Still Serving - National Guard Armories

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Still ServingStill Serving

Reusing America’s HistoricNational Guard Armories

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Still ServingReusing America’s HistoricNational Guard Armories

National Trust for Historic PreservationNational Guard Bureau

National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036

The National Trust for Historic Preservation,chartered by Congress in 1949, is a private,nonprofit organization dedicated to protectingthe irreplaceable by working to save historicbuildings and the neighborhoods, andlandscapes they anchor. Through education andadvocacy, the National Trust is revitalizingcommunities across the country and challengescitizens to create sensible plans for the future.It has six regional offices, 20 historic sites,and works with thousands of local communitygroups nationwide.

The National Guard Bureau1411 Jefferson Davis HighwayArlington, VA 22202-3259

The National Guard Bureau was created in 1908in the office of the Secretary of War asthe Division of Militia Affairs. Today one ofthe oldest components of the Department ofDefense, the Bureau is unique because it is botha staff and an operating agency. As astaff agency, the Bureau participates with theArmy and Air Force Staffs in the developmentand coordination of programs pertaining to oraffecting the National Guard. As an operatingagency, the National Guard Bureau formulatesand administers the programs for the training,development, and maintenance of the Armyand Air National Guard, and acts as the channelof communications between the Army and AirNational Guard in the states, and the Depart-ments of the Army and the Air Force. The Chiefof the National Guard Bureau is appointed bythe President, with the adviceand consent of the Senate. The Bureau’sVice Chief is appointed by the Secretary ofDefense with the advice and consent of theservice secretaries.

Copyright © 2000. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in anymanner without written permission from thepublisher, except for brief quotations usedin reviews.

Printed in the United States of America.

Cover and book design: Lauren Kinberg,Walcoff Technologies, Inc.; Fairfax, Virginia

Copy editing: Julie Jensen,Walcoff Technologies, Inc.; Fairfax, Virginia

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FOREWORD

On Park Avenue in New York City stands the 7th Regiment Armory. Completed in1879 under the direction of regiment veteran and architect Charles W. Clinton, thislavishly detailed structure includes several rooms designed by Louis ComfortTiffany, Stanford White and the Herter brothers. The 7th Regiment, whose ranksonce included men from New York’s wealthiest and most prominent families, builtthe showcase armory on the city’s Upper East Side primarily through privatedonations. Esteemed for its historic and aesthetic contributions, the structure islisted on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated as aNew York City historic landmark.

Yet for all its glory, this commanding, but elegant structure has become seriouslytarnished over time due to extensive water stains, structural cracks, and generaldeterioration. While used for antique shows and other civic functions, the state-owned armory is in need of major funding and a strong vision for the future.Indeed, the plight of the 7th Regiment Armory is so severe that it now shares a placeon the World Monuments Fund “100 Most Endangered Sites” with othermonumental notables such as Egypt’s Valley of the Kings and the TeotihuacanPyramid in Mexico.

Another regimental armory remains threatened in Providence, Rhode Island.Standing majestically over Providence’s historic West Broadway neighborhood, this165,000 square foot building, constructed in 1907, sits vacant. Concern over theneed to find a new, economically viable use for this Romanesque Revival structureprompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to list the Cranston StreetArmory on its list of America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in 1997.

Not every American city has a regimental armory waiting in the wings. But mostcities have historic armories that once served and can still serve. These armories,often centrally located, may no longer meet the needs of the National Armory Guard.The demands of modern military training require a more functional structure thatcan accommodate large equipment and technological advances. However, they stillretain their ability to meet the needs of the community, as they often did in the past.The cavernous “drill sheds” can be used for showroom space, a dance hall, abasketball court, or atrium. The “head sheds” are readily adaptable for use asoffices or classrooms. Indeed, yesterday’s armories have been successfullyconverted into school buildings, apartments, libraries, museums, and communitycenters around the country.

Richard Moe, President

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Raymond F. ReesMajor General, U.S. ArmyDeputy ChiefNational Guard Bureau

From Massachusetts to California, National Guardsmen, concerned citizens, anddevelopers have teamed up with city and state officials, financial institutions,historic preservation organizations and others in search of solutions to pump new lifeinto these aging structures. As shown in the pages that follow, the Savannah Collegeof Art and Design purchased and refurbished a late 19th century Richardsonian-Revival armory for use as its principal administrative building in Savannah,Georgia. A museum in need of a new home in Deming, New Mexico acquired thetown’s all brick, castellated armory from the State Armory Board, providing much-needed exhibition and administrative space. With help from the state legislature,the citizens of Dawson, Minnesota were able to renovate their town armory for use asa library and 10-unit apartment complex.

As the story of each armory conversion unfolds, it becomes apparent that oneingredient was shared by all—vision. Each of these projects succeeded because anindividual or group within a community had the vision to see their armory’sfull potential.

While many armories have found new uses, countless others are waiting to serve.This booklet, made possible by the National Guard Bureau, highlights successfulprojects from around the country with the hope that they will inspire you to follow.We believe that these case studies will help you to envision new uses for your agingarmory. The task is not easy, but the rewards are countless.

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

The author and his colleagues from the National Trust for Historic Preservation andthe National Guard Bureau wish to extend their appreciation to the many people whocontributed to the research and development of this handbook. Significantassistance came from the current occupants or developers of the former armoriesfeatured in this guide, along with important supplemental help from National Guardofficials in those states. These individuals include:

ColoradoColoradoColoradoColoradoColorado Jil Rosentrater, Greeley Cultural Affairs Office.

GeorGeorGeorGeorGeorgiagiagiagiagia Dr. Richard Rowen, Paula Rowan, Sue Ellen Clinard, KristinFulford, Katherine W. Curtin, and Betty Cummings of theSavannah College of Art and Design; Henry J. Kennedy, SavannahVolunteer Guards historian; Gail E. Parnelle, Historical Society ofthe Georgia National Guard; Lt. Col. Ken Baldowski, GeorgiaNational Guard; “Cuffy” Sullivan, Savannah Development andRenewal Authority; Beth Reiter, Savannah Metropolitan PlanningCommission.

KentuckyKentuckyKentuckyKentuckyKentucky Peter Flaig, Lynn Olympia, and Carole Crawford of Trinity HighSchool; Larry Melillo, architect; Brig. Gen. Ed Tonini, Brig. Gen.Julius Berthold (Ret.), Maj. Phil Miller, and Command Sgt. Maj.Marion Williams (Ret.) of the Kentucky National Guard; RichardJett, Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office; Kate Carothers,Kentucky Heritage Council.

MassachusettsMassachusettsMassachusettsMassachusettsMassachusetts Tony Sulfaro, developer, Medford, Massachusetts; Col. LeonidKondratiuk (Ret.), Massachusetts National Guard.

MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota David Bovee, Dawson city manager; Pamela Helgeson, Dawsonlibrarian; David Hickey, Dawson Sentinel newspaper; Lt. Col.Denis Shields, Maj. Kevin Gutknecht, Sgt. 1st Class Allan Larson,and Terrence Palmer of the Minnesota National Guard; BrittaBloomberg, Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office.

New MexicoNew MexicoNew MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico Ruth Brown and Arturo Roman, Deming Luna Mimbres Museum;Lt. Gen. Edward Baca (Ret.), former chief of the National GuardBureau; Thomas Koch, Capt. David Giesler, 1Lt. Peter Robertson,and Sgt. 1st Class E. Morales (Ret.) of the New Mexico NationalGuard; Tom Kelly, Deming Chamber of Commerce.

New YNew YNew YNew YNew Yorkorkorkorkork Lt Col Paul Fanning, New York National Guard; Nancy Todd, NewYork State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina Tom Howard, developer, Washington, North Carolina; Maj. RobertJones, North Carolina National Guard.

OhioOhioOhioOhioOhio Rita Kissner, mayor, and Pam Gordon, City of Defiance; SandyHerman, Defiance Family and Children First Council; DeborahGerken, Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission; Maj.Gen. Richard C. Alexander (Ret.), former adjutant general OhioNational Guard; Col. Dan Snyder (Ret.), Capt. Neal O’Brien, andMimi Myers, Ohio National Guard; Staff Sgt. Ralph Hutchinson(Ret.), John Compo, and David Westrick, former members of theDefiance National Guard unit; Maura Johnson, Bowling GreenState University.

OklahomaOklahomaOklahomaOklahomaOklahoma The staff of the Cornerstone Fellowship Church, Tahlequah,Oklahoma; Capt. Warren Higginbotham, Oklahoma NationalGuard.

Rhode IslandRhode IslandRhode IslandRhode IslandRhode Island Capt. Gloria Haggarty, Rhode Island National Guard.

South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota Keith Umenthum, Deadwood Office of Planning, Zoning, andHistoric Preservation; Col. Nancy Wetherill, Lt. Col. RandySmeenk, and Maj. Roger Anderson of the South Dakota NationalGuard.

TTTTTeeeeexasxasxasxasxas Jim W. Steely, Texas Historical Commission.

WWWWWashington,ashington,ashington,ashington,ashington, Lt. Col. Randall Lincoln, Army National Guard Readiness Center;Capt. Les Melnyk, National Guard Bureau.

As part of the research for this book, National Guard officials in each state werecontacted. Many contributed valuable information that helped shape the overallstory. Regrettably, stories from each of the states could not be included in thefinal publication.

Readers are encouraged to work closely with local National Guard units and theirrespective state headquarters if they are contemplating the reutilization of a formerarmory in their community. State Historic Preservation Offices also can providevaluable assistance.

D.C.D.C.D.C.D.C.D.C.

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Contents 1 ! Introduction

Reusing America’s Historic National Guard Armories

Case Studies 9 ! College Administration Building

Poetter Hall, Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia

15 ! High School Arts CenterTrinity High School, Louisville (St. Matthews), KentuckyWorks Progress Administration Armories, State of Oklahoma

21 ! Apartment/Library ComplexDawson, Minnesota

25 ! MuseumDeming, New Mexico

29 ! Family Resource CenterDefiance, Ohio

33 ! Other Noteworthy ProjectsEach Armory Project Presents Unique Challenges

39 ! Appendices

40 ! The National Historic Preservation ActAppendix A

42 ! The National Register of Historic PlacesAppendix B

43 ! Tax Incentives and Other Financial Assistance ProgramsAppendix C

45 ! Americans with Disabilities ActAppendix D

46 ! Architectural Styles of Historic ArmoriesAppendix E

47 ! The Adjutants General of the National GuardAppendix F

50 ! State Historic Preservation OfficesAppendix G

55 ! Suggested Reading/ReferencesAppendix H

56 ! About the Authors and Photo Credits

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Reusing America’s Historic

National Guard Armories

preservation leaders, and others canjoin forces to find creative,economically viable solutions. Theircombined efforts help to ensure that ourcountry’s aging armories becomecommunity assets once again.

Early Colonists BroughtMilitia to the New World

The National Guard has its roots in theearliest days of colonial America and isthe oldest component of the armedforces of the United States. Europeansettlers, especially those from England,brought with them the practice oforganizing all able-bodied males intomilitary units that were designed toprotect local citizens and theircommunities. As settlement of thecolonies continued, these militarygroups matured into trained units thatcould be called upon to serve thedefense needs of the evolving nation.These colonial militias protected theirfellow citizens from Indian attacks andforeign invaders, and later helped towin the Revolutionary War.

From the declaration of independencein 1776 through the ratification of theU.S. Constitution by the states in 1789,the militia tradition continued as part ofAmerican life. Subsequent federal andstate laws, plus long-standing practice,continue to sustain this tradition.Founders of the nation were wary of,and could not afford to maintain, a largestanding army. Thus the practice ofcalling on militia units to supplementthe defense needs of the nation wasestablished. For example, the bulk oftroops during the Mexican War, theCivil War, and the Spanish-AmericanWar came from militia units in the

National Guard armories in nearly2,700 communities across the

United States occupy a unique andimportant position in American life:part fortress—part dance hall—partclassroom—part shelter from a storm.

However, for all of their military andcivic utility and long years of service,many of these armories have aged intoreal estate holdings that can no longermeet the National Guard’s demandingmissions to serve state and nation.Now vacant or relegated to little morethan warehouse duty, several of thesestructures have become candidates forvandalism, and ultimately, demolition.

Charmed by their distinctivearchitecture and historical presence,several communities across the countyhave hushed the bulldozer’s roar byfinding new uses for these agingarmories, ranging from schoolbuildings and family resource centersto libraries and museums. These newuses have helped to preserve thehistorical and architectural value ofthe armories while capitalizing ontheir distinctive capacity forcommunity service.

This handbook highlights these successstories so that other communities maybenefit. The book briefly outlines thehistorical and architectural significanceof the armory and its importance to theNational Guard and the community atlarge. It then explains, in detail, howfive communities across the UnitedStates found new uses for their oldarmories. As shown by these casestudies and several related articles,elected officials, civic leaders,entrepreneurs, military personnel,

This casting of the classic minuteman is morethan two stories tall and stands vigil againstthe front facade of the Army National GuardReadiness Center building in Arlington,Virginia, not far from the Pentagon.

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states. In the early years of the 20th

century, when “National Guard”became an official title, importantnational defense legislation furtherincreased the military role of units ineach state as a federal reserve force.Today’s National Guard units havebecome an integral part of our nation’sdefense establishment—in acontemporary term, the “Total Force”—that is made up of active dutyservice members, civilian employees ofthe military, and reserve components.The Army National Guard and AirNational Guard are reservecomponents of the active duty Armyand Air Force. Units are evenlyspread across all 50 states, the Districtof Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, andthe Virgin Islands. The men andwomen who make up these units—allof them volunteers—are trained andequipped to identical standards astheir active duty counterparts.

First by colonial custom and later bystate and federal statute and Departmentof Defense policies, the National Guardhas evolved into a unique U.S. militaryorganization commanded by respectivegovernors during peacetime and by thepresident when called to federal service.

This dual mission—state AND federal—provides the National Guard withdistinctive organizational strengths andcomplexities. The vast majority offunding and regulatory authority formilitary matters comes from the federalgovernment. Because the NationalGuard is organized on a state-by-statebasis and each governor is a commander-in-chief, National Guard units maintainclose allegiances with state and localgovernments and have first-responseobligations during local emergencies.Understanding these historic and legalconnections to state government isespecially important when evaluating thepossibilities of converting a NationalGuard armory to civilian use.

