Fort East Martello (Key West, Florida)
Key West · Florida · Civil War
History & Significance
Constructed beginning in 1862 by the U.S. Army, Fort East Martello was designed to defend Key West against a possible Confederate sea assault. In 1862, the Union military began construction on two fortifications, the East and West Martello Towers.
The West Martello Tower was built about one and one-half miles east of Fort Taylor, and the East Martello Tower is located two miles east of the West Tower. The walls were 8 feet thick and built to support heavy gunnery on the flat roof of the fort.
Cannons could be swiveled 360 degrees to fire on threats from any direction. Outbreaks of yellow fever delayed work along with the hurricane of 1864.
The masonry work was substantially completed by the end of the war, but the outer works were never finished and no armaments were installed. The wartime development of rifled artillery rendered such masonry fortifications obsolete, and by 1866 construction of the original plans was suspended.
While Key West remained a Union-controlled island during the Civil War, the majority of Key West citizens supported the Confederacy. With such a rift, it is perhaps surprising that no battles took place on or around the island.
After decades of abandonment, the Key West Art & Historical Society restored the East Tower and opened the Fort East Martello Museum in 1950 as the first museum of the Florida Keys. In 1972, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Rare American Martello tower architecture from 1862
- Exhibits on Key West settlement, fishing heritage, and Cuban cultural influence
- Robert the Doll artifact display, famous paranormal subject
- Art gallery featuring local folk artists
- Panoramic views from tower top
Sources
- https://www.kwahs.org/museums/fort-east-martello/visit
- https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/835/East-and-West-Martello-Civil-War-Forts
- https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/835/East-Martello-Civil-War-Fort
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-east-martello-museum-and-gardens
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=232191
- https://civilwartraveler.blog/2025/10/19/my-florida-bucket-list-key-west-east-and-west-martello-towers/
- https://keywesthistoricmarkers.org/Markers_Detail.php?ProductID=478
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martello_Gallery-Key_West_Art_and_Historical_Museum