Rebuilding the Past … for the Future

Constructed in 1911, the Guard House was Building Number 65 out of approximately 70 structures built at Fort Dade between 1900 and 1916. The sturdy concrete Guard House served as the fort's military jail. Few of the fort's original buildings were constructed of concrete, and most were built of wood. By the 1930s, many had been destroyed by hurricanes, demolished, or burned, but the concrete jail remained standing, though without a roof. Restoration of the Guard House began in 1999, spearheaded by the Egmont Key Alliance, a citizens support group. Baked clay tiles were used to reroof the building with an approximation of the original covering, and organizers located the same Chicago company that had supplied the original tiles. The restored Guard House is intended for use as a museum and education center.

Florida · United States