The Evolution of the ArmoryStand in front of any National Guardarmory, especially the hugeregimental-sized monuments built inthe late 19th or early 20th centuries, andtry to imagine an earlier time when theunits were “homeless” … or at leastwithout a fixed address for equipmentstorage and training. Colonial militiaunits gathered on village greens or inother public spaces to conduct militarytraining. Members provided their own

rifles and uniforms. Nearby tavernsserved the social needs of a unit forthe few hours the members wouldbe together.

The concept of using a dedicatedbuilding for militia unit training––an armory––evolved during the19th century. In the early decades ofthe century, a few states constructedarsenals for the manufacture andstorage of their militia’s militaryweapons and ammunition. But thesebuildings, like the 1798 Beaufort,South Carolina and 1847 New YorkState Arsenals did not function as truearmories. They lacked the space forthe practice of marching and close-order drill, the main form of militarytraining in the 19th and early20th centuries.

Before the Civil War, some wealthierurban units addressed their need fordrill space in bad weather by rentingthe top floors of large commercialbuildings such as the Tompkins Marketon New York City’s Manhattan Island.Commercial tenants on the groundfloor dominated the design and use ofthese buildings. Over time, rented“upstairs” commercial space provedless and less practical for the units.

The nation’s earliest National Guard unitstrained on the village green. Each man inthe unit supplied his own gear and kept itat home. They had no specific building tohouse their equipment. In 1985, theNational Guard commissioned artistDon Troiani to paint “The First Muster,”a view of how members of the Salem, Mass.,militia unit conducted their training in 1637,not long after the first colonists landed in theBay Colony. The first true armories were notconstructed in major East Coast cities untilthe early part of the 19th century, with themajority of funds raised locally by membersof the unit. Today, the Army National Guardmaintains armories in more than 2,700communities in all 50 states, the District ofColumbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and theVirgin Islands. Included in that number is anarmory for the 101st Engineer Battalion of theMassachusetts National Guard, the Salemunit that continues an uninterrupted legacyof service to state and nation that began in1636, making it the nation’s oldestmilitary unit.

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Vacant or underutilized NationalGuard armories can be foundthroughout the nation. They range insize from the massive downtownMinneapolis, Minn., armory, to themodest building in Haskell, Okla.,population 1,500. While the fate ofthese buildings and at least scoresmore across the land remains—atbest—under negotiation or uncertain,this handbook presents stories of citieswhere local efforts have revitalizedarmories to keep them in communityservice, or where campaigns are underway to save these historical landmarksfrom further decline.

The success stories share somecommon features:

! Groups of like-minded, energeticlocal citizens worked together tosave the buildings and find newuses. There were differences ofopinion, but a common goalprevailed. Reutilization projectsare typically too large to beorganized and directed by oneperson.

! Most of the buildings moved ratherquickly from military to civilianuse. None were totally unoccupiedfor long periods of time.

! In most cases, obtaining title to thebuilding from the National Guardrequired financial breaks orlegislative cooperation fromstate lawmakers.

How Did They Do It? New Uses for Old Armories

! For armories that continue in sometype of public (non-commercial)service, funding to support purchaseand remodeling came from multiplegovernment sources.

! The National Guard maintains legaland financial responsibility for itsstate-owned armories until the timethe property is sold or transferred to anew owner. Unofficial historicalconnections may remain between theNational Guard and an armory’s newowner, but when the deal is done, thebuilding belongs to the buyer.

New Uses for Old ArmoriesCollege Administration Building College Administration Building College Administration Building College Administration Building College Administration Building –In 1979, the Savannah College of Artand Design purchased and refurbisheda late 19th century Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival style armory inSavannah, Ga. Today the 36,000-square-foot structure carries the namePoetter Hall, and it serves as aprincipal administrative building andshowpiece of the urban campus and its4,000 students.

High School Arts Center High School Arts Center High School Arts Center High School Arts Center High School Arts Center – Trinity HighSchool in the Louisville suburb of St.Matthews, Ken., turned theheadquarters of the 149th InfantryRegiment into its Communication ArtsCenter. Two-foot-thick poured concretewalls of this art deco structure willserve the 1,100 students of thisCatholic, all-male high school long intothe 21st century.

Apartment/Library CompleApartment/Library CompleApartment/Library CompleApartment/Library CompleApartment/Library Complex x x x x –Changing demographics and militaryrequirements resulted in theNational Guard unit leaving Dawson,Minn., in 1993. The armory,constructed at the start of theRoaring Twenties, continues to serveas a community center/library/apartment complex, winning a 1998City Achievement Award from theLeague of Minnesota Cities for thisagricultural community of 1,700.

Museum Museum Museum Museum Museum – Deming’s Company I ofthe 1st New Mexico InfantryRegiment was ordered to federalduty in 1916, before constructionon its National Guard armory hadbegun. The unit returned to call thecastellated, red brick building itshome for 60 years, experiencing twomore wartime activations to federalservice. Today the structure servesas the Deming Luna MimbresMuseum.

FFFFFamily Ramily Ramily Ramily Ramily Resource Centeresource Centeresource Centeresource Centeresource Center –Children’s voices now fill the roomsand drill hall of the Defiance, Ohio,National Guard armory, acastellated brick structureconstructed in 1914 to house acompany of the 148th InfantryRegiment. The armory has becomehome to the Defiance CountyFamily Resource Center, with HeadStart classes on the lower level anda variety of family-based activitieson two upper floors. #

Space often was limited, and thebuildings could not be adequatelysecured or defended.

The Civil War draft riots in New YorkCity, still the bloodiest civildisturbance in U.S. history, hastenedthe movement to fortress-like buildingsfor militia units. With professionalpolice forces in their infancy, the militiawas the largest force available to helpkeep public order. The draft riots and

post Civil War labor unrest, such as therailroad strike of 1877, marked a boomin urban armory construction, often oflarge buildings designed in a style thatcame to be known as “castellatedgothic.”

Armories from this period typicallyfeatured a “head shed” foradministrative offices and storagespaces, and a cavernous “drill shed”

where the men could conduct closeorder drill or host social functions.When the unit was not in training, thedrill shed could be rented for a varietyof community events, generatingincome to help maintain the entirearmory. Present day developers ofarmory reutilization projects continueto draw value from the head shed anddrill shed combination. Administrativeareas lend themselves well toconversion as office or apartment


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In the pre-skyscraper age, the localarmory was usually one of the largestbuildings in town. It wassimultaneously a home for a NationalGuard unit, a clubhouse for itsmembers, and a civic center for thecommunity.

In the decades following the Civil War,influential architects designed the bigarmories, another reflection of unit andcivic pride that grew with planning forthese new structures. Often thesearchitects were members of the unit,such as Charles Clinton who inked theplans for New York City’s still-impressive 7th Regiment Armory.Rhode Island’s William R. Walkerdesigned Providence’s Cranston StreetArmory, a massive five-story buildingthat was a decade in construction andcost $500,000, not including thebuilding site. The elder Walker rose tothe rank of major general in theNational Guard, and his architectpartner son, William H. Walker, served20 years and retired as the state’squartermaster general.

The civic appetite and budget for largecastellated armories faded away by theearly 1900s, replaced by classicrevival architecture and limitedexamples of art nouveau and artmoderne styles. During this time,Guardsmen and their supporters beganto realize that while their castellatedstructures were indeed formidable, themilitary value of their mostly downtownaddresses was more for the

space, while drill halls provide clear-span spaces for the addition ofmezzanines or other forms of two-storyinterior construction.

In his book “America’s Armories,”MIT urban studies professorRobert Fogelson enumerates morereasons for the construction ofsubstantial armories:

! Units needed secure storage spacefor weapons, ammunition, andequipment.

! Company-sized armories were toosmall and prevented the musteringof large numbers of troops duringcivil emergencies.

! Regimental armories (big enoughfor 600 to 1,000 members) wererequired to hone the coordinationskills of officers and men.

! Renting armory space wasexpensive.

A large amount of unit, municipal, andstate pride served as an importantmotivating factor in the funding anddesign of these large and formidable

armories. Image counted for recruitingnew members and maintainingvisibility with state governments,which, during that time, funded nearlyall of a National Guard unit’s trainingand activities. If wealthy militia unitmembers in New York City couldcombine their own money withfund-raising events, the sale of bonds,and other state sources to construct abuilding, so could units inPhiladelphia, Boston, and elsewhere.Armories across the nation, especiallyin major cities, became showpiecebuildings. They served not only asthe headquarters for a locally basedmilitary unit but also as an informalcommunity center that housed agrowing array of social andcivic functions.

In the summer of 1947, the Headquarters Company of Kentucky’s 149th Infantry Regimentlooked like this as the men prepared to depart for Fort Knox, and their first “summer camp” sincereturning from combat duty during World War II. The men departed for wartime service in1940, just as construction was started on this building. The St. Matthews, Ky., armory was one ofeight built in the Bluegrass State by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration.

This antique postcard shows New York’s7th Regiment armory soon after it wasfinished in 1879. Some years later, thedecorative tower was removed and twoadditional floors of office space were addedto this large armory on Park Avenue inmidtown Manhattan. Guardsman andarchitect Charles Clinton set a new standardfor armory construction with the completionof this grand structure. Interiorappointments were designed by artistLouis Comfort Tiffany and architectStanford White; men who also weremembers of the 7th Regiment. This buildingis listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places.


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Retired National Guard Staff Sgt. RalphHutchinson arranged to have this bronzeplaque cleaned and reinstalled inside thefoyer of the former Defiance, Ohio, armorywhere he served for more than 30 years. Theplaque lists an installation date of 1913,while a capstone on the exterior of thethree-story administrative area of thebuilding announces 1914 as the completiondate. Records are silent regarding theinconsistency.

neighborhood convenience of theirmembers than it was for tacticaladvantage. America’s city centers didnot need fortress strongholds tomaintain peace and order.

The reality of the Great Depressionbrought out yet another shift in thestyle of armory construction.Guardsmen fought to secure a portionof the $4.8 billion appropriated byCongress for civil works projects.Hundreds of utilitarian armories werebuilt in the south and southwest,regions that were mostly too poor or toonew in the union to have constructedrelatively expensive castellatedarmories without federal funding.Other regions of the country alsoreceived money for Works ProgressAdministration (WPA) armoryconstruction. The WPA focused onbuilding smaller, simpler buildingsconstructed of locally procuredmaterials and built by unemployed,often-unskilled local men. Only a fewregimental-sized armories were builtduring the Depression with money andguidance from the larger Public WorksAdministration program.

After World War II, federal and stategovernments began to share the cost ofnew armory construction at a ratio of75 to 25 percent, respectively. Thisfunding procedure remains in placetoday and has resulted in theconstruction of thousands of largelyutilitarian armories. In small townAmerica, these post World War IIarmories remain as prominentcommunity centers since many wereconstructed in conjunction with highschools. Others are sited in suburbanlocations where land was moreaffordable and suitable for parking andequipment storage. Many of thesearmories are now entering the civilianreutilization market. Armories fromthis era frequently lack thearchitectural grandeur of their 19th andearly 20th century predecessors, butstill retain reutilization value for theirstout construction, size, and location.

The Armory TodayIn virtually all instances, NationalGuard armories are the province of the367,000-member Army NationalGuard. In 1999, the Army NationalGuard maintained 3,166 armories in2,679 communities. Most of thebuildings—2,632—are on state-ownedland. Fifty armories are located onleased property. The remainder—484—have been constructed onfederal property. The smaller AirNational Guard, with 109,000members, operates flying units from 88locations across the nation. Nearly allAir Guard units are located at majormunicipal airports or on active dutymilitary bases. Air National Guardbuildings, designed to supportworldwide military aviation operations,are built and maintained with federalfunds. Typically, Air Guard structuresdo not lend themselves as easily oreconomically to civilian conversion.

Newly constructed armories continueto serve as important communitycenters. Some states have entered intocreative design and financingarrangements with public schools andcity governments to create hybridarmory-civic center complexes.However, the demands of modernmilitary training perpetuatearchitectural trends that are far moreutilitarian than artistic. Newconstruction tends to be in suburbanindustrial parks rather than downtownlocations. The men and women whovolunteer for today’s Guard units drivetheir cars to training, often longdistances. It is not uncommon for alarge unit to require parking for 100or more vehicles on a busytraining weekend.

With respect to military vehicles, aninfantry unit’s Bradley fighting vehicle,for example, weighs nearly 34 tons.Drive one indoors for wintertimetraining and a visitor quicklyunderstands why new armories havesections of floor built with doublereinforced concrete instead of maplefor a basketball court. As high-cost

electronic equipment becomesincreasingly complex, simple storagerooms now must provide temperatureand humidity controls, as well assecurity against theft or other damage.

As a matter of policy, the NationalGuard Bureau manages itsconstruction funds with an eye towardreplacing an armory after it has beenin service for 50 years. While somearmories have remained open wellbeyond the half-century mark, theavailability of federal constructionfunds supports the 50-yearreplacement policy and is a significantreason why armories become excess tothe National Guard’s needs.Reorganization of a state’s NationalGuard units—a complex equationinvolving state/federal missions,recruiting demographics, and otherfactors—is the second way an armorycan enter the real estate market.Sometimes, a combination of theseactions results in the closure ofan armory.

When military authorities determinethat an armory no longer is needed,National Guard personnel at therespective state headquarters controlthe entire disposal process (e.g., sale,trade, or demolition) for those armories


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built on state-owned land. In a similarmanner, federal procedures are used todispose of National Guard armoriesbuilt on federal land; however, thestate headquarters administers thefederal process. Typically thisinvolves a cascading process ofoffering the structure to various levelsof government. The offering processfor state-owned property starts at thestate level, while federal propertybegins with offers to federal agenciesand then down through state and localjurisdictions. Groups or individualsinterested in purchasing a formerNational Guard armory should contactthe Facilities Officer at StateHeadquarters. A list of addresses andphone numbers can be found inAppendix F. The inquiry process forthe potential purchase of an armorycan start at any time.

Armories as Historical LandmarksBecause of their grand style andimportance in the military history ofour nation, many armories qualify forlisting on the National Register ofHistoric Places, state historic registers,and local registers in communities withhistoric preservation programs. Thusfar, more than 200 historic armorieshave been included on the NationalRegister. Qualified historic armoriesmay also be eligible for important taxbenefits and special treatment underthe Americans with Disabilities Act.Further information on the NationalRegister, the National HistoricPreservation Act, the Americans withDisabilities Act, and tax incentives andother financial assistance programs canbe found in the appendices to thispublication.

