Key West history

Foundation and First Mentions

The history of Key West begins long before the arrival of Europeans, when these lands were inhabited by the indigenous Calusa people. However, the island received its famous historical name thanks to Spanish conquistadors. They named it Cayo Hueso ("Island of Bones") after discovering numerous remains on the shore following ancient battles or burials. The official birth of the city as an American port occurred in 1822, when Lieutenant Matthew Perry raised the US flag here, and businessman John Simonton purchased the island, recognising its immense potential.

Key Factors of Development

The transformation of a small island into a thriving city was driven by a unique combination of geography and maritime trade:

• Strategic Location: Key West is located at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, making it an ideal site for a deep-water port and a military base to combat piracy.
• Coral Reefs: The treacherous waters around the island became a paradoxical source of wealth. Frequent shipwrecks gave rise to a professional cargo salvage industry.

Early Cultural and Economic Features

By the mid-19th century, Key West had become the wealthiest city per capita in the USA. Its economic success was based on three pillars: wrecking (salvaging property from sinking ships), sea salt production, and turtle harvesting.

The cultural appearance of the city formed as a vibrant mosaic. It blended the traditions of settlers from the Bahamas (known as "Conchs"), Cuban craftsmen who brought the art of cigar making, and merchants from New England. This mixture created a unique, relaxed, and multicultural atmosphere that distinguishes Key West to this day.

Major Historical Milestones

• 1823 — Establishment of a US naval base to combat piracy, ensuring the safety of trade routes in the region.
• 1845 — Start of construction on Fort Zachary Taylor, which became a key defensive structure on the southern border.
• 1868 — Start of the rapid development of the cigar industry due to an influx of Cuban masters and the opening of dozens of factories.
• 1912 — Arrival of the first train via Henry Flagler's unique Overseas Railroad, connecting the island to the mainland.
• 1927 — Founding of Pan American World Airways in the city and the launch of the first scheduled international flight to Havana.
• 1931 — Ernest Hemingway buys a house on the island, where he would live for nearly ten years and write his famous works.
• 1935 — The devastating "Labor Day Hurricane" destroys part of the railway, forever interrupting rail service.
• 1938 — Opening of the Overseas Highway for automobiles, built on the foundation of the destroyed railway tracks.
• 1946 — President Harry Truman begins using the residence at the naval base as his "Little White House" for winter holidays.
• 1982 — The city mayor announces the creation of the "Conch Republic" and symbolic independence in protest against border checks on the highway.
• 1990 — Establishment of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to protect the fragile ecosystem of the coral reefs.

Stages of City Development and Transformation

The history of Key West is a series of economic highs, natural challenges, and cultural fusions. The city has repeatedly changed its appearance and main source of income, adapting to new conditions. Here are the key stages that formed the modern look of the island:

• Golden Age of Maritime Trade (Mid-19th Century)
  During this period, Key West became the wealthiest city per capita in the USA. The economy was built on a unique specialisation: salvaging cargo from sunken ships (wrecking) and harvesting sea sponges. This laid the financial foundation for the development of the city's architecture and port.
• Industrialisation and Cigar Boom (Late 19th Century)
  Thanks to its proximity to Cuba, the city turned into a world capital of cigar production. The opening of hundreds of factories attracted thousands of skilled Cuban workers, which radically changed the demographics, culture, and cuisine of the island, making it bilingual and multicultural.
• Flagler's Infrastructure Breakthrough (1912)
  The construction of the Overseas Railroad put an end to the island's isolation. This grand engineering structure linked Key West to the mainland by a reliable land route for the first time, opening the city to mass goods supplies and the first wealthy tourists.
• Transformation into a Tourist Resort (1938)
  After the railway was destroyed by a hurricane, the famous Overseas Highway was built on its foundation. This event democratised tourism: the city became accessible to motorists, leading to the construction of motels, restaurants, and the development of the hospitality sector.
• Formation of a Bohemian Centre (Mid-20th Century)
  The arrival of writers (such as Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams) and artists created a reputation for the city as a creative sanctuary. This cultural shift formed a unique atmosphere of freedom and creativity, which is Key West's main tourism brand today.
• Preservation of Historical Heritage (1960–90s)
  The realisation of the value of the old wooden buildings led to large-scale restoration programmes. Transforming the historic centre (Old Town) into a protected zone allowed for the preservation of the unique Caribbean-Victorian style, which attracts millions of travellers annually.

