Key West History
Key West's long and colorful past begins with its European
discovery in 1513 by Ponce de Leon. The island was first
known as Cayo Hueso (Isle of Bones) because it was littered
with remains from an Indian battlefield or burial ground. The
name "Key West" is the English version of the Spanish term.
The first permanent occupancy in the City occurred in 1822,
complete with a small naval depot, whose purpose was to rid
the area of pirates. The presence of the U.S. Navy has been a
major factor in the growth and development of Key West ever
since. The settlement was incorporated in 1828, four years
after becoming the county seat of Monroe County. The City
grew and prospered, based first on fishing and salvaging ships
wrecked on the nearby reefs, and later on cigar manufacturing
with Cuban refugees and imported Cuban tobacco. Other
economic activities included sponging and related commercial
functions. By 1890, Key West was the largest and richest city
in Florida. However, after the turn of the century its major
industries were in decline. Little construction was undertaken
between the First and Second World Wars and the City saw a
steady decline in population between 1919 and 1935.
World War II brought prosperity back to Key West.
Population more than doubled between 1940 and 1960.
Nation-wide military base closings and personnel reductions
beginning in the 1960s were major contributors to the City's
second major cycle of population decline. After recording the
highest number of residents in its history in 1960, Key West
experienced over a 25 percent loss in population by 1980. The
1990 Census showed a slight increase.
There are large numbers of buildings in the community that
are near or over a century old. The historical structures of Key
West are not grand public facilities, as churches and
government buildings, but are homes and cottages-still in
private ownership-built by persons without formal architectural
training. These historical buildings are found in a 190 block (
919 acre) area in the western end of the City. Within the
historical area are 2,580 structures containing the greatest
cluster of wooden buildings in Florida and one of the largest
concentrations in the U.S. Generally, the structures date from
1886 to 1912, but they represent the building tradition of Key
West from 1838.
The city's historical area, known as "Old Town", has a very
distinctive appearance, combining features of both New
England and Bahamian building styles. The basic features
which distinguish the local architecture includes wood frame
construction of one to two-and-a-half story structures set on
foundation piers about three feet above the ground. Exterior
characteristics of the buildings are peaked "tin" roofs,
horizontal wood siding, pastel shades of paint, side-hinged
louvered shutters, covered porches (or balconies, galleries, or
verandas) along the fronts of the structures, and wood lattice
screens covering the area elevated by the piers. A small but
striking characteristic is the wooden balustrade and other
ornamental trim present around the porches. The
neighborhoods in which these buildings are located have their
own distinctive features. These include a grid street pattern,
buildings set close to each other and to the street, a diverse
mix of building sizes and heights, fences of wood picket or
wrought iron or low masonry walls, and dozens of alleys or
lanes, with their own cluster of dwellings, entering the local
street system at irregular intervals.
History Provided by Key West Planning Department, 2000
www.keywestcity.com/
Historical Photos provided by State of Florida Historical Photo Archives
HISTORICAL PHOTOS
1890 Photo of Key West Courthouse
1898 Key West Harbor
1920's Photo of Duval Street
Postcard showing the Sponge Market and Post Office
View from LaConcha - 1926
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