Tourists

With renewed energy we awoke, assembled Origami, and headed to Garden Key to explore Fort Jefferson.   The Fort’s, an effort by the US to control navigation in the Gulf of Mexico, construction began in 1846.  The hexagonal structure is constructed primarily of bricks that were imported to the island.  The masonry work, including spiral stairs and multitudes of archways is impressive.  Despite 30 years of efforts the Fort was never fully completed.  During the Civil War the fort served as a Union prison.  The US Army abandon the facility in 1874.   The US Navy adopted the facility for refueling steam ships.  They dredged the harbor to 30+ feet and added to large fueling docks.  At the time fuel consisted of coal and fresh water.  In 1935 the area became a national monument and finally in 1992 it became the Dry Tortugas National Park.  Currently there appears to be a significant restoration project underway.  I can only imagine the pounding this area takes in hurricanes.  In addition some of the reinforcing used in the original construction was iron.  This iron has now rusted and expanded causing the walls to crumble. 

There are many more photos of the Fort and our adventures via the Summer 2010 photos link.