National Register of Historic Places

Armory, The

Key West, Monroe County, Florida
Listed
March 10, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000243

About this property

The Armory is a historic site in Key West, Florida, United States. It is located at 600 White Street. In 1971, it was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places. The armory was built to support military training and readiness of local military reserves. In 1877, the "Key West Rifles", a voluntary military company, organized with 80 members. It was not very professional, and after the fire of 1886 destroyed all of its equipment, it ceased to exist. In 1888, a 32-member company named the "Island City Guards" was organized, which would eventually become Company 1, Second Regiment of Infantry, Florida State Troops. It is now part of the National Guard. Land for an armory was purchased by Monroe County in 1901. The armory was designed by T. F. Russell and built in 1901 by John T. Sawyer. In 1903, upon a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court, the state of Florida refunded the cost to the county and took ownership. In 2006, it became the home and initial campus of The Studios of Key West, a new artist community offering creative space, professional workshops, and other creative and cultural activities. After The Studios of Key West moved to their new headquarters, at 533 Eaton Street, in 2015, The Armory eventually became home to 12 artist studios. 'Artists at the Armory' are located on the second floor. The main hall is available for lease and is often used as a rehearsal space by local theater companies or as an exhibition space. The Historic Florida Keys Foundation (HFKF) leases the Armory from the State of Florida. The HFKF manages the Armory and oversees its maintenance. The Armory received a Historic Florida Keys Foundation Preservation Award in 2008.

Location

600 White St.
Key West, Monroe County, Florida
24.56098, -81.79398

Categories

MILITARYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Key West Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.4 mi
Thompson Fish House, Turtle Cannery and Kraals
Industrial
0.4 mi
Gato, Eduardo H., House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Key West Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Porter, Dr. Joseph Y., House
Modern
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Armory, The listed on the National Register?

Armory, The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 10, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Armory, The?

Armory, The is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Armory, The?

The period of significance for Armory, The is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Armory, The?

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