I hope you enjoyed reading about this unique place and time in history as much as I enjoyed researching and writing about it. Though all the events and characters in this story are fictional, Fort Zachary Taylor and the marine hospital did exist. The hospital was built in 1844 and operated until its closure in 1943. Today the remodeled building is the site of private condominiums, but the exterior of the structure looks very much like it did when still a hospital.
The fort also stretches back to 1844 when the site was chosen. Construction began in 1845, but progress was wiped out in the hurricane of 1846. As was the case with the town, the Army Corps simply got back to work under the direction of Capt. George Dutton. Since he was such a key figure in the building of the fort, I wanted to keep his name in my story. His vision and energy pushed the project forward despite setbacks from weather, supply and labor shortages, funding issues, and disease. After he finished his eight-year tour of duty, a succession of commanders followed. Work on the fort and towers continued through the Civil War. By 1866, advances in armament had made brick-and-mortar forts obsolete, and work was ordered to cease. Before the war with Spain in 1898, the top two tiers were removed, so the structure you can visit today looks very different from what was so diligently built 150 years ago. One of the most obvious changes is that it is no longer out in the water. Filling and natural changes in the shoreline have landlocked the structure, which is the centerpiece of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.
Both are worth seeing if you visit Key West. You can also find many digital images online in the Monroe County Public Library’s Keys History photo collections.