National Guard or Reserves . . . What Is the Difference?

The federal mission of the ArmyNational Guard and Air NationalGuard makes them identical to theArmy Reserve and Air Force Reserve.Both organizations are reservecomponents of the active duty Armyand Air Force and are organized,trained, and equipped to the samestandards.

The National Guard has dualobligations to serve the respectivestates and the federal government.The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guardduring peacetime and may callindividuals and units to duty during

state emergencies. The governorappoints the adjutant general,typically from the senior leadershipranks of that state’s National Guard.The National Guard in each statemanages the training of its unitsand is responsible for themaintenance and operation ofarmories.

Questions about the potentialreutilization of Army or Air ForceReserve property should bedirected to local Reserve (notNational Guard) units. Reserveunits have no legal affiliation withstate government.

For nearly 20 years, the Washington, North Carolina, Parks and Recreation Department usedthe former National Guard armory as storage space for vehicles and supplies. When NationalGuard units vacate an armory, the buildings are often quickly taken up as storage ormaintenance space, a low-cost alternative use that can keep the building occupied until morecomprehensive reutilization plans are developed.


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Work on this armory-turned-apartment complex, in Washington, North Carolina, began in theearly fall of 1996, shortly after Hurricane Fran had damaged large portions of coastal NorthCarolina. The developers were caught in a labor shortage, and they ended up doing much of thework alone. This view shows the former drill hall of the National Guard armory that now servesas an interior courtyard, complete with open-air skylights that allow residents to sample weatherconditions.

Contact the National Guard atthe Local or State LevelIn addition to a National Guard unitthat may be in or near your community,a National Guard headquarters islocated in each state, usually in thecapital city. The administrative leaderof each state’s National Guard is theadjutant general, sometimes called“the TAG,” a military acronym for TheAdjutant General. Within each stateheadquarters is a facilities officer whois responsible for the National Guard’sreal property in that state.

Questions regarding the reutilization ofa National Guard armory should bedirected to the Facilities Officer, incare of the adjutant general’s office inyour state. Officials at the stateheadquarters also can assist withhistorical information about the lineageand honors of a National Guard unit inyour community. Units have historiesthat are decades, or even centuries,old. Historic documents, photographs,and artifacts such as flags, trophies,and plaques can provide valuable linksto a unit’s past association with anarmory and community.

All states also maintain Web sites thatoffer more detail about their NationalGuard, including e-mail links andaddresses. Visit www.ngb.dtic.milto learn more about the federal role ofthe National Guard and to find acomprehensive, state-by-state Internetdirectory.

Historic Preservation Offices andOrganizations Can HelpEach state operates a State HistoricPreservation Office that offersassistance in the preservation andrehabilitation of historic properties.Maintained under the executivebranch of government, these offices areseparate from the National Guard,although they may work closely onrelated projects.

In addition to providing information onfederal and state programs relating tohistoric resources, the State Historic

Preservation Office can put you intouch with local organizations and cityofficials that may take an interest inyour armory project. As demonstratedby the case studies that follow,successful armory rehabilitation oftenrequires a team effort. State and localofficials, community organizations,as well as the primary user for theresource, should be involved in theproject. Points of contact for StateHistoric Preservation Offices can befound in Appendix G of this handbook.#

Linking the Military Past Witha Community’s FutureIntroduction to Case Studies

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Historic armories can shed their“white elephant” status and

become contributing members of theircommunities once again. The old drillhalls and administrative rooms of the19th and early 20th century armorieshave proven readily adaptable to newuses, whether as a college officebuilding, a community arts center, amuseum, or a library. The end result isa pleasing project that combines newand old, linking our country’s militarypast with the civilian needs of thefuture.

As the case studies that followdemonstrate, the preservation ofhistoric armories never happensmagically. New life is breathed intothese aging structures because of theuntold efforts of individuals who havethe insight and perseverance to put are-use project together. Sometimes anarmory project begins with the need forcommunity space. In other cases, theproject is driven by communitysentiment that simply favors preservinga familiar face. In all cases, theseprojects have required thecollaboration of individuals,communities, and state and localofficials, both military and civilian.

Creative insight and resourcefulness,more than anything, are the keyingredients. Creative insight is neededto envision an armory’s full potential.Resourcefulness is required to makethe project viable. In Kentucky, an artdeco armory was successfullyconverted into a high school artscenter through a land swap betweenthe school and the city owning thearmory. In Ohio, the conversion of adowntown armory into a familyresource center required state andfederal grant money along with a majorfund-raising effort.

These case studies demonstrate howcooperative community groups andindividuals were able to find new usesfor their aging armories. In manysituations, a project’s feasibility wasfully dependent upon a state’s bargainsale of the armory to the user. #

The Deming, New Mexico Armory ison the National Register of HistoricPlaces and New Mexico Registry ofCultural Property.

College Administration BuildingPoetter Hall, Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia

Two hard-working, committeddreamers moved to Savannah in 1978,and with the help of equally tirelessand dedicated parents, they purchaseda former National Guard armory tostart what has become one of thenation’s leading art colleges.

During more than two decades ofsteady expansion, the SavannahCollege of Art and Design (SCAD) hashelped set the pace and often leads theway in the continued growth ofSavannah’s 2.2 square-mile NationalHistoric Landmark District, one of thelargest in the nation. More than6 million visitors come to Savannaheach year to walk the streets around21 distinctive public squares wherethey sample the sights, sounds, andtastes of a city that has reapedsignificant value by caring for its past.

Richard and Paula Rowan had alreadybegun careers as educators in the early1970s when they focused theirattention on starting a fine arts collegein Savannah. One of their firstintroductions in the coastal city was toMayor John Rousakis. In a bookletthat commemorated the15th anniversary of the college,Mayor Rousakis tells of testing theRowans’ sincerity by asking them ifthey were “sure.”

“They said, ‘We’re sure.’ And theywere.”

The mayor went on to say, “It (thecollege) was a bright new star fordowntown. I felt very strongly aboutthe pluses it would bring to the city ofSavannah. There was a good, freshfeeling of something good coming tothe city.”

Second ChoiceBefore the first student could enroll,before the first lecture could be given,the Rowans needed a building to housetheir dream. Ironically, the SavannahVolunteer Guards armory, a buildingthat had been essentially empty ofcitizen-soldiers since the pre-WorldWar II activation of the NationalGuard, was their second choice.

The armory was too big, recallsDr. Rowan, a graduate of Furman andGeorgia State Universities. They wereanticipating a starting enrollment of 50and had developed their openingaround the purchase of an emptyfurniture store. Price became asticking point, so the Rowans turned tothe armory, privately built by membersof the unit and then owned by themembers of the regimental association.These aging veterans had reached apoint where it was increasinglydifficult to manage the building that by1978, housed a few commercialtenants and a small museum thatmemorialized the unit’s exploits. Themen were cautiously looking for abuyer who would continue some type ofcivic-minded purpose for the structure.

Savannah Armory Statistics

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CASE STUDY

! Constructed 1892 - 1893

! Total interior area: 36, 248 squarefeet, three stories

! Main drill hall floor –– finished wood

! Brick walls, with decorative terracotta and wrought iron

! Designed by William GibbonsPreston in the Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival style

! Built by contractor James G. Cornell

! Original construction cost: $101,000($46,000 land, $55,000 building)

! 1978 purchase price: $250,000

! The armory is a ContributingBuilding in the Savannah HistoricLandmark District, established in1966. As such, it has similar statusas buildings that are individuallylisted on the National Register ofHistoric Places.The armory is also subject toSavannah’s preservation law, whichprotects historice buildings fromadverse changes that may harm theintegrity of the resource.

Approval from the Historic DistrictBoard of Review is necessary prior tothe issuance of a building permit bythe Department of Inspections.

FFFFFor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactSavannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and DesignPPPPP.O.O.O.O.O. Bo. Bo. Bo. Bo. Box 3146x 3146x 3146x 3146x 3146Savannah, GSavannah, GSavannah, GSavannah, GSavannah, GA 31402-3146A 31402-3146A 31402-3146A 31402-3146A 31402-3146TTTTTelephone: 1-800-869-7223elephone: 1-800-869-7223elephone: 1-800-869-7223elephone: 1-800-869-7223elephone: 1-800-869-7223WWWWWeb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: www.scad.edu.scad.edu.scad.edu.scad.edu.scad.edu


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Buying an old building from anassociation of mostly senior citizenswho were scattered in many locationspresented challenges for the Rowansand Paul and May Poetter, PaulaRowan’s parents, who had joined theyoung couple to assist withadministrative duties. A majority voteof the association members had toagree to the $250,000 sale. If amember could not be contacted torecord his vote, it counted as “no.”Dr. Rowan still has thanks forassociation member Henry J. Kennedy,who helped negotiate the sale andtraveled throughout the regioncontacting members.

Finally, SCAD had title to the buildingand growing intellectual capital in theform of eight faculty members whowould begin teaching 71 students inthe fall of 1979. Their plans fortransforming the interior of the armoryinto a school were reviewed andapproved by members of the NationalHistoric Landmark District. Otherthan repairs, the Rowans made nosignificant changes to the exterior of

the building, a practice they havecontinued with the many subsequentadditions to the college’s inventory ofreal estate.

As administrators, the Rowans andPoetters were adding sweat equity totheir dream. A good share of the earlyrestoration work on the armory came atthe hands of Dr. Rowan, president ofthe new college and principal restorerof its only building.

“He’s painting . . . ”During an interview, Dr. Rowanrecounts the story of an early visitorwho entered the armory, asking tospeak with the college president.“He’s painting on the third floor,”someone on the small staff explained.Thinking that the president of an artcollege would naturally be in a studioand not welcome to interruption, thevisitor said he would return the nextday. “No, he’s PAINTING, with abrush and roller,” responded thestaffer, who pointed the way upstairs.Yet another time, a visitor foundDr. Rowan painting and asked him if

the president was in. The college’schief painter said “yes” and directedthe visitor downstairs to his office.Dr. Rowan put down his tools, hurrieddown a back staircase and greeted thestranger when he reached his office.

“We just worked very hard,” remarksMs. Rowan, now the provost of SCAD.“With basic intelligence and hardwork, you can learn to do just abouteverything.” She further advises thatindividuals or groups considering thepurchase of a historic building shouldnot look too critically at a building andconsider it “too precious” to touch.“The bones are there,” she says of thestrength they have found in Savannah’sold structures, so new owners shouldnot be timid about digging in andadapting a building for the present andfuture. “They’re not so fragile. It(restoration) makes you feel that youare part of the continuum of history.”

Dr. Rowan cautions that hard workquickly becomes part of anyrestoration effort, adding, “don’t listento anyone else when someone says itcan’t be done.” He furtherrecommends that restoration projectsshould not be tackled solo. TheRowans and Poetters had to relyheavily on each other during the earlyyears of the college. Dedicated staffmembers and students warmed to theircommitment to changing the formerarmory into a college, but they didmuch of the early work alone. “Justbecause it’s a good thing,” he advises,“folks won’t necessarily help you.”

Finished in 1893 at a cost of $101,000, the Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory housed asuccession of Georgia Army National Guard units until World War II. The Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival structure became the first campus building of the Savannah College of Artand Design when it opened in 1979, an institution that today operates from more than 50historic buildings and serves more than 4,000 students. The college has received a series oflocal, state, and national honors for its historic preservation efforts, including the 1994 HonorAward from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.


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The Regiment Carriesthe Family NameTo the keepers of military history,especially of Army units, a regiment’snumber and name are the equivalent ofa family name in establishing abloodline. Modern units often arefiercely proud and protective of theirregiment’s colors, combat record, andlegends, even though the term“regiment” is rarely used in theoperational structure of today’sU.S. Army units, including those inthe Army National Guard.

In Savannah, the Georgia NationalGuard’s 118th Field Artillery Group isthe much-reorganized descendant ofthe Savannah Volunteer Guards, aregimental military unit that counts itsbirthdays from 1802. That year thecity’s militia members put on theiruniforms for a parade that honoredVice President Aaron Burr’s visit to theport city that was becoming the South’seconomic hub during the era whengrowing and marketing cottondominated the region. Year by year,the unit grew in its social and militaryprominence. Life wasn’t all paradesand parties for the men, whoexchanged their dress uniforms forfield gear and combat assignments inevery conflict from the War of 1812 toWorld War II.

By the late 19th century, the VolunteerGuards, burned out of their armory inthe downtown fire of 1889, hiredBoston architect William G. Preston todevelop plans for a new home on thesoutheast corner of Madison Square.Madison Square is one of the 24original squares that give Savannah somuch of its architectural and historicalcharacter. Trained at Harvard and theEcole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Prestonalready had designed the city’s CottonExchange and would go on to completecommissions for many fashionablehomes, the DeSoto Hotel, and theChatham County courthouse.

In Richardsonian-RomanesqueRevival style, Preston first drew plansto remodel an existing orphanage thatwould be attached to a new drill hallbuilt in the rear. But constructionworkers encountered early difficultywith remodeling, and the regiment’sleaders realized their armory would betoo small. “Build bigger” became thenext command.

Armories Were Self-SustainingWhile tradesmen demolished the oldstructure, Preston expanded his plansto create the complex that today is oneof SCAD’s signature properties —“thesoul of our college,” in the words ofMs. “Cuffy” Sullivan, an executivewith the Savannah Development andRenewal Authority. In the style andpractice of the era, the SavannahVolunteer Guards were interested intwo things. They wanted a durable,architecturally impressive buildingthat would house their units fortraining and social functions. Theyalso wanted the building to pay foritself. Thus Preston’s plans called forplenty of premium commercial spacethat could be rented to shopkeepersand professional people in needof offices.

When work was finished in 1893, theSavannah Volunteer Guards had nearly38,000 square feet on three stories.Preston’s choice of red brick and redmortar made a definite statement forthe corner of Bull and Charlton Streets.His decorative touches includedturrets, corner towers, decorative terracotta, and wrought iron. The mainentrance was flanked with massivecannon barrels, weapons that,legend has, were hidden fromGen. William T. Sherman during hisincendiary march through the South.Sherman spared Savannah from thetorch. The fact and fiction of his stayin the city remain an important part oflocal history and legend.