Architectural Appearance: Wooden Lace and Tropical Flair

The architecture of Key West is unique within the USA, representing a remarkable fusion of maritime traditions, Caribbean influence, and American classicism. The city possesses the country's largest collection of historic wooden buildings—over 3,000 structures. The local style was formed not by professional architects, but by ship carpenters who adapted homes to the hot climate and hurricanes.

Main Architectural Styles and Eras

• Conch Style — 19th Century: The island's calling card. This is vernacular (folk) architecture created by settlers from the Bahamas. Houses were built from durable pine or cedar and raised on stone or wooden piles for protection against floods. Characteristic features include pitched roofs for collecting rainwater, wide verandas, and shutter-blinds for ventilation.
• Tropical Victorian Style — Late 19th Century: In the era of economic prosperity, classical Victorian architecture (Queen Anne style) was reimagined. The mansions of wealthy merchants and captains were decorated with intricate wood carving, known as gingerbread trim, turrets, and asymmetrical facades, yet they retained a tropical airiness.
• Shotgun Houses — 1880–1910s: A functional housing style for cigar factory workers. These are narrow, long houses where rooms are arranged one after another. By opening the front and back doors, a draught could be created, which provided relief from the heat before the invention of air conditioning.
• Romanesque Revival and Renaissance — Turn of the 19th–20th Centuries: Used for federal and public buildings to emphasise reliability and authority. Unlike residential developments, brick and stone were used here.

Urban Development and Zoning

The appearance of Key West is clearly divided into two eras, captured in the island's geography:

• Old Town: The historic core in the west of the island. A dense grid of narrow streets, laid out in 1829 by William Whitehead, has been preserved here. This district is a true open-air museum, where changing the historical appearance of facades is prohibited.
• New Town: The eastern part of the island, developed primarily after the 1940s. This is a zone of modern development with shopping centres, wide avenues, and concrete residential buildings constructed on reclaimed land (former salt flats).

Landmark Buildings that Shaped the City's Look

• Ernest Hemingway Home (1851): A unique example of Spanish colonial style, built from local limestone quarried right on the site. The massive stone house contrasts sharply with the surrounding wooden cottages.
• Custom House (1891): A majestic red brick structure in the Romanesque Revival style with steep roofs and arched entrances. It symbolised the wealth of Key West in the era of maritime trade.
• Truman Little White House (1890): Originally built as housing for naval officers. It represents a fine example of wooden architecture with double verandas and louvered doors, ensuring maximum air circulation.

Famous Residents and Guests of Key West

The unique atmosphere of the island has attracted people with unconventional thinking for centuries—from presidents and magnates to brilliant writers and adventurers. Here is a list of individuals who have forever inscribed their names in the city's history.

• Henry Flagler (1830–1913)
  Industrialist and railway magnate
  The man who changed the island's destiny. It was he who realised the ambitious project of the Overseas Railroad, which in 1912 connected isolated Key West to the US mainland for the first time, opening an era of tourism and large-scale trade.
• Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)
  Writer, Nobel Prize laureate
  The city's most famous resident. He lived here in the 1930s, where he wrote the novels "A Farewell to Arms" and "To Have and Have Not". His house with its six-toed cats has become a main attraction, and the writer himself cemented Key West's fame as a literary capital.
• Harry Truman (1884–1972)
  33rd President of the United States
  He turned the former officers' quarters into his winter residence, known as the "Little White House". During his presidency, he spent 175 days on the island, making important state decisions here and restoring his strength in the warm climate.
• Tennessee Williams (1911–1983)
  Playwright
  The author of the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" lived in Key West for over 30 years—longer than Hemingway. He was the centre of the local bohemian scene and actively contributed to transforming the city into a tolerant and creative haven for artists and writers.
• John James Audubon (1785–1851)
  Ornithologist and naturalist painter
  Visited the island in 1832 to study the local fauna. Here he discovered and sketched 18 new bird species for his famous album "The Birds of America". One of the oldest house museums in the city bears his name.
• Mel Fisher (1922–1998)
  Legendary treasure hunter
  Dedicated his life to searching for the Spanish galleon "Nuestra Señora de Atocha", which sank in 1622. In 1985, after 16 years of searching, his team discovered treasures worth 450 million dollars off the coast of Key West, making the city the world capital of fortune hunters.
• Jimmy Buffett (1946–2023)
  Musician and businessman
  Arrived on the island in the 1970s and immortalised its relaxed lifestyle in his songs (including the hit "Margaritaville"). Buffett shaped the modern tourism brand of Key West as a place of eternal summer and carefreeness.