Camp Helen • The fort originally included two casemate tiers topped by a barbette (three stories). Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States (1849–50). Canaveral National Seashore • Blackwater River • Construction of the fort began in 1845 as part of a mid-1800s plan to defend the southeast coast through a series of forts. San Pedro Underwater, Anclote Key • Deep Creek • Ochlockonee River • The Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Park touts Key West's favorite beach and is home to the largest collection of Civil War military memorabilia. Lake George • John D. MacArthur Beach • Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve • Lake June in Winter Scrub • Fort George Island • Crystal River • Olustee Battlefield • Hontoon Island • Lake Talquin • At one point in 1863, the Commander of Fort Zachary was losing around 15 men a day to the disease. ~ Fort Zachary Historic State Park "The Rodman gun is any of a series of American Civil War–era columbiads designed by Union artilleryman Thomas Jackson Rodman[1] (1815–1871). Perdido Key • Completed in 1866, and rising over 50 feet above the shoreline, the fort served as a deterrent for Confederacy ships during the Civil War, and a stronghold against the forces of the Spanish-American War in 1898. Don’t miss this the next time you visit the park. Pumpkin Hill Creek • Edward Ball Wakulla Springs • Hal Scott • Myakka River • The Annex was originally called the "Fort Zachary Taylor Annex" and it included a submarine base. Stump Pass Beach • Their main function was to block ships carrying supplies to the Confederate areas of the country. Seabranch • Beyond its historical importance, the park is the southernmost state park in the continental United States. Paynes Prairie • Dade Battlefield • The canons not only guarded the captured ships and blocked cargo ships, but also kept Key West from being invaded by Confederate navy. Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center • Bulow Plantation Ruins • The Fort's land that is closer to downtown Key West became part of the Truman Annex to Naval Station Key West, which is about three miles to the northwest. The Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site, better known simply as Fort Taylor, (or Fort Zach to locals), is a Florida State Park and National Historic Landmark centered on a Civil War-era fort located near the southern tip of Key West, Florida. Guana River • Gasparilla Island • George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier • Torreya • Cayo Costa • Fort Clinch • The fort is today a National Historic Landmark because of its role in the Civil War and has what is considered to be the largest collection of Civil War cannons in the United States. Beach Rentals and Café: For information about activities, rental equipment, and the Cayo Hueso Café please call 305-295-0037. Museum For over 30 years, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park was the home to the museum built by Howard England. General James A. While the upper tiers were removed in 1898 the fort remains an impressive, if not imposing structure. Curry Hammock • Avalon • Van Fleet • Physical Address: 601 Howard England Way. Egmont Key • Dunns Creek • Fort Taylor never saw hostile action. Sebastian Inlet • Delnor-Wiggins Pass • De Soto National Memorial • Lake Griffin • Today, one of the last vestiges of this time still stands as tribute to the brave soldiers who fought here. San Marcos de Apalache • Welaka • Explore wooded trails, bike the shaded paths, or take a narrated tour of Fort Zachary Taylor and see Civil War cannons. The fort was named for United States President Zachary Taylor in 1850, a few months after President Taylor's sudden death in office. After the Civil War, Fort Zachary continued to serve the country in later wars, including the Spanish American War, World War I and even World War II. North Peninsula • John U. Lloyd Beach • Fort Taylor, Florida by Seth Eastman (1808-1875). Ichetucknee Springs • But, did you know there is a Civil War Fort in the Park? Jennings • In 1850, the fortress was named after U.S. President Zachary Taylor, who died in office earlier that year. Suwannee River • Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is renowned for a picnic area shaded by Norfolk pines and cooled by ever-present breezes, and a long Atlantic-front beach that Key Westers call one of the island’s best-kept secrets. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Location, Hours, and Fee. In addition to the role of the fort and its adjacent beach as tourist attractions, Fort Taylor is also the location of a number of annual events, including week-long Civil War reenactments. On the third weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each of month, Fort Taylor Living History Weekend offers you the opportunity to experience life in the fort as it was during the Civil War. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park: A Unique Civil War Experience - See 6,703 traveler reviews, 3,930 candid photos, and great deals for Key West, FL, at Tripadvisor. The canons of the fort basically guarded captured ships that were kept at dock in Key West Harbor. 