Inside the new armory, the VolunteerGuards had space for military equipmentand functions in addition to a lounge,library, billiard room, wine cellar, cardroom, reception room, rifle range, andbowling alley. At 5,147 square feet, therear hall permitted all-weather close-order drill, plus a setting for militaryballs and other social events. Commercialand rental space accommodated a drugstore, a bar, various retailers, the city’sCommercial High School during the1930s, and a U.S.O. chapter duringWorld War II when the mobilizedNational Guard unit was overseasfighting in the European theater.

Before and after photos (left and right respectively) show the transition of the National Guardarmory drill hall from a combination military training space and community room to the college’slibrary. When the Savannah College of Art and Design opened, it started its library with adonation of 10,000 volumes from a New York college. During the school’s first years inoperation, the collection grew rapidly. Eventually the drill hall became filled with books. In1999, the library moved to Savannah’s main commercial street to a former department store thatnow provides 85,000 square feet of book and media storage space.


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When the Savannah unit returned fromWorld War II, it reorganized and had tomove from its downtown regimentalhome. The men relocated first toquarters at nearby Hunter Air ForceBase, then to warehouses west of themetropolitan area, and eventually to thecity’s “new” armory that was finished in1961, south of the city on the secondhighest piece of ground in Savannah.Until the opening of Savannah’sdowntown civic center in 1969, thenew armory’s drill hall was the city’slargest indoor space for high schoolbasketball games and other large civicevents. This armory continues inservice as both military complex andcommunity center. Ironically, however,the now 40-year-old building is acandidate for replacement. TheNational Guard is contemplating amove to nearby Hunter Army Airfield.Potential use for the plain-featuredbrick and concrete rectangle includepurchase by a film productioncompany that would use the drill hallas a sound stage.

SCAD AnticipatesContinued GrowthSCAD’s future plans call for continuedgrowth of the student body and of itsholdings in historic Savannah.Sue Ellen Clinard, one of SCAD’s earlygraduates, worked as director ofOklahoma’s Main Street Project untilreturning to the college where sheserves as vice president of human

resources. She talks of how theRowans’ choice of locating the collegein the heart of the Historic District hasbeen good for everyone. The presenceof the 4,000 students and 800 facultyand staff members give vibrancy to thecore of the city that it didn’t havebefore the early 1980s. SCADincludes adequate outdoor lighting inall of its reutilization projects andmaintains 24-hour security for its 52buildings, factors that contribute to thereal estate and citizen-friendly valuesof the city.

Ms. Clinard also points out thatSCAD’s limited class size policy(no more than 20 pupils) has created apreservation-friendly benefit. WhenSCAD looks to purchase additionalhistoric buildings for instructionalpurposes, few major alterations arerequired to accommodate these smallgroups of students.

“If you are a university looking toexpand arts space,” Ms. Clinardfurther recommends, “you should lookto downtown, whether it is in aNational Guard armory or some other

SCAD’s Awards

19801980198019801980 Historic Savannah Foundation Award for renovation of the Armory

19831983198319831983 Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation“Outstanding RestorationProject – Adaptive Reuse”

19901990199019901990 Deco Defender Award from the Art Deco Societies of America

19941994199419941994 Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation

19911991199119911991 Oglethorpe Award, Savannah’s highest tribute

19981998199819981998 National Honor Award in Urban Design from the American Instituteof Architects

19991999199919991999 Downtown Achievement Award for Physical Improvements from theInternational Downtown Association

Re-named Poetter Hall in 1997 to honor Richard and May Poetter who helped found theSavannah College of Art and Design, the armory was used by the college for all of its classes andactivities until 1983, when the college purchased and renovated a second building in Savannah’shistoric district. Enrollment had grown from 71 during its opening year in 1979, to more than500 when the college’s real estate expansion program began. Today the armory houses SCAD’sadmissions department along with two student art galleries.


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building.” In 1990, SCAD purchasedthe art moderne Weis Theater, built onSavannah’s main commercial street in1946. SCAD’s professionalconstruction crews and contractorsoverhauled the 28,296 square feet ofinterior space that can seat more than1,000 for concerts, drama, lectures,or films.

In any city, Ms. Clinard asserts thatresidents should value the“connections that cross generations”when a building is reutilized. AsSCAD has done with the SavannahVolunteer Guards armory, the formerWeis Theater and many otherstructures, reutilization—even if abuilding’s new mission is dramaticallydifferent from the former—helps todevelop lasting support from the old tothe new.

New Name, New Missionfor the Old ArmorySCAD first named the former armoryPreston Hall in recognition of itsarchitect whose career milestonesinclude the design of more than600 buildings in the Boston area,including the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology’s School of Architecture.In 1997, as the college conducted itsfirst Founders’ Day celebration, thename was changed to Poetter Hall inrecognition of Paul and May Poetter.In 1978 the Atlanta couple had justretired from long professional careers,Paul in federal government serviceand May from public school teachingand administrative assignments.They joined their daughter and son-in-law in Savannah, where Dr. Rowancredits them for their on-the-scenehard work, which was critical to thecollege’s success.

Before and after photos (top and bottom respectively) of the main hallway area show the impactof moving a college of art and design into a building that had lost much of its late 19th centuryluster. When the Georgia National Guard moved out of the building upon its return from WorldWar II duty, members of the regimental association continued to operate the facility. Income tomaintain the building came from commercial tenants, while veterans maintained a small militarymuseum in several first-floor rooms.


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The mission of PoetterHall is changing again asSCAD enters the newcentury. The college isanticipating expandedacademic programs andenrollment, and thepurchase andrehabilitation of morehistoric buildings. Thelibrary that filled theformer National Guarddrill hall has been movedseven blocks downtown tothe former Levy’sdepartment storebuilding, which nowprovides three floors ofstorage, classroom, andstudy space. In thelibrary’s place andelsewhere in the armory,SCAD will relocate itsadmissions department.

In its own way, the Savannah VolunteerGuards armory continued to serve afterreutilization efforts began. In the latesummer of 1979, when Hurricane Davidpounded the Chatham County regionwith wind and water, the NationalGuard’s relief efforts were headquarteredin the “new” armory south of the city.Although relieved from its military dutiesfor more than a quarter century by thetime the Rowans and other founders ofthe college were getting ready to begintheir first term, the building continued toprotect some of Savannah’s newestresidents. The Rowans and their babydaughter were living on nearby coastalproperty that was in danger from thepending storm. The family fled thelowland and lived in the armory forseveral days until the danger passed.Ms. Rowan clearly remembers how safethey felt inside the former armory. Thatexperience, she says, further reinforcedtheir belief they had made the rightchoice in opening the college inside abuilding that continues to prove its worthto the community. #

This undated, pre World War I photo of the Savannah Volunteer Guards armory illustrates someof its commercial applications. Like many National Guard armories of its era, this building wasowned by its regiment, not the state of Georgia, and derived income to support its upkeep byrenting space to commercial tenants. Among its retail occupants were a drug store, bar, bowlingalley, second-hand store, and commercial high school.

This contemporary picture of the Savannah Guards armory depicts how it is used today as anadministration building and art gallery for the Savannah College of Art and Design. ArchitectWilliam G. Preston designed the armory in Richardsonian-Romanesque Revival style, and calledfor red-colored mortar to be used on the brickwork.

High School Arts CenterTrinity High SchoolLouisville (St. Matthews), Kentucky

! Constructed 1941-1942

! Exterior size: 82 feet by 131 feet

! Total interior area: 19,449 squarefeet; two stories, plus basement

! Main drill hall finished in maple,now carpeted

! Walls and barrel roof drill hallsupports built of reinforced concrete

! Designed by Edd R. Gregg ofLouisville, in the art deco style

! Built by Works ProgressAdministration

! Original construction cost: $81,541

! 1985 purchase price: Land tradefor church properly elsewhere inthe city

! $350,000 spent on initial renovations

FFFFFor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactTTTTTrinity High Schoolrinity High Schoolrinity High Schoolrinity High Schoolrinity High School4001 Shelbyville Road4001 Shelbyville Road4001 Shelbyville Road4001 Shelbyville Road4001 Shelbyville RoadLouisville, KY 40207Louisville, KY 40207Louisville, KY 40207Louisville, KY 40207Louisville, KY 40207TTTTTelephone: 502/893-7625.elephone: 502/893-7625.elephone: 502/893-7625.elephone: 502/893-7625.elephone: 502/893-7625.WWWWWeb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: www.thsrock.net.thsrock.net.thsrock.net.thsrock.net.thsrock.net

Durability.

That’s just one feature Trinity HighSchool received in 1985, when itpurchased the former headquartersarmory of the Kentucky NationalGuard’s 149th Infantry Regiment.

Today, 1,100 young men enrolled inthis suburban Louisville Catholic highschool fill the art deco structure tostudy journalism and creative arts.Teenage boys can be vigorous, but the24-inch-thick reinforced concretewalls of this armory show little impactfrom their enthusiasm, or that of theircitizen-soldier predecessors. Alongwith durability, the 47-year-old schoolbought space, nearly 20,000-squarefeet on two stories, and a piece of theircommunity’s history.

The 12-acre campus of Trinity HighSchool, located five miles east ofdowntown Louisville in the suburb of St.Matthews, is a study in practical realestate reutilization. Trinity’sadministrative building and studentcafeteria occupy a former automobiledealership. The rotunda-like front of thisstructure once displayed Cadillacs andother cars. Today, the school’s manyacademic and sports trophies grace thatsame space. Where mechanics changedmufflers and tuned V-8 engines, crispwhite walls and a shiny tile floor makethe garage-turned-cafeteria an invitingspace to spend some time. Adjacent tothe former National Guard armory,Trinity’s drama students practice theircraft inside the former Veterans ofForeign Wars Post 1170 home. Thispost-World War II, architecturally simplerectangle has been remodeled into a320-seat performing arts theater.

Trinity High School opened its doors tofewer than 100 students in the fall of1953, in a building that remains inschool service one block west of theformer armory. Four teachers joinedArchbishop John Floersh andMonsignor Alfred Steinhauser to begineducating teenage boys who wheregrowing up in Louisville’s expandingEast End suburbs. Proud of theacademic accomplishments of its10,500 graduates, the school has alsoearned recognition as a Kentuckyfootball powerhouse. When the varsitysuits up to challenge cross-town rivalSt. Xavier, more than 30,000 fans takeseats in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadiumto witness the contest.

Land Trade Provides AnswerThe school was outgrowing itsacademic space in the early 1980swhen Father Al Moore met with othersto plan the armory purchase project.By that time the Kentucky NationalGuard had transferred ownership of thearmory to the city of Louisville. Trinityhad secured $350,000 to coverrenovation costs, but the school did nothave enough money to buy thebuilding from the city. The answer tothis dilemma became land owned bythe archdiocese elsewhere in the city.The city agreed to trade the church’sland for the aging armory. JohnGrenough, then Trinity’s developmentdirector, orchestrated the exchangewith representatives of the archdioceseand the city of Louisville. Accordingthe Rob Mullen, a current member ofTrinity’s administrative team,negotiations with the city were“amicable and smooth.”

Louisville Armory Statistics

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CASE STUDY


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Once the transfer was accomplished,Trinity proceeded with the renovationproject, creating its Art andCommunications Complex to houseclasses in art, journalism,photography, and music. Brightclassrooms occupy former militaryoffices, supply rooms, and trainingareas. The adjoining drill hall canhost a celebratory mass one day or aschool dance the next.

“It was a perfect fit for the highschool,” recalls Louisville architectLarry Melillo, who prepared thereutilization plans for the armory andwas an early participant in therebirth of several buildings in thenorthern Kentucky city’s downtown.Remembering that the armoryliterally was, “built like a fort,”Melillo says that Trinity High Schoolreceived a property that was “in verygood shape,” structurally.

Melillo adds that Trinity’s project wasquite straightforward when comparedwith reutilization efforts on buildingsthat have been significantly changedover long periods of time. Thebuilding had been relatively wellcared for and had a good roof, a keyingredient in the architect’sprofessional judgment. “Once theroof goes,” Melillo says of oldstructures that are candidates forreutilization, the building can be“headed for the dumpster,” unless, ofcourse, a developer has a great dealof money.

An Armory Like Several OthersThe St. Matthews National Guardunit—the enlisted men and juniorofficers of the HeadquartersCompany of the 149th InfantryRegiment—operated from rentedspaces above a grocery store andsaloon prior to the outbreak of WorldWar II. To provide them with abigger and more secure trainingfacility, the state of Kentuckyapproved blueprints for a utilitarian

armory design that was built in St.Matthews and copied in sevenadditional Bluegrass Statecommunities by the time World WarII was under way. The tactic savedmoney on plans. Kentuckians werefollowing the practice of many statesin recycling a basic armory design tofit local building sites.

In addition to St. Matthews, armoriesin Carlisle, Harlan, Harrodsburg,Lexington, Richmond, Springfield,and Williamsburg bear strikingresemblance to each other. Eachfeatured a cast concrete “spreadeagle” that decorated the frontentrance. The eagle on the St.Matthews armory was removed aspart of Trinity’s reutilization plan.

Command Sgt. Maj. Marion Williams,retired from long service with theKentucky National Guard, was ajunior enlisted member of the 149th

Regiment’s Headquarters Companywhen the unit was called to federalservice in 1940. When the unitshipped out for Camp Shelby, Miss.,on Jan. 17, 1941, the men loaded on

National Guard armories typically feature a front-facing “headshed” or office/classroom area,with a large drill hall in the rear of the building. Formerly a regimental headquarters for theKentucky National Guard, this structure now belongs to Louisville’s Trinity High School, an all-boys Catholic institution with 1,100 students. Two rooms on the main floor housed theBeargrass St. Matthews Historical Society archives from 1989 to 1991, and continue as archivalstorage for the school’s photos, publications, and other memorabilia.

The entry of Trinity High School’s Art andCommunications Complex still reflects theart deco style of its late 1930s design. Thebuilding originally featured a bas-relief eagleon the horizontal, concrete entryway.


17

trains not far from what was tobecome Trinity’s campus. Capt.Jasper L. Cummings, commander ofthe company, directed theGuardsmen to look across the field towhere the contractor was pouring thefoundation of their new armory home.Sgt. Maj. Williams remembers thecommander telling everyone thatwhen they returned to civilian lifeone year later, their armory would befinished and they could get on withtheir lives.

