Dry Tortugas National Park guide · 2 min read
Fort Jefferson: The Western Hemisphere's Largest Brick Fort
Fort Jefferson stands on Garden Key, the second largest of the seven islands that make up the Dry Tortugas, almost 70 miles west of Key West.
Its walls hold more than 16 million bricks, which makes it the largest brick fort in the Western Hemisphere. Boats and seaplanes arrive at Garden Key, which also holds the park headquarters, visitor center, campgrounds, and swimming and snorkeling areas. At about 14 acres, the island has seen more human impact than any other in the park.
Work began in 1847 on a coastal fortress meant to guard shipping in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. By 1860 the project was about half finished, and it was never completed. Much of the labor came from enslaved people hired from their owners in Key West and elsewhere in Florida, a practice that ended in 1863. The fort never came under attack.
Union forces held the fort throughout the Civil War. Afterward it became a military prison, a role it kept until 1874. Doctor Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth after the Lincoln assassination, was among the men held here for conspiracy and was pardoned in 1869. The fort also worked as a coaling station and saw service during both world wars. Today it is a protected part of the national park.
Visitors can explore the fort on their own or join a ranger-guided tour that lasts about 45 minutes. The fort has three levels, and the top one offers wide views over the surrounding beaches, islands, and clear blue water. There are no guardrails up there, so keep children close. More than 2,000 brick arches stand inside the walls, and the moat wall is another feature worth a look.
The Engineering Officers' Quarters are another part of the historic site. They are recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as buildings that add to the fort's historic character.
