Dating back as far as 1822, the Truman Annex Community was part of the United States Naval Station in Key West, Florida. The Navy recognized this portion of the island of Key West as a strategic location for defense operations. Many of the buildings located in The Truman Annex Community, including Harbour Place Condominiums’ Administration Building, were constructed during World War II. The Little White House, a summer residence used primarily by former President Harry S. Truman is included in the National Register of Historical Places. Additional buildings within the Truman Annex Community, including the Administration Building, are eligible for the National Register.
While the greatest concentration of activity at the Naval Station occurred during World War II, the Truman Annex Community served as a defense base for the United States as early as Nineteenth Century confrontations with pirates from the Gulf and the Caribbean. In 1898, Key West, and the Truman Annex in particular, received national attention during the Spanish-American War when the Naval Station at Key West harbored the entire U.S. Atlantic Fleet, including the doomed battleship, The Maine.