One year of active duty stretched tofive for the members of the 149th andthe more than 240,000 Guardsmenfrom units across the nation. Duringthe war years, the armory was hometo the Kentucky State Guard whilethe 149th was fighting in the SouthPacific. This volunteer militaryorganization of mostly older men wascreated in Kentucky and other statesto carry on the National Guard’straditional local emergency responseduties while the units were in federalservice. Five years also establishedthe armory’s utility as a communitycenter. When the 149th demobilizedand returned the armory in 1946,Sgt. Maj. Williams recalls that Col.Arthur C. Bonnycastle had to changeall the locks. “Every socialorganization in the city had keys tothe place.”

Sgt. Maj. Williams, who had left the149th early in the war for duty withArmy Air Corps, was invited by Col.Bonnycastle and Capt. Langford tohelp rebuild the unit. A full 110-man complement was recruited, andsenior staff officers of the regimentwho had trained in a downtownarmory prior to the War, moved intothe facility.

The drill hall of Trinity High School’s Art and Communications Complex provides 5,264 squarefeet of open space for a wide range of student and alumni activities. The room’s original woodfloor has been covered with carpet; however, a portable dance floor supports activities thatrequire a hard surface.

With art classes planned inside, the architect for the remodeling project called for large windowsto be added to the building’s north side. Installation of the modern windows required thecontractor to slice through several inches of reinforced concrete.


18

The St. Matthews armory alsocontinued to expand its wartimestature as a community center.Enough community organizations inthe Louisville metropolitan arearented the armory drill hall that alloperating expenses “except thewinter coal” were covered, accordingto Sgt. Maj. Williams. Guardsmenlearned just how stout the walls oftheir home had become. A smallcontractor hired in 1957 to cutthrough an interior wall to expand afood service area, “nearly wentbroke,” in Sgt. Maj. Williams’ words,sawing through the well-curedconcrete and “so much steel.”

The Kentucky National Guarddecided to close the armory in 1962and move the 149th to Bowling Green.“When we left,” the careerGuardsman states, “a number ofgroups started to discuss who wasgoing to get the building.” The cityof Louisville eventually received thedeed, hosting tenants that includedthe city’s Civil Defense organization,the Civil Air Patrol, and even acommercial roller skating rink beforetrading the property with the TrinityFoundation. #

Art classrooms inside the high school’s Art and Communications Complex have large north-facingwindows. The National Guard has used this ground floor area of the former armory as storageand maintenance space.


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Works Progress Administration Armories, State of Oklahoma

In the midst of the Great Depression, creation of theWorks Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935 broughtsignificant help for some of the nation’s millions whowere out of work. For the National Guard in the yearsbetween 1935 and 1943, the WPA funded the creationof 400 new armories and the reconstruction of anadditional 500.

As an example, the Depression stung the citizens ofOklahoma as hard as anywhere. Early New Dealprograms brought relief to some parts of the country, butthey had little impact on the Sooners, whose statewideunemployment reached 23 percent by 1935. In somecounties, four out of every 10 breadwinners were out ofwork. Officials in Oklahoma pressed hard to get theirshare of relief funds for armory construction. In justthree years, 58 new armories were built for units thatlargely had been operating from rented and ofteninadequate quarters.

How did Oklahoma, with its small and mostly ruralpopulation, capture such a large share of WPA funds forarmory construction? By the time the programconcluded, 14.5 percent of all new WPA National Guardarmories in the nation were constructed in the SoonerState. Critical to the National Guard’s good fortune, andthat of the communities where the armories wereeventually built, was W.S. Key, a former prison wardenand major general in the National Guard who resignedhis post as commander of the 45th Division to becomedirector of the state’s WPA efforts.

While Key encouraged communities to apply for all typesof WPA projects, he was especially enthusiastic aboutthe construction of National Guard armories in cities andtowns where none had existed. The local National Guardunit got a new home, and residents soon had access to alarge, well-constructed public building. The federalgovernment paid for labor and most materials, with localsresponsible for land costs. Often, property was donatedor purchased from civic organizations for $1, with areversionary clause in the Warranty Deeds.

The state’s businesses and formerly unemployed alsobenefited. The robust armory building program paidout $1.5 million for materials, most of them purchasedlocally, and put $800,000 in wages into the pockets ofhundreds of workers, many who finished theiremployment with the WPA with newly acquiredconstruction skills.

Sixty Oklahoma communities requested a WPA armoryproject, with 58 armories built between 1935 and 1937.Key hired fellow officer and architect Maj. Bryan F.Nolen to develop artistically conservative but flexibleplans for structures that could house one to fiveNational Guard artillery or infantry units. Of the 58that were built, 54 survive. Currently, 37 are on theNational Register of Historic Places, thanks in largepart to the efforts of Sally Ferrell, wife of Maj. Gen.Donald Ferrell, a former adjutant general of theOklahoma National Guard who has been involved inhistorical efforts of the 45th Infantry DivisionAssociation.

During the Great Depression, unemployed Americans were offeredjobs by the Works Progress Administration to build public structureslike this all-brick National Guard armory in Watonga, Okla.Designed by architect Bryan F. Nolen, the adaptable plans for thisbuilding were reused across the Sooner State to construct morethan 50 armories. The WPA sponsored 400 armory buildingprojects across the nation, mostly in southern and western states.To save money, many states reused their architect’s blueprints.

WPA armories across Oklahoma share similar design characteristicsthanks to architect Bryan F. Nolen’s adaptable plans. Today thisformer armory in Tahlequah, built from Nolen’s “one unit”blueprints, is the home of the Cornerstone Fellowship Church. The14,950-square-foot sandstone structure was finished in 1936 at acost of $47,667. Built for Company M of the 180th Infantry, thearmory remained in service until 1984, as the home of Company D120th Engineer Battalion. The church purchased the structure in1993 for $90,000. Approximately $325,000 was spent on initialrenovations.


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The Oklahoma Army National Guard continues to use30 of the WPA armories. Follow-on use for the formerarmories ranges from the town hall in Beggs to anautomobile repair shop in Hugo. At least four arevacant or significantly underutilized.

Capt. Warren Higginbotham, Real Property Manager forthe Oklahoma National Guard, says that reutilization ofthe former WPA armories presents its challenges. Someare located in very small communities such as the two-unit armory in Pawnee, population 2,200. Thesearmories are large and prominent buildings, making itdifficult to find a small town buyer who can assume thefinancial responsibility for renovation and sustainingmaintenance. As an example, Higginbotham states itcurrently costs approximately $150,000 to replace the80-foot by 125-foot rectangular barrel roofs that coverthe drill halls. Many of the WPA armories constructedin eastern Oklahoma were built of locally quarriedsandstone that if not properly treated, absorbs moisture,which makes the interiors damp and musty.

Like other states, the Oklahoma National Guard nowreplaces its armories with one-of-a-kind designs thatmeet military and community needs. State regulationsrequire that the Oklahoma National Guard sell itsvacant armories for no less than 10 percent of their fairmarket value as established by three independentappraisers. When it vacates one of its old armories,federal law requires an environmental baseline study beconducted so that a potential buyer understands whatwill be required to meet current health and safetystandards. Higginbotham recommends that anypotential buyer move as quickly as possible to occupy aformer armory, as the National Guard cannot continue tomaintain the vacant buildings. #

One-half of the former drill hall is a multi-purpose room as shownby this view. The “head shed,” or administrative part of the armory,now houses church offices and classrooms. Art deco styling isvisible on the exterior of all Oklahoma WPA armories, with fortress-like features such as portals, parapets, narrow windows, and brickor stonework along the roofline that suggest battlements. Themajority of Oklahoma’s WPA armories were built of locally quarriedlimestone or sandstone. Eighteen were constructed of bricks thathad been fired at the state penitentiary at McAlester.

One-half of the drill hall of the Tahlequah, Okla., armory now isused as the Cornerstone Fellowship Church sanctuary. Theconstruction site for the Tahlequah armory was donated with a“reversionary clause” to the National Guard by the Ladies Auxiliaryof Rhodes-Pritchet American Legion Post 50. Several WPAarmories in Oklahoma were protected by similar warranty deedrestrictions that returned the property to donors once the NationalGuard no longer needed the facility. Church officials negotiatedthe purchase of this armory with the Legion Auxiliary.

Apartment/Library ComplexDawson, Minnesota

Think “base closure” and it’s easy toimagine the last parade at a sprawlingArmy fort in California or the shutdown of a sun-baked Air Forceinstallation somewhere in Texas.

Consider Dawson, Minn., and thatimage becomes more difficult tosustain. The numbers and humanimpact are smaller, by a considerablemagnitude. Yet, the 1,700 citizens ofthis durable farm community along thewestern border of the state reacted thesame way as their metropolitanneighbors when they learned in 1992that the Minnesota National Guardwould close the Dawson armory.

Community officials, local Guardsmen,and their supporters rallied at hearingthe news. “We fought it just like otherplaces across the nation,” remembersDavid Bovee, city manager, as herecollects the effort to convinceNational Guard officials in St. Paulto reconsider their decision. Dawsonwas proud of its unit and armory,appreciated the presence of themembers and equipment duringemergencies, and had long supportedits rolls with recruits. The townwould miss the unit and its yearly$150,000 payroll from five full-timestaff members plus the salaries earnedby approximately 80 traditionalmembers who trained there oneweekend per month.

The Dawson delegation did not prevail.Closure of the Dawson National Guardarmory became part of the massiveearly 1990s cutback felt by the nation’sentire military establishment.

Quick RefocusTaking a lesson from Department ofDefense economic developmentexperts who advise any communityinvolved in base closure to maintainmomentum from a “save the base”campaign, the residents of Dawsonquickly refocused their efforts towardan alternative use for the armory. Thatmeant a return to St. Paul and closecoordination with the state legislatureto secure passage of a bill in 1992 thathelped Dawson and 11 otherMinnesota communities that facedsimilar situations. Initially, theMinnesota National Guard hoped torecover some of its investment from theclosed armories by selling them atmarket value to local governmententities, or to private buyers if a city orcounty was not interested. Butlawmakers were convinced that localgovernments had sacrificed enough bylosing a unit, so they passed a billoffering the buildings back to the homecities for $1. If a city did not want thearmory, the county would be next inline, followed by sale on the openmarket for bids.



! Total usable interior area: 29,970square feet; two stories

! Main drill hall floor finished inmaple, now carpeted; a 3,500-square-foot mezzanine has beenadded

! Brick walls

! Designed by Lang, Raugland andLewis, Inc., of Minneapolis, in thelate Romanesque Revival style

! Built by J.W. Carson, Inc., ofDawson

! Original construction cost: $56,000(estimated)

! 1992 purchase price: $1(set by state legislature)

! $1 million spent on renovations

! National Register of Historic Places#95-000615

! Minnesota Register 96-0971

FFFFFor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactCity of DawsonCity of DawsonCity of DawsonCity of DawsonCity of DawsonBox 552Box 552Box 552Box 552Box 552Dawson, MN 56232Dawson, MN 56232Dawson, MN 56232Dawson, MN 56232Dawson, MN 56232TTTTTelephone: 320-769-4615elephone: 320-769-4615elephone: 320-769-4615elephone: 320-769-4615elephone: 320-769-4615E-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]

Dawson Armory Statistics

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CASE STUDY


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The city of Dawson could have the all-brick, two-story-plus-full-basementarmory and its drill hall for $1. Thepolitically trimmed selling price waspaid, and the citizens of Dawson formeda committee to decide the community’snext move. Five years and countlesscommittee meetings later, Dawson’sformer armory has become an award-winning library/community center/apartment complex, receiving a CityAchievement Award from the League ofMinnesota Cities.

Getting there presented significantchallenges, Bovee admits. There was noshortage of different ideas, some voicedvery forcefully and some still unspokenbut strongly held.

Always a Community Center“There was a lot of history and a lot ofemotion connected to the building,”Bovee explains about the infantry unitthat called the Dawson armory its home.Equally important, the armory, built in1923 in the Romanesque Revival style,was a community center. High schoolbasketball players challenged theirrivals on the maple court; square dancerspaid $6 per night to rent the building;and just once, 2,500 people crowded intothe drill hall to see and hear famedWCCO broadcaster Cedric Adamsdeliver his 10 p.m. broadcast live fromdowntown Dawson.

The armory was constructed during apost-World War I expansion of theNational Guard in Minnesota.Although Dawson is not a county seat,residents campaigned hard to secure aGuard unit for their town. Mindful ofthe armory’s dual purpose, townofficials wanted to ensure that thearmory would function equally well asa community center and thus approved$20,000 in local money to supplementthe $25,000 appropriated by the stateto construct the armory. Dawson’ssupplemental funds allowed for theconstruction of an elaborate foyer,balcony, and stage. Local builder J.W.Carson got caught up in the civicenthusiasm and used much of hiscalculated profit from the constructioncontract to ensure that everything wastop quality. According to Dawsonhistorian Janet Liebl, Carson’sgenerosity was appreciated by thetownspeople, but it likely created apermanent financial injury to hisconstruction company.

Demolition Not an OptionMindful of the emotional investment inthe armory, city manager Bovee saysthat talk of demolition was never partof any proposal, the first of whichinvolved remodeling the Guard unit’sadministrative area into apartmentsand keeping the drill hall open for

school athletic programs. For yearsthe Dawson armory had been thetown’s only basketball court and stillwas just one of two indoor courts inthe city. School officials and sportsenthusiasts were interested inpreserving the drill hall for athleticpractice and competitions. But anindependent study assessed the ideaas “incompatible.” Potential rentersof the apartments–likely to be seniorcitizens–would not want to live in thesame building as a busy schoolathletic facility.

Library Too SmallAs the city began its armoryreutilization meetings, a parallel effortwas under way to resolve a “what-do-we-do-with-the-old-library?” question.At 2,500 square feet, Dawson’s 1917Carnegie Library had become too smallfor its 4,000 patrons and status as oneof the busiest small town libraries inMinnesota. A group of librarysupporters proposed constructing a5,000 square-foot facility, an idea thateventually was referred to voters anddefeated by a slim margin.

Following the library referendum,Bovee started talks with armoryreutilization committee members aboutan apartment-library combination.The drill hall had 5,300 square feet ofspace, a bit more than the minimumrecommended by an outside libraryconsultant. Potential tenants of theapartments would have indoor accessto the features of the library and thecompany of its much quieter patrons.The apartment-library proposal waslaunched, but not fully embraced bythe city’s sports-minded residents whocontinued to press for retention of thedrill hall as a school athletic facility.In the end, school officials decidedthey could not afford to participate inthe rehabilitation costs, even with thefavorable starting point of the $1purchase price.

