Documented Resources Impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria

The resources highlighted in this Story Map were documented by the Heritage Documentation Programs of the U.S. National Park Service.

 Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP)  is part of the  National Park Service . It administers the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the Federal Government's oldest preservation program, and its companion programs: the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). Documentation produced through HABS/HAER/HALS constitutes the nation's largest archive of historic architectural, engineering, and landscape documentation. Records on more than 44,000 historic sites (consisting of large-format black and white photographs, measured drawings, and written historical reports) are maintained in a special collection at the Library of Congress, available to the public copyright free via the Library's website. HDP also develops and maintains the  Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Architectural and Engineering Documentation .

Documentation provides a permanent record of the nation's most important historic sites and large-scale objects. It is the first step in the stewardship of historic sites and structures, where it serves as a preservation, planning, and problem-solving tool both within the National Park Service and nationwide. HABS/HAER/HALS documentation provides a record of structures and landscapes in “as-built/as-is” condition to guide rehabilitation and restoration efforts. The documentation contributes to wider recognition and appreciation of historic resources as National Historic Landmarks, provides baseline documentation for rehabilitation and restoration, and makes available well-researched materials for interpretation and illustration. The program also issues and updates national documentation standards and guidelines and provides education and training for the next generation of historical architects; architectural, engineering, and landscape historians; and documentary photographers.

Hurricane Irma formed in late August and strengthened into a Category 5 storm before passing the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in early September. It continued on a north-west track finally striking the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm before coming onshore in mainland Florida in mid-September.

After it was sold into private hands, in 1818, it served as a picturesque focal point to the various estate "buildings which were grouped around it, being used at times as a guest house. An inscription above the entrance to the tower reads "Tour de Barve Bleu—Restauree par V. Piccioni 1859" (Bluebeard's Tower—Restored by V. Piccioni 1859). The interior of the tower has been completely remodeled for later uses, but the masonry walls of the building appear to have survived without alteration. It now serves as a hotel.

Considerable damage was done to the buildings around the Castle during Hurricane Maria and additional damage was caused by Hurricane Maria. The historic structure itself is under continual threats from both wind and water damage that occurs during these events.

The date of construction of the Windmill, Estate Whim has not been ascertained. A windmill is shown on the identical site on the detailed Oxholm survey of Frederiksted & surroundings dated 1778. The mill departs from the norm in the large size of the opening. In the batter of its walls it corresponds to the Virgin Islands mills of the early 19th century while the architectural decoration of the mill is not inconsistent with an earlier date of construction. The mill tower was converted into a water storage tank at an unknown date. All openings were walled up & the interior walls & floor given a cement plaster finish. The fill in walls were removed in 1964 as an initial step in restoring the mill tower.

Wind damage from Hurricane Maria is evident on the landscape surrounding the site.

These forts were part of the defenses erected to protect Spain's first permanent colony in the present territory of the United States. Construction was begun in 1539, but major period of construction began in 1591. The Forts were built with sandstone and brick consist of massive walls with decorative sentry boxes at strategic points. Castillo de San Felipe del Morro is located on high ground overlooking the channel leading into San Juan Bay. The bay, a naturally-occuring deep-water port, has been prized for centuries and El Morro, as it is locally known, has been controlling access since the early 15th century. It successfully fended off frequent attacks by pirates and privateers. In the early 17th century, a Dutch force attacked from the land side of the fort, which had no fortifications. After repelling that attack, the Spaniards encircled all of the city inside walls (see HABS PR-135). The fortifications came under attack during the Spanish American War, but the troops surrendered after quickly recognizing the superior firepower of the American forces. The fort was used both during World War I and World War II before becoming a National Park in 1949 and a World Heritage Site in 1983.Both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria impacted Puerto Rico. With Hurricane Maria doing the greatest damage. While there was no major damage to the Forts the sites were closed to visitors for a period of time. It was very apparent that documentation of the resources is important since future storms will threaten these sites because of their geographic location.