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. Tomoka • At the outset of the U.S. Civil War in 1861, Union Captain John Milton Brannan seized control of the fort, preventing it from falling into Confederate hands and using it as an outpost to threaten blockade runners. Osceola, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary • The canons here at Fort Taylor included 10-inch Rodman canons as well as Columbiad canons. Fort Pierce Inlet • Waccasassa Bay • Big Talbot Island • Yellow fever epidemics and material shortages slowed construction of the fort, which continued throughout the 1850s. Florida Caverns • Topsail Hill • During the Civil War, Fort Taylor remained under Union control and played a crucial role in the sea blockade that is credited with shortening the war and averting the deaths of untold numbers of soldiers on both the Union and Confederate sides of the conflict. The post was also known as Fort Lloyd and Camp Lloyd. Tiger Bay • The fort was heavily used again during the 1898 Spanish-American War. Natural Bridge Battlefield • Koreshan • De Leon Springs • Hillsborough River • Lake Louisa • DeSoto Site • Most of the buildings in the Annex were sold to private developers although there's a museum for the Truman White House and the Navy continues to own and maintain the piers and a portion of the Naval Station property to the south of Fort Taylor, primarily in support of Joint Interagency Task Force - East and the Naval Security Group Activity. Henderson Beach • Blackwater River • Letchworth Mounds • Yellow Bluff Fort • Grassy Lake • Fort Taylor had 198 canons and lots and lots of ammunition. Ponce de Leon Springs • Fort Zachary Taylor, in Key West, Florida has provided harbor defense in four wars: The Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Ross Prairie • Our goal is to once again provide a historical accounting of Fort Taylor’s history and its valuable “treasures.” England Historical Enterprises LLC is a proud supporter of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and the legacy of Howard England and is responsible for this site. Fakahatchee Strand • Bald Point • Biscayne National Park • Ravine Gardens • Rainbow Springs • Lake Manatee • Madira Bickel Mound • It was abandoned later in 1838. 601 Howard England Way Key West, FL 33040 Phone: 305-292-6713 Official Florida State Park website. Ulysses S. Grant was the most acclaimed Union general during the American Civil War and was twice elected President. Indian Lake • In the 1890s, the fort was heavily modified: the top two tiers were removed and two new coastal artillery batteries were constructed within the fort’s walls. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Homestead • Highlands Hammock • Madison Blue Springs • Enjoy a cookout by the beach with grills and picnic tables around the park, or sample local beach cuisine at Cayo Hueso Café. Big Lagoon • Fort … Fort Zachary Taylor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, became a National Historic Landmark in 1973, and was adopted into the Florida State Parks system in 1976. Union troops secured the fort for the Union 15 Jan 1861 and by March 1861 the fort had a complement of 178 guns. Paynes Creek • Little Manatee River • Originally, the fort was surrounded by water on all sides, with a walkway linking it to the mainland. The fort is named for President Zachary Taylor, and construction began in 1845. Oscar Scherer • In 1861, as Florida prepared to leave the Union, Federal artillery … Key West, FL 33040 . Grayton Beach • Take in a spectacular Key West sunset where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Atlantic. Dudley Farm • Aerial view showing fort, picnic area and beach. Oleta River • Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail • On the weekend preceding Halloween, it is transformed into a haunted fort, much like a haunted house but on a grand scale and with a distinctive Civil War theme. Location Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park 601 Howard England Way Key West, FL 33040 More Information: Kevin Bowes, kevin.bowes@dep.state.fl.us (305) 292-6850 Fort Zachary Taylor and the US Civil War. The fort offers daily tours, and will certainly be of interest to any Civil War or US history buff. Indian Key • Fort Zachary Taylor is one of the most history-filled places in South Florida. Devil's Millhopper • Built when our nation was still young - and particularly susceptible to attack - Fort Zachary was the first line of defense for adversaries attempting to strike from Florida’s southern coast. Picayune Strand • Prior to the start of the Civil War, Capt. During the Civil War, Fort Zachary Taylor served the Union as a base of operations for the Navy’s East Gulf Coast Blockade Squadron. Seminole • Florida seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America in 1861, leaving Fort Zachary Taylor in hostile territory as the Civil War began to convene. Eden Gardens • Point Washington • Fort Mose • Construction on Fort Taylor started in the mid-1840s and by the time of the Civil War the fort was still under construction. Werner-Boyce Salt Springs, Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek • Today, Fort Taylor is part of a Florida State Park, with ranger guided tours of the fort available daily at noon and 2:00pm. Goethe • He was succeeded by his vice president, Millard Fillmore. Little Big Econ • St. Lucie Inlet • Ocala • Honeymoon Island • Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins • Gamble Rogers Memorial • The fort was also used in the Spanish-American war before eventually being turned over to … May 31, 1973. Lake Wales Ridge • Constitution Convention Museum • Lafayette Blue Springs • Carl Duval Moore • Rock Springs Run • Anastasia • Its namesake is US President Zachary Taylor. River Rise • Lake Talquin • In fact, Fort Zachary Taylor held the largest collection of Civil War-era cannons in the United States." Mike Roess Gold Head Branch • Windley Key Fossil Reef, Alfred B. Maclay Gardens • Charlotte Harbor • Fort Taylor was not the site of any significant battles in the American Civil War and was under Union control. Ralph E. Simmons Memorial • Bill Baggs Cape Florida • During the Civil War, Fort Zachary Taylor served the Union as a base of operations for the Navy’s East Gulf Coast Blockade Squadron. Hugh Taylor Birch • Holopaw • Learn more about Taylor’s life and career in this article. Peacock Springs • The facilities were impressive for the time, too: a desalinization plant and tide-flushed toilets. 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