Truman Annex

Coordinates: 24°33′22″N 81°48′25″W / 24.556023°N 81.806989°W / 24.556023; -81.806989

Official log of Harry Truman's March 12 to April 10, 1950 visit to Key West (from Truman Library)[1]
Official log of Harry Truman's December 3-8, 1947 visit to Key West. Early logs of his trips were quite primitive (from Truman Library)[1]

Truman Annex is both a neighborhood and military installation in Key West, Florida, United States. It is the part of the island that is west of Whitehead Street, with the exception of Bahama Village.[2] It is where the winter White House for President Harry S. Truman is located from its days as part of the former Naval Station Key West. The Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida was the winter White House for President Truman for 175 days during 11 visits.

History

The annex got its start in 1845 as part of Fort Zachary Taylor, a U.S. Army installation. The base was eventually taken over in 1947 as the "Fort Zachary Taylor Annex" to Naval Station Key West. New docks had been added in 1932 to make it a home base for submarines. The base was mostly decommissioned in 1974 because contemporary nuclear submarines were too large to use the facility. The Navy's primary installation in the area, Naval Air Station Key West, continues to operate about six miles (10 km) east of the annex on Boca Chica Key.

The area around Fort Taylor, as well as the fort itself, is now under the control of the State of Florida as Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Much of the annex was sold to private developers who have made it a gated residential community (which does not create a barrier to visiting the Truman White House within this area), while 32.4 acres (131,000 m2) were transferred to the City of Key West at no cost to be used for green space and to protect a neighborhood known as "Bahama Village" which is home to many citizens of African-Bahamian descent. The remainder continues to be utilized as a military installation and is known as Naval Air Station Key West - Truman Annex.

Many refugees from the 1980 Mariel boatlift arrived via the Truman Annex. The ship berthing dock and the Outer Mole (Harbor) have been retained by the Navy, which dredges the harbor and collects 40 percent of cruise ship docking fees.

The Annex was renamed the "Truman Annex" after Truman spent his winters in Key West in the annex.

References

  1. 1 2 President Harry S. Truman's Travel logs
  2. ↑ Truman Annex (Fort Zachary Taylor Annex) neighborhood, detailed profile

External links

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