Show isolated island off key west no longer naval base originally started in 1846 upon the recommendation of andrew jackson as a protective stronghold for national defense against possible invasion by foreign troops en bering the gulf of mexico fort jef ferson proved ineffective as a naval base its history however has been exciting enough to lure scores of adventurous travelers to the re mote romantic isle here for more than nine decades the heavy ma conry outer walls protecting the fortress have withstood the restless pounding of shafic abounding wa observes a writer in the wash ington post fort jefferson was only fairly completed by 1860 having taken more than 14 years to build re quiring almost fabulous labor to de celop its main structures a vast sum of money has been expended to build them transportation of bricks and other building materials to the distant sea base was a slow and costly process it is estimated that more than 40 bricks were imported from the mainland from cities as far north as philadel phia the careful toil and skill ex eluted by its builders never proved quite sufficient to withstand the fu rious cyclones which arise from time to time in the florida straits many sturdy bricks have been sud denly wrenched loose from the stone walls by the intense velocity of cy dome winds it is related that during these storms food while being carried from the cook house has been blown far out to sea at such times coral would rise from the ground and be hurled through the air with danger ous force because of these cy clones and inasmuch as the island was considered to have outlived its original purpose by 1872 the fort was abandoned as a naval base it was garrisoned again in 1898 during the spanish american war on its famous last trip en route to cuba the battleship maine stopped at the naval station |