The Sugarloaf Key Bat Tower, also known as the Perky Bat Tower, is a historic site in Monroe County,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is located a mile northwest of

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...

Lower Sugarloaf Key Lower Sugarloaf Key is the lower arm of an island known as Sugarloaf Key in the lower Florida Keys about east of Key West. U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key at about mile markers 16.5–17.5. Due to the routing of U.S. Route ...

at mile marker 17. On May 13, 1982, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The tower was blown down during

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...

in 2017.

History

The tower was built in 1929 by Richter Clyde Perky, a fish lodge owner, to control the

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

problem in the Lower Keys. However, when the

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s were put in, they supposedly flew away, never to return. The tower was built from plans purchased from a Charles Campbell of Texas, an early pioneer of bat studies. The Hygiostatic Bat Roost, as Campbell called it, was intended to be a roost for bats that would eat the mosquitoes which spread

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

. According to at least some local folklore, the

skunk ape The skunk ape is a large and hairy human-like mythical creature purported to inhabit the forests and swamps in the southeastern United States, most notably in Florida. It is often compared to, synonymous with, or called the "cousin" of Bigfoot, ...

was responsible for some early damage to the structure and for driving off some of the bats.

Today

Fallen remains of Sugar Loaf Florida bat tower

Two Campbell bat towers are still standing (out of an original fourteen worldwide) in the United States: one in

Comfort, Texas Comfort is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kendall County, Texas, Kendall County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, it had a population of 2,363. Comfort ...

; and one at the Shangri-La Gardens in

Orange, Texas Orange is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. The population was 19,324 at the 2020 census. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Houston. ...

. At least one of the Texas towers has been internally reconstructed so that bats currently roost in it. The ruins of a fourth Campbell tower, in

Temple Terrace Temple Terrace is a city in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, adjacent to Tampa. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,690. It is the third and smallest incorporated municipality in Hillsborough County, ...

, Florida, burned in 1979 and now consists of the concrete base and legs. Temple Terrace is in the process of rebuilding their 1924 tower. The Sugarloaf Bat Tower was toppled over on September 10, 2017, in the devastating winds of

. It has not yet been decided whether it will be repaired or re-erected.

Cultural references

*The Bat Tower is used as a setting in the

Tim Dorsey Timothy Alan Dorsey (January 25, 1961 – November 26, 2023) was an American novelist. He is known for a series starring Serge A. Storms, a mentally disturbed vigilante antihero who rampages across Florida enforcing his own moral code against a v ...

novel ''

Torpedo Juice Torpedo juice is American slang for an alcoholic beverage, first mixed in World War II, made from pineapple, grapefruit or orange juice and the 180-proof (90% alcohol by volume) grain alcohol fuel used in United States Navy torpedo motors. Vari ...

''. *Mentioned in the novel ''

American Gods ''American Gods'' (2001) is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana (culture), Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shad ...

'' by

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

. *Mentioned in the novel '' Gumbo Limbo: An Alex Rutledge Mystery'' by Tom Corcoran. *Discussed on the June 1, 2025 episode of ''

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' (often abridged as ''Last Week Tonight'') is an American news satire late-night talk show hosted by comedian John Oliver. The half-hour-long show premiered in the end of April 2014 on HBO and currently has ...

References

External links

Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

Monroe County listings
*{{HABS , survey=FL-193 , id=fl0142 , title=Perky Bat Tower, Airport Road, Key West, Monroe County, FL , photos=3 , data=5 , cap=1 , supp=yes

Bat roosts Towers completed in 1929 Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Florida History of Monroe County, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Monroe County, Florida Tourist attractions in the Florida Keys Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida Towers in Florida Sugarloaf Key 1929 establishments in Florida