The Perky Bat Tower was built from plans developed by Dr. Campbell of San Antonio, Texas in 1929. The tower was meant to house bats for mosquito control for a resort on Sugarloaf Key planned by R.C. Perky. The wood was not painted, the building louvers were to face the prevailing breeze, and the location to be in a quiet area. A hopper to collect was located in the center. The roof eaves and louvers provided entrance and exit for the bats. The door under the louvers allowed for the placing of a special formula bait to attract the bats.Sugarloaf Key was much closer to the path of the eye of Hurrricane Irma, which came ashore at Cudjoe Key, and as a result the Perky Bat Tower suffered wind damage and was toppled. Because of the documentation of the Heritage Documentation Programs there exists a detailed record of this site. 

The first mention of Tift-Hemingway House was found in Monroe County, Florida, Tax Rolls of 1876. Popular tradition dates the building as being pre-Civil War; however, a local historian, writer and neighbor says, "The home of Asa Tift is of native stone and was built after the Civil War." The house was originally owned by Asa Tift, a early settler who was active in the Confederate cause during the civil war, and, more famously by Ernest Hemingway. The house is constructed of native limestone and has a distinctive architectural characterHurricane Irma made landfall at Cudjoe Key , Florida well north of Key West. It appears the Tift-Hemingway House suffered little damage to the structure or landscaping. But these storms illustrated how vulnerable this site is because of its geographic location and the reason documentation of the site is critical.

During the first half of the 19th century the United States began a chain of defenses from Maine to Texas. The largest link was Fort Jefferson. It is about a half mile in perimeter, with walls 45 feet high and surrounded by a wet moat. It is one of the largest brick forts in the U.S. Designed for a garrison of 75O0 men and an armament of 450 cannon. Construction of the fort started in 1846 and continued for 30 years. It was never completed. It is now part of  Dry Tortugas National Park 

Although Fort Jefferson was south and west of the path of Hurricane Irma's eye it was still impacted by storm surge and wind. Trees were blown over and the moat wall suffered damage and over-wash of sand. The Historic American Building Survey (HDP) documented the Fort in 1934, when it was in very poor condition, and has returned in recent years to document parts of the Fort since rehabilitation has been done. 

A structural engineer is being coordinated by the Park to assess the damage to the moat wall and a local dive team conducted damage assessments for natural and cultural resources including coral and shipwrecks

Decayed and crumbling, old Fort Matansas still bears mute evidence of that historic period when the Spaniard struggled bitterly to defend Florida against the invader. During those turbulent times, Governor Oglethorpe of Georgia, and other militant English colonists, were a constant menace to the Spaniards, and it was primarily to repel their attack that tfort Matanzas was erected by the Spanish governor, Monteano. In 1739 war was declared between England and Spain, and subsequently in 1740 Oglethorp unsuccessfully laid siege to St. Augustine. 

The boat and docking facility received heavy damage from Hurricane Irma. In the post Hurricane Irma image from NOAA flooding is visible around the fortification. Inundation from storm surge is a constant threat to the site.

The star fort and its moat and outworks were built to protect Spanish territory in Florida from attacks by the English. Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. It was the site of a British Garrison in the Revolutionary War, was acquired by the U.S. in 1819 and used as a military prison. The fort last saw action in the Spanish American War in 1898.

The Fort saw damage and flooding from storm surge during Hurricane Irma.

Located in the elegant residential area of La Alhambra in Ponce. Early 20th century residential architecture in the island is the best represented by this house with its rich architectural vocabulary. Characteristic of Ponce architecture is the house's "L" shpaed balcony, the use of tile, mosaic, stained glass and the emphasis placed on the dining room within the organizing scheme. The reinforced concrete house was designed and built in 1927 for Mr. Fernando Luis Toro by architect Francisco Porrata Doria, a locally prominent designer.

During Hurricane Maria there was heavy wind damage to the surrounding trees threatening the structure.

This site is the location of the ruins of a sugar mill. The mill was typical of mills serving the sugar cane plantations in Puerto Rico, which underwent considerable technological change and became a full-mechanized producer of sugar and cane by-products.

Damage to buildings and trees from Hurricane Maria is evident in the post event NOAA image.