The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-08-16
Museum, Tells
OF Key Vests
COI0rful History

LOLOTTM history
Resting in massive maj.
esty on the extreme north.
eastern portion of the
Island of Key West, ad.
joining the Meachanl air.
port, the East Martello
towers and the museum
which it houses, offers
those interested in Key
West and its colorful his.
tory a veritable treasure
house of information.
Maintained by the Key
West Art and Historical
Society, the museum and
Art Gallery is currently
undergoing a program of
expansion, according to
Joe Allen, president of the
Society.
For years the tower and
its twin, the West Mar.
tello Tower which is stu.
ated near the Monroe
County Beach, has been
taken for granted by Key
Westers, who as children
frolicked amid it's slowly
crumbling ruins.
But now, when the face Of Key
West is changing so rapidly, the
landmark becomes ever more sig.
nificant in preserving that which
is important to the history of Key
West.
The Historical Society, rscogniz-
ing the need for the preservation
in a tangible form the tradition and
history of a community that has
captured the imagination Of thou.
sands of Americans, is appealing
to the people of Key West FOR the
loan of anything of historical value,
particularly local, so that they may
enlarge the scope Of their museum
displays. - E
They emphasize that any mater
ial displayed does not have TO be
given to the Society, it may be
merely loaned, They added that il
will be given the best of care.
The Martello Towers al.
though they we're not constructed
until the time of the Civil War, has
a background that goes back some
four-hundred years. -
Originally planned for the de-
tense of Key West against possible
enemy attack, they were placed
strategically as a link in the net
work of defenses built around Fort
Taylor which was built earlier on
the Southeastern promonotory Of
the island. The Martello towers
were supposed to protect the rear
of Fort Taylor.
The term Martello is one that
designates a type Of fertilization
rather than any particular struc-
ture.
The concensus among experts
seems to be that the derivation of
of the word is from Martello Point
on the island of Corsica where the
first fortress Of the type was con-
structed. the landing Of a British
force is said to have been repulsed
by this bastion and the design 1t is
alleged to have been copied by
them and several similar forts con-
structed along the Kentish coast.
Another theory holds that the de-
sign was named for a Spanish
Military engineer who Is claimed
to have designed the first fort.
Several forts Of the same type
were erected in Canada and with
the Civil War in offing. the United
States followed suit.
Key West, according to War
Department plans formulated In
1874 was to have had o total Of
four towers. Fort Taylor. the con-
struction of which was undertaken
the following year was the first,
but for various reasons, The build
ing of the East and West Mar
tello Towers did not begin until
the first year Of the war between
the states in 1851.
The erection Of the towers made
18th centurey Key West beehive
of activity.
The first step in the project was
the building Of q narrow guage rail-
way from q wharf near Fl. Taylor
to the sites Of the towers. The rail-
way was extremely busy hauling
material for the construction for
the Notifications. Not . trace Of