Fort Jefferson (Florida)
Fort Jefferson is a former U.S. military coastal fortress in the Dry Tortugas National Park of Florida. It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, covering 16 acres (6.5 ha) and made with over 16 million bricks. Among United States forts, only Fort Monroe in Virginia and Fort Adams in Rhode Island are larger. The fort is located on Garden Key in the lower Florida Keys within the Dry Tortugas, 68 miles (109 km) west of the island of Key West. The Dry Tortugas are part of Monroe County in Florida.
Fort Jefferson National Monument | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Aerial view of Garden Key and Fort Jefferson | |
Interactive map outlining the fort | |
| Location | Dry Tortugas, Florida, 68 miles (109 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico |
|---|---|
| Area | 47.125 acres (19.071 ha) |
| Built | 1847 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000069 |
| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1970 |
| Fort Jefferson Prison | |
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| Part of American Civil War prison camps | |
| Dry Tortugas, Florida, U.S. | |
| Type | Union Prison Camp |
| Site information | |
| Owner | U.S. Government |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861 |
| In use | September 1861 – April 1, 1869 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders | Colonel Bill Wilson |
| Occupants | Union soldiers, Confederate prisoners of war, civilians |
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