Dry Tortugas National Park was established to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Fort Jefferson and submerged resources around the nearby keys. The Dry Tortugas were strategically important for their location along the edge of the main shipping channel connecting the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Atlantic Ocean. Construction of Fort Jefferson began in 1846 on Garden Key, surrounding a brick lighthouse that had been built there in 1825. The largest all-masonry fort in the United States, it was intended to protect American shipping interests in the Gulf of Mexico. A second lighthouse was constructed beginning in 1857 on Loggerhead Key to aid navigation through the hazardous straights into the Gulf. Ultimately, the fort was never completed, with most work abandoned by 1874. In 1876, a new iron lighthouse was erected atop the fort to replace the original 1825 Garden Key light, which had been damaged by hurricanes.

Documentation of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas has been undertaken by Heritage Documentation Programs beginning in 2015, with a series of projects to document the Parade Grounds, Garden Key Light, and other features. Field work was undertaken by HDP architects Paul Davidson and Daniel De Sousa, with photography by staff photographers Jarob Ortiz and Todd Croteau. Digital content produced by Paul Davidson and Ryan Pierce.

More information available on the Dry Tortugas website

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