Dawson, Minnesota’s former National Guard armory now houses the town library and a 10-unitapartment complex. A community meeting room is located in the basement and a 3,500 squarefoot mezzanine above the library serves as a community center and art gallery. In 1998, theLeague of Minnesota Cities honored the community project with its City Achievement Award.


23

Mid-Course ChangesAlong the way, the developmentcommittee struggled with moremeetings, and the mid-course changesrequired by a new developer andconsultants. Still everyone maintainedan attitude of perseverance, accordingto the city manager. The group formedan Economic Development Authoritythat would own the former armory andprotect the financing package fromadditional challenges by voters.Mindful that the first library proposalhad been stopped at the polls, Boveesays the group “had to becomecreative” to ensure that financialsupport for the new proposal wouldremain on track. They also were carefulto conduct ample public meetings andto host open houses during theconstruction phase so townspeoplecould observe the process.

Sports fans gained something from thearmory project, too. The school districtis constructing an athletic building withspace for three basketball courts.When that work is finished, the currentschool gymnasium will be remodeledinto a fine arts center. The formerlibrary continues in service as theoffice of a law firm.

Financial PlanDawson is paying the final tab on thearmory project with a combination ofbonds and grants. Rents, averaging$500 per month for each of the 10apartments, will pay back the$500,000 housing bond, while anannual appropriation from the city willpay off the slightly larger amount inbonds sold to finance the libraryportion of the complex. The city alsoreceived a $150,000 grant from theMinnesota Department of Children,Families and Learning to help pay forcompliance with the Americans withDisabilities Act. A $25,000 grant fromthe state was used early on to conductpreliminary studies when the NationalGuard moved out of the building.

The Dawson City Library more than doubledits floor space when it moved its 22,000-piece collection into the former drill hall ofthe National Guard armory. With more than4,000 registered patrons, the facility has thehighest per capita circulation rate in thePioneerland Library System, a regionalnetwork of 31 libraries covering ninecounties in west-central Minnesota.

Library staff members and city officials are still experimenting with ways to utilize the mezzaninespace above the main floor of the library. The area is used as an art gallery and display space forhistoric artifacts. A donated grand piano is also available for use on the mezzanine.

Financial assistance received by thecity to fund the apartment complexrequires that for the first three yearsafter opening, all tenants must be 55years or older. Following that period,the apartments can be rented on theopen market. City manager Bovee saysthe 10 apartments, some as large as1,300 square feet and one designed fora handicapped tenant, were quicklyfilled. He adds that many prospectiveyounger residents are waiting for anopportunity to move in.

Construction began June 26, 1997,following one of the toughest winterson record and serious flooding of theLac qui Parle River that flows throughthe town. Work was finished in Marchof 1998, and Bovee says that the citydealt with a few small “constructionsurprises” as tenants and the librarystaff settled in. The city purchased theformer Masonic Lodge across the streetfrom the armory and took down theframe building in 1999 to build aneight-car garage for tenants, animportant plus for residential propertyduring Minnesota’s winters.


24

Status of Minnesota’s Former Armories Closed in 1993

Aitkin Aitkin Aitkin Aitkin Aitkin – City-owned communitycenter

Benson Benson Benson Benson Benson – City-owned, rented forvarious uses

Dawson Dawson Dawson Dawson Dawson – Library/apartmentcomplex/community center

Eveleth Eveleth Eveleth Eveleth Eveleth – City-owned communitycenter

Milaca Milaca Milaca Milaca Milaca – Purchased by city,recently sold to commercial designbusiness

Park Rapids Park Rapids Park Rapids Park Rapids Park Rapids – City-owned storagespace

TTTTTracy racy racy racy racy – City-owned communitycenter

VVVVViririririrginia ginia ginia ginia ginia – Purchased by city,resold to private owner

White Bear Lake White Bear Lake White Bear Lake White Bear Lake White Bear Lake – City-ownedcommunity center

WWWWWindom indom indom indom indom – City-owned,subsequently demolished

WWWWWorthington orthington orthington orthington orthington – Commercial officeand business space

Zumbrota Zumbrota Zumbrota Zumbrota Zumbrota – Commercial apartmentcomplex

Dawson officials held open house weekends during the construction phase of the library-apartment project so that residents of the Lac qui Parle County farming community could inspectthe progress. Community involvement continued with a contest to select the name of thelibrary/apartment house complex. After purchasing the armory from the state for $1, the townspent more than $1 million raised from the sale of bonds and receipt of grants to complete theremodeling.

Lodge members moved their furnishingsinto the basement of the former armoryand conduct meetings in the communityroom, which Bovee says is available forother groups. Future ideas includeinstallation of commercial kitchenequipment in the basement to supportother public events and a senior mealsprogram.

National Register Nomination“It was important for us to retain thelook of the armory,” Bovee says of thedesign and construction process.Early on, the city nominated thebuilding to the National Register ofHistoric Places to assure long-timeresidents that the character of thestructure would be retained. ArchitectMilton Bruflodt traveled to theMinnesota National Guard’s facilitiesoffice at Camp Ripley to inspect oldphotos and drawings. Among hispreservation efforts were retention offoyer woodwork and faithful restorationof the shape and size of formergarage door openings in the front ofthe building.

Inside the building, second storyapartments now have cathedralceilings that rise 14 feet to expose thedark, solid-wood car siding that makesup the underside of the roof. In thelibrary, a false ceiling was removedfrom the drill hall to show off the fullexpanse of the same wood. Outsidenear the flagpole that still displays thenation’s colors, a low brick wall carriesmetal letters that proclaim thebuilding’s new mission: DawsonLibrary – Heritage Court Apartments.In the center of the front entrancesidewalk, workers carefully set a slabsaved from the original walk. Itsinscription modestly carries the year1923 and the name of the civic-minded contractor who, like hismodern community counterparts, gaveso much to the project. "

MuseumDeming, New Mexico



! Total interior area: 14,000 squarefeet; two stories

! Main drill hall floor finished inmaple

! Poured concrete foundation, brickwalls, pitched roof

! Designed by H.C. Trost of El Paso,Texas, in the popular “castellated”style

! Built by W.W. Barracks of Deming


! 1977 purchase price: $11,500(one-half of the purchase price wascontributed by one local donor, theremainder was raised by additionallocal contributions)

! Initial renovation costs contributedlargely through donations of laborand materials

! National Register of Historic Places#83001624

! New Mexico Register of CulturalProperties #584

FFFFFor more information, contact theor more information, contact theor more information, contact theor more information, contact theor more information, contact theLuna County Historical SocietyLuna County Historical SocietyLuna County Historical SocietyLuna County Historical SocietyLuna County Historical SocietyPPPPP.O.O.O.O.O. Bo. Bo. Bo. Bo. Box 1617x 1617x 1617x 1617x 1617Deming, NM 88030Deming, NM 88030Deming, NM 88030Deming, NM 88030Deming, NM 88030TTTTTelephone: 505-546-2382elephone: 505-546-2382elephone: 505-546-2382elephone: 505-546-2382elephone: 505-546-2382E-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]

It started with a washing machine.

In 1976, prominent Deming, N.M.,businessman Hubert Ruebush wantedto donate his mother’s old electricwasher, “the first one in town,” to thecommunity’s already crampedmuseum, which operated from a smallrented house. A few blocks away, theArmy National Guard had recentlymoved from its old brick armory to anew facility on the south side of town.

Several months, thousands of dollars,and countless hours of volunteer timelater, the Deming Luna MimbresMuseum was on its way towardbecoming a showpiece for thiscommunity of 16,000 just 30 milesfrom the Mexican border. Mrs.Ruebush’s galvanized tub, with itsblack electric motor, found a home.The laundry room relic is in goodcompany along with thousands ofartifacts that tell the story of howNative Americans and generations ofmuch newer residents have lived inthis region that bills itself as the ChiliCapital of the World.

The transition from armory to museumstarted with Ruebush’s donation first ofthe family’s laundry room showpiece—and soon after—cash. When helearned the museum could not displaysomething the size of his mother’sprized home appliance, the campaignto secure the armory from the state waslaunched. Others in the city hadthought about alternative uses for thevacant armory, and a salvage companyhad its eye on demolition rights inexchange for an estimated 18 railcarloads of valuable red bricks. Ruebushtipped the scales away from the

salvager with his promised donation of$6,000 if others in the communitycould match the amount in order tomeet the state’s asking price for the1916 structure.

“Well, we raised the other $6,000pretty fast,” recalls Ruth Brown, aretired sixth grade teacher and themuseum’s current director. With helpfrom a state legislator, a delegation ofcitizens went to Santa Fe to negotiatethe eventual $11,500 selling price withthe State Armory Board. New Mexicois one of several states that maintainan Armory Board to oversee theconstruction, operation, anddisposition of National Guardproperties. It functions as a “bodycorporate,” with the adjutant generalas its chairman.

Like A Real MuseumWith title to the property, volunteersfrom the Luna County HistoricalSociety set to work in January 1978.They cleaned up the old armory andprepared the 1,728-square-foot groundfloor room to accept the contents of thecramped Cottage Museum that hadbeen in business in two differentlocations since 1963. The HistoricalSociety’s original plan called formuseum space on the ground floor,reserving the upper 4,608 square footdrill hall for dances, concerts, andother community events. “We startedto run things like a real museum,”Brown states.

Deming Armory Statistics

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CASE STUDY


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In addition to the leadership andfinancial contributions from Ruebushand his wife, Pauline, retirees Ted andLouise Southerland figuredprominently in the early years of theexpanded museum. A former schooladministrator, Southerland and his wifewere among the thousands who move toNew Mexico to enjoy the favorablewinter climate. As Brown explains, theSoutherlands and other seasonalresidents bring their energy, ideas,diverse points of view, and capabilityto donate time to many civic projects.

The Southerland family broughtsomething else that, like Ruebush’swashing machine, helped propel themuseum toward its current annualvisitor count of 24,000 and growingcore of 70 to 80 volunteer staffmembers. Mrs. Southerland’s dollcollection—300 strong—needed ahome. The Historical Society acceptedthe collection, and the Southerlandfamily set to work transforming thearmory’s 81-foot indoor target rangeinto a carpeted display space that hassince increased by at least 100 dollsdonated by other residents.

“People saw what had been done withthe dolls and just started givingthings,” recalls Brown. Display-by-display, the museum grew out of theground floor room across the entiredrill floor. It since has spread to anadjoining building that is currentlybeing enlarged with a secondconstruction project that will become atransportation wing for the museum.Main spaces in the armory are filledwith displays, while volunteer staffmembers use small classrooms and thecombination running track/balcony onthe upper level for offices and archivestorage.

Highlights of the collection includehundreds of ceramic pieces and otherartifacts representing life from theMogollon and Mimbreno cultures thatoccupied the region before explorersand settlers arrived. There’s a MilitaryRoom that recounts the story ofDeming’s role in national defense.

National Guard Bureau’sFormer Chief IssuesCaution––When ArmoriesBecome ‘Landlocked’

Retired Lt. Gen. Edward Baca wasa rising staff officer in the NewMexico National Guard when theDeming armory changed hands.Gen. Baca later served for 11years as the state’s adjutantgeneral and was selected to bechief of the National GuardBureau from 1994 to 1998. Hefirmly believes that any armoryreutilization project must firstevaluate the needs of the localcommunity. Because armoriestypically serve both as militarybuildings and community centers,the National Guard and localresidents must give carefulthought to continuing that missionafter a unit moves to a new facility.

“Community center first,” theveteran of 42 years of NationalGuard service recommends,especially in smaller towns. Thenother uses can be considered,including sale to the private sector.

“Mobilization and training are firstconsiderations,” Gen. Bacacontinues in explaining thecomplex and often-difficultdecision the National Guard mustmake when it is time to close anarmory. Old armories also get“landlocked,” in Gen. Baca’sword, and cannot support themodern training requirements for aunit that operates big equipmentand is staffed by men and womenwho nearly all commute to trainingin their cars. “No matter howbeautiful it is, or how historic itis,” Gen. Baca advises, “when oldarmories are landlocked, then it’stime to find an alternative use forthe building. The armory can liveon, it just won’t be with a NationalGuard unit inside.” "

At 301 S. Silver Ave., the Deming Armory opened its doors in 1916 while the National Guardunit was on federal duty helping to keep Pancho Villa on his side of the Mexican border. TheNew Mexico National Guard maintained a unit in the building for 60 years. During World WarII, when all National Guard units were in federal service, the building housed an active USOchapter that supported thousands of men training at the nearby Deming Army Airfield. As acommunity center, the armory served the citizens of Deming from its opening months as alocation for dances, basketball games, boxing matches, and other public events.


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Wartime Tragedy Remembered

Master Sgt. Howard G. Craig was51 years old in early 1941, whenthis photo was taken as theDeming National Guard unitshipped out for World War IIservice in the Philippines. Sgt.Craig survived the Bataan DeathMarch, but was killed late in thewar when a U.S. Navy aircraftbombed the Japanese ship thatwas taking him and other POWsto Japan to serve as laborers.

Sgt. Craig, who received a battlefield commission while he was aprisoner, served as the pre-war, full-time administrator of the DemingGuard unit. His daughter, Betty Craig Wood, lived in the armory’sbasement apartment with her family that included five other siblings.She recalls the Deming armory as a busy place, often noisy with highschool basketball games and dances. “There was lots of excitement,”she remembers of her years from ages 10-17 in the armory, “we wereclose to town, but a long way from school.”

Today, Deming’s National Guard unit is Battery A, 1st Battalion, 202nd

Artillery, an organization of 60 men who operate the Army’s self-propelled155-millimeter artillery system called Paladin. The city’s first NationalGuard unit was Company I of the 1st New Mexico Infantry. Just prior toWorld War II, the unit was reorganized as the headquarters of the 200th

Coast Artillery Regiment. The 200th served in the Philippine Islands andwas surrendered to Japanese forces in April 1942. The men endured theBataan Death March; survivors spent 42 months in prisoner of war camps.

Photos and artifacts from the earlyyears when the town’s National Guardunit was called to federal service in thecampaign against Poncho Villa are ondisplay. A Norden bombsight remindsvisitors that countless bombardierslearned how to use the top-secretdevice inside aircraft based at thenearby Deming Army Airfield. Otherdisplays tell of city life, commercialestablishments, health care,entertainment, and the impact offarming and ranching on Deming andLuna County.

