Pigeon Key
Encyclopedia
Pigeon Key is a historic district
located on the small island of Pigeon Key
in the lower Florida Keys
. The island is named "Cayo Paloma" on many old Spanish charts. It is located off the old Seven Mile Bridge
, at approximately mile marker 45, west of Knight's Key
, (city of Marathon
in the middle Florida Keys) and just east of Moser Channel
, which is the deepest section of the 7 mile span.
Said to be named for large flocks of White-crowned pigeons
(Columba leucocephala Linnaeus) which once roosted there. During the building of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad
Key West Extension, a major construction depot was located there, the jumping off point for construction of the Seven Mile Bridge
. A number of buildings from the Flagler era remain on the island. They are now part of the Pigeon Key Historic District
.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
located on the small island of Pigeon Key
Pigeon Key
Pigeon Key is a historic district located on the small island of Pigeon Key in the lower Florida Keys. The island is named "Cayo Paloma" on many old Spanish charts...
in the lower Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
. The island is named "Cayo Paloma" on many old Spanish charts. It is located off the old Seven Mile Bridge
Seven Mile Bridge
The Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys...
, at approximately mile marker 45, west of Knight's Key
Knight's Key
Knight's Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida.-Geography:U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile marker 47, at the western end of Key Vaca and eastern end of the Seven Mile Bridge.-History:Prior to the completion of...
, (city of Marathon
Marathon, Florida
Marathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
in the middle Florida Keys) and just east of Moser Channel
Moser Channel
Moser Channel is the deepest passage spanned by the Seven Mile Bridge and is one of four predominant passages in the Florida Keys which allow exchange of waters to the north and west of the Keys with the Atlantic waters of Hawk Channel and the Florida Reef to the south and east...
, which is the deepest section of the 7 mile span.
Said to be named for large flocks of White-crowned pigeons
White-crowned Pigeon
The White-crowned Pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae . It inhabits the northern and central Caribbean islands and some places on the North and Central American mainland...
(Columba leucocephala Linnaeus) which once roosted there. During the building of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad
Overseas Railroad
The Overseas Railroad was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 30,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula...
Key West Extension, a major construction depot was located there, the jumping off point for construction of the Seven Mile Bridge
Seven Mile Bridge
The Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys...
. A number of buildings from the Flagler era remain on the island. They are now part of the Pigeon Key Historic District
Pigeon Key Historic District
The Pigeon Key Historic District is a U.S. historic district located on Pigeon Key in Florida. The district is off U.S. 1 at mile marker 45. It contains 11 historic buildings and 3 structures...
.