Masking Parapet	1899-1901-1904-1920
Source: CDSG

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World War II

Anti-aircraft guns were install on the old Adair Battery in 1943 during World War II.

Fort Taylor World War II Battery (edit list)

Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Notes
Battery 231	2	6"	LR Shielded Barbette	1943-194?	Not armed
Battery 232	2	6"	LR Shielded Barbette	1944-1946	East of Martello Tower Salt Ponds Military Reservation (airport)
Battery AMTB 5 - Fort Taylor	2 2	90mm 90mm	Fixed Pedestal Mobile	1943-1946	One emplacement on Battery Adair
Battery AMTB 6 - West Martello Tower	2 2	90mm 90mm	Fixed Pedestal Mobile	1943-1946	Near West Martello Tower
Battery 155 - Fort Taylor	4	155mm	Panama Mounts	1940-1943	2 on Battery De Leon 2 on Battery Covington
Battery 155 - West Martello Tower	4	155mm	Panama Mounts	1942-1942	Near West Martello Tower
Battery 155 - East Martello Tower	4	155mm	Panama Mounts	1943-1944	Near East Martello Tower
Source: CDSG

Current Status

The fort site was transferred to the Navy in 1947 and was used a storage yard for scrap metal. The Department of the Interior took over the property until it was deeded to the State of Florida in 1976. The fort is now a Florida State Park.

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Location: Key West, Florida Maps & Images Lat: 24.547884 Long: -81.810207 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: '

Sources:

• Weaver, John R. II, A Legacy in Brick and Stone: America Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System, Redoubt Press, McLean, 2001, First Printing, ISBN 1-57510-069-X, page 151-154
• Robinson, Willard B., American Forts: Architectural Form and Function, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1977, ISBN 0-252-00589-9, page 114-115
• Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W., Fortress America: The Forts That Defended America, 1600 to the Present, DaCapo Press, 2004, ISBN 0-306-81294-0, page 226,227
• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 209-210

Links:

• Fort Taylor
• Fort Taylor Endicott Period
• State Park Site
• Wikipedia
• Civil War Album

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