Green Tea Raises FundsDonated labor, money, materials, andbusiness savvy form the backbone ofthe Historical Society’s efforts. Forexample, a holiday event formerlycalled the Silver Tea became the“Green Tea” to better reflect itsmoney-raising purpose. The museum’sgift shop started when two people eachgave $200 to stock the shelves thatnow are filled with souvenirs andartwork reflecting Deming’s history andNative American culture. Today theshop is the museum’s largest source ofsupplemental income. With two shiftsper day nearly every day of the year,volunteers staff the gift shop and serveas docents for the exhibits. Native

Master Sgt. Howard G. Craig

In 1921 when this picture was taken, Deming’s National Guard unit was Troop C of the 111th Cavalry. It remained a cavalry outfit until conversion tocoastal artillery prior to World War II. Mascots in this photo include two dogs and a long-haired goat. The kneeling soldier, second from right, isholding a human skull of unidentified origin.

"


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Deming resident Art Roman serves asthe volunteer archivist for the growingcollection focused on artifacts fromsouthwestern New Mexico.

The city and county pitch in to payone-half of the museum’s utility bills,and the city has donated the labor ofits work crews to construct twoadditional display buildings thatstretch from the south side of thearmory to the end of the city block.In the future, Brown hopes that moneycan be raised to cover these new metalstructures with brick veneer to matchthe armory. The landscaped outdoorspace in front of the new additionsdisplays memorials to service membersfrom the area, including veterans ofthe 200th Coast Artillery Regimentwho were involved in the BataanDeath March.

The bulk of visitors are the thousandswho spend easy winters in thesouthwest. At peak season—betweenJanuary and April—more than 2,000people visit the museum each month.Brown and her volunteer staffers areworking to expand the museum’svisibility with tour group operators.During the 1999-2000 school year,every fourth grader in the communityspent an entire day in the formerarmory, with hands-on learning aboutthe history of their community. "

Museum exhibits now fill the main drill hall. Volunteers from the local Historical Society initiallyplanned to use the drill hall for public events, thinking the lower level of the armory would belarge enough for display space.

The lower level of the Deming Museum displays furnishings from area homes and serves as ameeting space for school groups, musical performances, and other events. When the NationalGuard operated the armory, this area was used for social events.

Family Resource CenterDefiance, Ohio

! Constructed 1914


! Total interior area: 11,594 squarefeet; two stories

! Main drill hall floor finished inmaple (53 feet by 90 feet)

! Brick walls

! Designed by Karl I. Best, Dayton,Ohio, in the castellated style

! Built by Clemmer and Johnson, Inc.,of Hicksville, Ohio


! 1996 purchase price: $37,500(state legislature set at one-half ofits $75,000 appraied value)

! $500,000 spent on renovations

FFFFFor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactor more information, contactCity of DefianceCity of DefianceCity of DefianceCity of DefianceCity of Defiance324 P324 P324 P324 P324 Perry Streeterry Streeterry Streeterry Streeterry StreetDefiance, OH 43512Defiance, OH 43512Defiance, OH 43512Defiance, OH 43512Defiance, OH 43512TTTTTelephone: 419-784-2101elephone: 419-784-2101elephone: 419-784-2101elephone: 419-784-2101elephone: 419-784-2101WWWWWeb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: wwweb site: www.defianceweb.com.defianceweb.com.defianceweb.com.defianceweb.com.defianceweb.com

Travel to Defiance, Ohio, in thenorthwest corner of the state, and youcan’t miss prominent signs thatdescribe the community of 16,000 as“a great place to live.”

Overstated? You might think so, if youwere just passing through. However, acloser look at how the city’s Goals2000 program has helped to transforma vacant National Guard armory intothe Defiance County Family ResourceCenter would quickly lead you to theopposite conclusion. Defiance’swelcoming sign accurately reflects howcitizens feel about the commitmentsthey have made to maintaining theircommunity.

In several ways, Defiance is like manyother midwestern cities.Manufacturing and agriculture largelysupport the local economy. The cityhas weathered its share of buffetingthat came to the nation’s industrialheartland during the last two decades.Residents are clearly aware thatslogans are not enough to ensure civicvitality. At the start of the 1990s whenthe community began to rebound fromvarious industrial changes, residentsagreed on 10 objectives designed tofocus attention on excellence ineducation. Heading the Goals 2000list was a call for increased partnershipamong families, the school system, andthe community. By early 1995, a taskforce was formed to achieve theseobjectives. Task force volunteers wereconfident that establishment of aFamily Resource Center could serve asa focal point of their efforts. Theybegan to search for a location.

Ohio Closes 26 FacilitiesOperating in a substantially differentorbit, officials at the state headquartersof the Ohio National Guard inColumbus had a few years earliercoped with post-Cold War orders totrim the size of its force. Thisrequirement, crafted in Washington,D.C., by the Congress and theDepartment of Defense, resulted inclosing 26 National Guard facilitiesacross the Buckeye State, includingDefiance’s three-story armoryconstructed in 1914 in the castellatedstyle. Task force members, workingunder the leadership of energeticMayor Rita Kissner, saw potential intransforming the former armory into aFamily Resource Center.

Post-Cold War downsizing. . . meet anew initiative in Middle America.

Vacant long enough to have alreadyattracted small incidents of vandalism,finding a suitable tenant for the armoryalso was important to the mayor andothers in Defiance for practicalreasons. David Williams, city lawdirector, cautioned to a localnewspaper following a May 1996 citycouncil meeting that the armory couldfollow the fate of a downtown factorybuilding that had been demolished ayear earlier after becoming thecommunity’s “biggest eyesore.” Noone wanted to see the 1914 NationalGuard armory deteriorate or torn down.

The Family Resource Center task forcegathered momentum. Sandy Hermanwas hired as the Family and ChildrenFirst Council coordinator and beganworking with the Northwestern OhioCommunity Action Commission

Defiance Armory Statistics

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CASE STUDY


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(NOCAC), a regional group thatoperates the Head Start program inDefiance. If the city would purchasethe armory from the state, NOCACwould take the lead as the main lesseeof the building. The Family andChildren First Council would be afinancially smaller partner in the deal.In Columbus, the National Guard andstate legislature worked together on theproject. Lawmakers set the purchaseprice of the former armory at one-halfof its $75,000 appraised value.

As negotiations were under way to getthe Defiance City Council to approvepurchase of the building, NOCAC andthe Family and Children First Councillaunched their campaign to raiseapproximately $75,000 for remodeling.NOCAC qualified for a $450,000federal grant and a $250,000 stategrant. NOCAC would use that moneyto support comprehensive remodelingof the armory’s lower level intoclassrooms, a kitchen, and storagespace for its Head Start pupils.NOCAC also agreed to a 20-year lease,making it the principal tenant andguaranteeing income for operatingexpenses. Local money, grants, andfund raisers generated monies torenovate the second and third floors.

Foot-in-the-Door PartyBefore everything was finished, localmoney for the project came in smallamounts (e.g., $203 from the “Run forthe Kids”). A local theater ownerdonated profits from the premiershowing of a motion picture that hadbeen filmed in Defiance. Localresidents even paid $51.39 each toattend a “Get Your Foot In the Door”party. The attention-getting price forthis event was calculated by dividingthe total renovation cost by the totalsquare footage of the armory.

Donations of labor and materials alsocontributed to the project’s viability,according to Mayor Kissner andCouncil Coordinator Herman.Volunteers helped with painting. Alocal business donated the heavy toolsnecessary to cut up the old boiler andheating system that students fromDefiance College hauled to the dump.Members of a Michigan-based youthtraining group called ALERT (AirLand Emergency Resource Team)spent several days in the armoryhelping with drywall and finishing.

“It was hard to get started,” Hermanremembers, “but once people couldsee that it was going to happen, thenmomentum built.” That momentumcontinued through the ResourceCenter’s spring 1999 opening withdonations of furniture, a computer, anda copy machine.

Renovations included new plumbing,heating, and wiring. All rooms exceptthe large drill hall are air-conditioned,and a sprinkler system provides fireprotection throughout. The building iscompliant with the Americans withDisabilities Act, and new asphaltcovers a parking lot that is shared bythe neighboring American Legion Posthome. The exterior remains largely

Defiance’s former National Guard armory faces its main commercial street and shares a newparking lot with the neighboring American Legion Post home. Vacated by the Army NationalGuard in 1993, the completely renovated building opened in the spring of 1999 as the DefianceCounty Family Resource Center.

The Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission serves as the major tenant of thebuilding and operates its Head Start program from the lower level of the former armory.This photo illustrates a typical classroom layout.


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unchanged; however, workers didperform tuck-pointing and installednew windows and doors. A mast for amilitary radio antenna that stood infront of the building for at least 20years was dismantled.

In hindsight, Deb Gerken of NOCACwishes the task force had more time tostudy its renovation plan and negotiatewith contractors. The task force had atime limit on spending a significantamount of its money, putting the groupat a disadvantage in holding out formore favorable prices. As an example,Gerken believes the lead paint onbasement walls could have beenencapsulated for far less than the$47,000 that was spent on removal,one of the relatively unstudied choices.One break did come from thesurprising lack of asbestos in thebuilding. “Like three feet” of pipewere covered with the hazardousmaterial, according to Herman, holdingtotal inspection and removal costs toless than $500.

The upper-level administrative areaformerly occupied by the National Guardnow serves as office and classroom spacefor a variety of youth activities and familyprograms managed by the Family andChildren First Council. The drill hallhas been painted and fitted with newlighting. The maple floor has beenrefinished, still serving as a venue forintramural basketball games and otheractivities. Just as the National Guardwould make the drill hall available tocivic organizations when it wasn’t neededfor military training, the Family andChildren First Council also rents the hallto help supplement its operating costs.

Exterior Is Little-ChangedThe exterior of the building looks verymuch as it did during its pre-WorldWar I opening. Mayor Kissner says thecity is very sensitive to preserving asmuch historical character of thecommunity as possible. The city hasdesignated a portion of its HolgateAvenue neighborhood as a historic

district, and some Defiance homes arelisted on the National Register ofHistoric Places.

Mayor Kissner, a 30-year resident ofDefiance who will leave office afterserving eight years, adds that the citygovernment uses “Standards forArchitecture for Historic Preservation”as a guide for local property ownersand contractors. Defiance has noordinances that mandate preservation.Kissner explains, “it is very hard tolegislate to demand that people dothings with private property so long asit is not dangerous or detrimental.”

The entire project involved manyparticipants and observers, amongthem Staff Sgt. Ralph Hutchinson, aretired local truck driver who served inthe Defiance National Guard unit formore than 30 years. The brown brickbuilding became his military home in1948 when he joined the unit followingWorld War II service as an Armydraftee, until his retirement in 1986.Hutchinson is an old-fashionedGuardsman who good-naturedlygrumbles that in a modern Guard unit,“you can’t call it summer campanymore. It’s ‘annual training’.” Hecan recount the long list ofcontributions that the Defiance unitmade to the nation, state, andcommunity, including local duty inresponse to numerous floods andsnowstorms, plus helping residents ofdownstate Xenia following the 1974killer tornado.

During the renovations, Hutchinson kepthis eye on a bronze plaque in the frontfoyer of the building, a tablet that servesas the military cornerstone. Workersremoved the plaque early in the projectso that it would not be damaged. Fearingsomething worse, Hutchinson assignedhimself the mission of guarding the metalrectangle. He took it home, laterarranged for a local machine shop toclean the letters, and assisted localofficials with reinstalling the plaque sothat all would know the National Guardwas there in the beginning.

Basketball has been a staple of NationalGuard armory drill halls since the inventionof the game. Inside the renovated Defiancearmory, children enrolled in various youthprograms enjoy the safety and convenienceof intramural play.

This small commercial kitchen was installedin the lower level of the armory to supportthe Head Start meals program.

A summer months arts and craft program forDefiance youngsters is one of several familyoriented activities now headquartered insidethe former National Guard armory.

Of his nearly four decades of service,Hutchinson, who last performed dutiesas a squad leader, modestly says,“I just wanted to be there.” Of thearmory, he has a similar and directassessment of its value to the community,first as National Guard property and nowas a Family Resource Center. “It’s one ofthe best buildings around . . . they tookgood care of it.” "


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Former Adjutant General Advises: Strategic Approach First, Passion Second

Advice from someone who has been there: Set passion aside.Concentrate on taking a strategic or tactical approach whenmaking plans to purchase and reutilize a former NationalGuard armory.

That is the recommendation from Maj. Gen. Richard C.Alexander, the retired former adjutant general of the OhioNational Guard who now serves as the executive director ofthe Washington, D.C. –based National Guard Association.Alexander was at the helm of the Buckeye State’s NationalGuard in the early 1990s when he and his staff coped withclosing more than 20 militaryproperties.

Alexander understands thevalue of “passion” whengenerating support for anarmory reutilization plan andwhy a new owner shouldretain as much of an armory’shistorical character aspossible. However, he firstadvises that careful attentionbe paid to the difficulty andcomplexity of the process.

“There’s an insatiable need forcommunity service,”Alexander states, of thenatural second life for aNational Guard armory. He recommends that a local protocolbe established to evaluate how best to use a former armory.In order, the needs of the city, county, state, and, finally,private interests, should be examined. With communityneeds identified, those interested in saving an old armory cantackle the challenge of raising the necessary money.

To further aid local groups planning an armory acquisition,Alexander advises them to explore all funding sources.“It takes lots of research to find funding from foundationsand other sources,” he acknowledges, further recommendingthat graduate students could be enlisted in the search andgrant-writing process. State lawmakers also can help,especially if special legislation is necessary to establish apurchase price or other conditions of sale.

In each state, the National Guard typically carries a largebacklog of construction or maintenance projects for itsarmories. Officials charged with managing these budgetsanticipate that proceeds from the sale of an old armory can beused to offset their current needs, usually for fundamentalexpenditures like roof repair or heating upgrades forbuildings that remain in daily military use. Solutions to thesepotential stalemates—the National Guard must sell thebuildings for a fair price, but local groups lack the means toraise the money—may require legislative assistance. In

Ohio, the state legislatureauthorized the creation of arebate fund that struck abalance between the NationalGuard’s need to recover equityand a community’s inability topay market value.Communities got state help inmeeting a big portion of thepurchase price. The OhioNational Guard, in turn,received money for itsfacilities repair budget.

