Florida, Monroe County, Key West
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The City of Key West acquired this lot in 1871 and built a wood-frame city hall, dedicating it on July 4, 1876, during the nation’s Centennial. That building stood until it burned down in the devastating fire of 1886. The City then constructed this brick edifice between 1890 and 1892. Scott, McDermott & Higgs designed the structure, while Russell & Harvey built it. The ground floor—with wide arches and supporting columns—accommodated market stalls, then fire engines. The upper floor, dominated by the City Commission chambers, also housed City offices. Over the years, the building was altered, including the removal of the bell tower. Monroe County acquired the property in 1965 to house its juvenile court. In 1974, the State of Florida acquired the building, and the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board spearheaded its restoration. The bell tower was restored in 1976 during the Bicentennial. Restoration efforts continued through the 1980’s, leading to the rededication of Old City Hall in 1991. Sweeping granite stairs and an ornate iron balustrade distinguish the building’s entrance, while high ceilings, large windows, and wainscoting grace the historic interior.
(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
The City of Key West acquired this lot in 1871 and built a wood-frame city hall, dedicating it on July 4, 1876, during the nation’s Centennial. That building stood until it burned down in the devastating fire of 1886. The City then constructed this brick edifice between 1890 and 1892. Scott, McDermott & Higgs designed the structure, while Russell & Harvey built it. The ground floor—with wide arches and supporting columns—accommodated market stalls, then fire engines. The upper floor, dominated by the City Commission chambers, also housed City offices. Over the years, the building was altered, including the removal of the bell tower. Monroe County acquired the property in 1965 to house its juvenile court. In 1974, the State of Florida acquired the building, and the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board spearheaded its restoration. The bell tower was restored in 1976 during the Bicentennial. Restoration efforts continued through the 1980’s, leading to the rededication of Old City Hall in 1991. Sweeping granite stairs and an ornate iron balustrade distinguish the building’s entrance, while high ceilings, large windows, and wainscoting grace the historic interior.(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
The home of Stephen Russel Mallory (1812-1873) stood near this site from 1839 to 1895 when it became U.S. Navy property. U.S. Senator from Florida from 1851 to 1861 and Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee after 1853. As Secretary of the Navy in the Confederate States Cabinet (1861-1865) he pioneered the use of submarines and ironclad warships in naval warfare.
North of the octagonal church, and with the Hellenistic tomb-heroon continuing to function as nucleus, the spaces of prothesis, diakonikon, phiale and baptistery were developed. The later consisted of apodyterium, catechumena, baptistery and chrismarion. As a natural continuation, during the Christian period the heroon was transformed into a place of worship of an unknown martyr or even the Apostle Paul himself.
Ages ago this area was under an arm of the ocean. Shells and other marine organisms were deposited to form the limestone seen here.
Westerly on the Natchez Trace stood an Indian village “Pontatock” with its council house which, in the 1820's, became the “Capitol” of the Chickasaw Nation.
Named for a Chickasaw word meaning “tree root,” Tockshish was a community of Indians and white men on the Natchez Trace to the northwest. John McIntosh, British agent to the Choctaws, first settled there before 1770.
At Monroe Mission Station northwest of here, the Chickasaws first received Christianity and education in 1822. Five years later, 100 acres were under cultivation and 81 pupils were attending the school. Boys learned farming and carpentry, and girls learned spinning and weaving, in addition to classroom work.
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Somewhere in this vicinity, the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto crossed the animal paths that later became the Natchez Trace. In 1539, he set out on a long arduous journey that took him across the Southeastern United States. He crossed the Tombigbee River, east of here, in December 1540, and spent the ensuing winter among the nearby Chickasaw Indians. After a dispute with the Indians, de Soto and his army moved westward. He is credited with discovering the Mississippi River south of Memphis, Tennessee, in June 1541.
The United States agents to the Chickasaws lived from 1802 to 1825 west of here on the Old Natchez Trace.
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The Erie Canal was America's most successful and influential public works project. Completed in 1825, the 363-mile-long waterway established the first all-water route for navigation between the Atlantic Ocean and the upper Great Lakes, opened the interior of the continent to settlement and trade, and helped make New York City an international center of commerce. 
1805-1879 
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Preserved here is a portion of a nearly 200-year old road – the Old Natchez Trace. Maintaining this 500-mile long wilderness road in the early 1800's was a difficult if not hopeless task.
Unlike modern nations, Indian tribes seldom recognized clear, exact boundaries to their lands. However, the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians came to accept as a dividing line the stream that flowed in this valley. It remained the boundary until both tribes moved to Oklahoma in the 1830's. Although the stream’s course has been changed somewhat by a modern drainage canal, it is still called Line Creek.
