Location

Dry Tortugas National Park, FL

Services

Conditions Assessment

Materials Analysis

Construction Documents

Documentation

Construction Monitoring

Materials

Glass

Metal

Brick

Stone

Image Credit: Stone and Lime

Fort Jefferson is located in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. Construction on the large masonry structure began in 1846. Construction was halted, after delays caused by the Civil War, in 1875. The fort was never completed but served various functions over the years including as an army outpost, marine hospital, quarantine station, and a navy coal depot. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt declared the fort a National Monument. The area covered by the monument was expanded and renamed the Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992. Over the years, neglected maintenance and exposure to the elements (including hurricanes) left large parts of the fort crumbling or collapsed.

JBC has been involved in multiple phases of the fort’s stabilization and reconstruction. In 2015, we were retained by the masonry contractor, Stone and Lime Imports, to survey existing conditions, document work progress, and assess completed contract. We have returned to the fort every season since. Due to structure’s exposure to the elements, the massive masonry walls require near constant repair. Working at Fort Jeff is a unique experience. Because of its remote location, all staff must reside on the island during work and all supplies and equipment must be brought in by boat.

Beginning in 2020, JBC’s role expanded to the restoration of the fort’s masonry and steel lighthouse. JBC performed a detailed conditions assessment and designed a treatment plan, including methods for the protection of historic elements, controlled dismantling of the upper steel portion and lantern cupola for off-site repairs, and storage of removed elements. JBC is also providing quality control services, monitoring work performed on site as well in the metals sub-contractor’s shop in Georgia.