Fort Dade was an Endicott Period fortification which guarded the entry to Tampa Bay. Accessible only by boat, it has been abandoned for nearly a century. What’s left of Fort Dade today lies in ruins along the northwest shore of Egmont Key, crumbling in the debilitating heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast. 

Thomas Kenning’s latest book – from which this story is adapted – is Abandoned Florida: Sunshine Sentinels.

Abandoned Florida: Sunshine Sentinels is a stunning visual survey of Florida’s historic coastal defenses – those sun-faded outposts of empire, crumbling now on shifting sands near the end of the beach. It is a guided tour in book form, perfect for these stay-close-to-home kind of times! Seven thrilling tales, supplemented by 140 original images reproduced at the highest quality, providing a view of the Sunshine State that rarely makes the postcard.

Here’s a preview of some of my favorite images from the book. Read an excerpt from the book.

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