07 July 2010

Fort Jefferson


Click to enlarge - very cool photo.

This is a coastal fortress on the Florida Keys, and the "largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere" (16 million bricks).

Note the walls are surrounded by a moat!

Good summary at Wiki, with more details and many more pix at this link.

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful pic, but what is the point of the moat if the fort itself is an island? Curious. :)

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  2. The use of a moat is one reason I posted the item. This explanation is offered at the link:

    "Although it might seem strange that a moat would be necessary outside a fort surrounded by miles and miles of ocean, it was intended to provide protection against not only potential invaders but also the relentless pounding of the surf."

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  3. I've always considered the moat a selling point in making Dry Tortugas the place to be when the zombies rise... aside from occasional inland missile silo, can you think of a better place?

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