Alexander, who served a wideseries of unit assignmentsbefore becoming adjutant in1987, reserves equal intensityfor preserving structures and

the spirit of their National Guard occupants once the detailsof finance and remodeling are under control. “Those whowant the building should appreciate the fact that it shouldmaintain a link to the past,” he states. Symbolically, thatmight be something as obvious as “polishing the brass” orother careful stewardship of artifacts and architecturalfeatures that remain with a former armory. Less obvious, butequally important, Alexander emphasizes that new occupantsmust fully appreciate the role played by the National Guardin that community. By preserving the armory, they aresustaining a “continuous link to history.” "

The maple floor of the Defiance, Ohio, drill hall was retained aspart of the interior renovation. New walls, fresh paint and newlighting make the space useful for a variety of youth andcivic functions.

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These case studies, also drawn fromgeographically diverse regions of thecountry, briefly present examples ofsuccess, as well as stories about citiesthat face considerable challenges. Twoof the summaries highlight the need forspecial efforts to preserve the NationalGuard’s large regimental armories,including the 7th Regiment in NewYork City and the Cranston StreetArmory in Providence, R.I. Because oftheir architectural grandeur, thesearmories represent some of the finestexamples of armory architecture in theUnited States. Because of their size,they are far more difficult to maintainand consequently, far more difficult toconvert into new, viable uses.

When Brig. Gen. Samuel CrockerLawrence wanted an armory for theNational Guard unit he organized andcommanded, the eponymous LawrenceLight Guards, he was rich enough tobuild the $250,000 structure himself.Construction was completed in 1905on the armory that included a 150-footby 75-foot drill shed, with seatingfor 3,000.

Upon his death, Lawrence’s will leftthe building to the MassachusettsNational Guard, with the proviso thatif the Guard moved out, the armorywould revert to the Grand MasonicLodge of Massachusetts. In 1973 theGuard left, and two years later theMasons moved in. The Masons put thearmory on the National Register, butthe building proved to be more thanthey needed or could afford.

In the early l980s, a consultantadvised them to tear down the drillshed and restore the decayed frontoffices.

The armory was facing demolitionwhen Masonic lodge member TonySulfaro decided it was “too magnificentto tear down.” Sulfaro wanted to turnthe building into a medical and legaloffice condominium complex, but the$1.2 million price tag was daunting—until he realized that adding a secondfloor to the inside of the drill shedwould net an additional 22,000 squarefeet of space. When the feasibility ofhis idea was confirmed by hisarchitect, Bernard J. Goba, AIA,Sulfaro put up everything he owned tosecure a loan, and then he purchasedthe building.

With no money left, his wife andchildren pitched in, and the familybegan to restore the interior of thebuilding themselves. Whenprospective purchasers saw the firsttwo rehabbed offices (one with afloor-to-ceiling fireplace carved withmuskets, pikes, and other symbols ofthe building’s military past), sales tookoff. Tony Sulfaro renamed the armorythe Marcus Fonzi ProfessionalBuilding after a nephew who died in atragic accident, and in 1984 the newowners began to move in.

During the renovation, Sulfaro hadcontacted the State HistoricPreservation Officer, who visited thebuilding while work was in progress.With interior woodwork and granitecolumns intact, the building remainedon the National Register after itsrestoration. Some of the individual

Each Armory ProjectPresents Unique Challenges

Office CondominiumMedford, Massachusetts

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OTHER NOTEWORTHY PROJECTS

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Battleof Concord, noted American sculptor DanielChester French created this statue of aminuteman in tribute to the citizen-soldierswho fought in the Revolutionary War.


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study for turning the armory intoapartments for senior citizens. Afterputting on a new roof and repairing thedamage caused by the leaking of theold one, the job of turning the armoryinto 18 apartments began.

To take advantage of one side of thebuilding’s highly desirable view of theupper reaches of Pamlico Sound,Howard and Boyd’s architectural planhad filled the armory’s original doorentrance with glass panels thatprovided windows for four apartments.Knowing that this would create aproblem when applying for arehabilitation tax credit, they hired apreservation consultant to help withthe paperwork. In the end, despitesuch touches as reuse of the armorywindows’ original iron bars in aspecially designed fence, the buildingwas deemed ineligible for the tax credit.

Nevertheless, this adaptive reuse is apreservation success story for the long-time home of the North Carolina ArmyNational Guard’s 213th Military PoliceCompany. Because Howard and Boydfound a new use for a WPA armory, abuilding that is itself a survivor of theGreat Depression of the 1930s is nowhome to some of the very people wholived through that important era.

office purchasers got rehabilitation taxcredits. Tony Sulfaro got a penthouseoffice for the A. J. SulfaroDevelopment Corporation (he kept thetop floor of the drill shed for himself)and the satisfaction of saving amagnificent historic building.

In 1976, when the National Guardmoved out of its 1936 Works ProgressAdministration (WPA) armory in theold river port of Washington, N.C., thetriple wall, hard-fired brick buildingreverted to the city. For 17 years thearmory drill shed served as a garagefor maintenance vehicles, as waterleaked in from a badly repaired roof.

In 1993, developers Tom Howard andLarry Boyd bought the building for$35,000. “Nobody else wanted it,”said Howard of the sealed-bid auctionfor the structure that he described as“constructed like a fortress.” The mencorrectly guessed their LandmarkProperties, Inc., had made the onlybid. Before the purchase, Howard andBoyd had commissioned a feasibility

In the early 1900s, the commander of a Massachusetts National Guard unit used his own moneyto build this armory in Medford. Today, the former armory is a professional office building andholds a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Senior CitizenApartment ComplexWashington, North Carolina

A building contractor and a real estate appraiser from Washington, N.C., bought the armory fromthe city with a sealed bid. They spent three years remodeling the interior of the structure into an18-unit apartment complex. The 1- and 2-bedroom apartments range in size from 700 squarefeet to 1,050 square feet, some built on two levels.


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Any discussion of the history ofNational Guard armories must includethe home of New York City’s 7th

Regiment, with its Park Avenueaddress and Central Park views. Thislavish and ornate building, its interiordesigned by famed architect StanfordWhite to incorporate ceilings by LouisComfort Tiffany, kicked off the firstgreat wave of armory construction inthe last quarter of the 19th century.The 7th Regiment’s massiveheadquarters ensured the dominance ofthe castellated Gothic style in armoryconstruction for decades to come.

In 1863, as thousands of Irishimmigrants protested being draftedinto the Union Army, the 7th Regimentfound itself in the middle of thebloodiest urban rioting this country hasever seen. Members of the regimentvowed that if riots broke out again,they would have a defensive base fromwhich to conduct operations. Thestates were not yet in the business ofarmory construction, so the 7th

Regiment, which included the city’smost socially prominent and wealthymen, commissioned their own fortress.

Architect Charles W. Clinton, himself amember of the Regiment, designed astone building that filled a city blockand cost $589,000, a staggering sumfor the time. Money came from acomplex tangle of personal donations,bonds, fund-raising events, and finallythe state government.

Clinton’s design incorporated turrets,towers, and impregnable stone walls.In addition to offices, storage areas,and firing ranges, the buildingcontained elaborately decoratedceremonial rooms. The enormous drillshed with balconies for spectators waslarge enough for an entire regiment toparade, or for hundreds of New York’swealthy elite to waltz and promenade.

The armory created a sensation when itopened in 1879, and every unit and citywanted its own urban fortress in the newGothic style. Some wealthy units builttheir own armories; states and cities

passed bond issues to finance armoryconstruction; and by 1910, the wealthyindustrial states of the Northeast andMidwest were dotted with brick andstone castles of various sizes.

New York’s 7th Regiment armory established a distinctive architecture standard in 1879, when itopened to house not only a National Guard unit, but social and civic events for the city’s elite.This photo from 1910, shows the Park Avenue structure shortly after its original tower had beenremoved and two more floors of office space added to its immense size. The armory, listed onthe National Register, remains in service for the National Guard and civic events.

Architect Charles Clinton, a member of the 7th Regiment, drew the plans for the unit’s armorybuilding that cost nearly $600,000 to construct. This photo, taken in the 1970s, shows theinterior Veterans’ Room, one of the ornate meeting places designed by architect Stanford Whiteand furnished by Louis C. Tiffany, both members of the 7th Regiment.

7th Regiment’s ShowcaseNew York, New York


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Today, the 7th Regiment Armory hasfallen on hard times. Its massive drillshed still shelters the wealthy andsocial elite during events such as theWinter Antiques Show, but a 1998front-page article in the New YorkTimes detailed the sad deterioration ofthe armory’s spectacular interior.Recent state budgets for armorymaintenance do not encompass thecare and upkeep of Tiffany glass andgold leaf. To further complicate thepicture, the armory’s $10 millioncollection of original paintings anddecorative art, which includes some ofthe nation’s finest Civil War canvases,is caught up in a complex ownershipdispute. The state and the group thatclaims to have inherited the art fromthe 7th Regiment’s National Guardsuccessor unit are a long way fromresolving their differences.

Some state officials have suggestedturning the building over to a privatedeveloper who would renovate andrestore it for new uses. But before that

can happen, the legal questions thatare the heritage of the armory’s tangleof original funding in the l870s mustbe resolved. The Municipal ArtSociety, the 7th Regiment Fund,Veterans of the 7th Regiment Armory,and the Friends of the 7th Regimenthave joined forces to propose aconsolidated effort to pool resourcesand put the armory on a solidmaintenance and operational footing.

Inclusion in the National Trust’s list of“America’s 11 Most Endangered HistoricPlaces” in 1997, plus three consecutiveyears on a similar roster maintained bythe Providence Preservation Society havehelped raise interest in saving theCranston Street Armory. Developing asuitable plan and raising enough moneyto save the building remain asformidable barriers to long term reuse ofthe 90-year-old landmark.

Currently, a Rhode Island native hasbeen negotiating with state officials toturn the stone, brick, and framestructure into a massive sound stageand training facility for film andtelevision productions. The filmmakerhas received several lease extensionsfrom the state Department ofAdministration, while he attempts tosecure enough financial backing toexecute an estimated $6 million to$10 million in repairs and renovations.In addition to the current lease tenant,two other film companies have leasedspace in the armory from the state tocomplete work on productions.Several other proposals to transitionthe facility from armory to moviesoundstage have been presented. Stillanother developer has proposed usingthe drill hall floor as a “motorcarmuseum” to showcase antique cars.This venture includes using theremainder of the armory to housevarious civic and private organizations,among them the Providence PoliceDepartment.

The five-story, castle-like building wasdesigned by the firm William R.Walker and Son in the late 19th centuryto house the Rhode Island NationalGuard’s 103rd Field Artillery Brigade.Since its completion, the CranstonStreet Armory has been the only hometo Rhode Island National Guardartillery units. Their imprint on thebuilding is pronounced, as two granitecannon barrels flank both majorentrances. In the decades thatfollowed, the 165,300-square-footfacility in the Westend section ofProvidence has been the site ofcountless political functions, sportingevents, circuses, and inaugural balls.

Among the most impressive aspects ofthe structure are the roof battlements,turrets, and balconies that dominatethe skyline. The roof battlements ofthe east and west towers are cappedwith copper parapet lining. Turrets arecapped, roofed, and lined entirely withcopper. In addition to five-storycircular wooden stairways for the

Cranston Street ArmoryProvidence, Rhode Island

This telephoto view of Providence, Rhode Island’s Cranston Street Armory emphasizes how itdominates the surrounding residential neighborhood. While architecturally grand, the immensesize of this building makes it an especially challenging candidate for reutilization.


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worried about the declining appearanceof the exterior as well as the threat of amajor incident such as a fire.

In a small Black Hills communitythat now gives careful attention topreserving and promoting its history,an armory that last housed adetachment of National Guardengineers has become theDeadwood Pavilion.

The city government’s share of profitsfrom low-stakes casino gambling hasfueled a massive overhaul ofDeadwood’s historic structures andformerly fragile infrastructure.In the years since 1989, whenlegalized gambling first started torevive the city’s historic Main Streetdistrict, much attention was focused onrehabilitating commercial structuresand municipal support systems. Morethan $40 million has been spent on adecade’s worth of projects, such asrepaving Main Street with brick andtransforming the Fremont Elkhorn &Missouri Valley Railroad station andlater fire department into a Visitors’Center. City officials anticipate theywill continue to receive money forhistoric preservation at a rate of $5million to $6 million per year. Anadditional estimated $75 million inprivate money has been spent on

towers, the balconies that line the drillshed floor are the most dominatinginterior features. Constructed primarilyof oak, these theater-like balconiesfeature intricately carved seats andornate iron railings.

The Army National Guard withdrewfrom the building in the fall of 1996,primarily for safety and financialreasons. According to Maj. Gen.Reginald Centracchio, the adjutantgeneral of the Rhode Island NationalGuard, parts of the facility“represented a serious hazard for ourpersonnel. Additionally, our facilitiesmaintenance budget could not supportthe $60,000 to $100,000 per yearrequired to both repair and heat thearmory.”

Centracchio adds, however, thatleaving the armory was not an easydecision. “The Cranston StreetArmory has been the only home to ourartillery units. At one point or another,all Rhode Island artillery officers andenlisted men labored in this buildingto prepare for war. The CranstonStreet Armory’s impact on theRhode Island National Guard isimpossible to quantify and will notdiminish with its closing.”

Meanwhile, the building remainsvulnerable to faster decline. Windowshave been broken, and a January 1999flooding accident caused by roofdeterioration resulted in minor interiordamage. Citizens involved in the WestBroadway Neighborhood Association are

Deadwood PavillionDeadwood, South Dakota

commercial property that mustconform to the city’s robustpreservation standards.

During the first decade of gambling’sreturn to the county seat community of1,850, the National Guard’s formerarmory continued in service with littlefanfare as a junior high schoolgymnasium. The South DakotaNational Guard had transferredownership of the armory to the Lead-Deadwood School District in the fall of1987, when the Guard closed theDeadwood unit and moved its membersand equipment to a nearby community.

By the late 1990s, with gamblingrevenue firmly part of the localeconomy and much work donethroughout the community, attentionturned to renovation of the armory.Deadwood Festivals, Inc., a local non-profit group that takes much of itsmembership from the rolls of theChamber of Commerce, joined forceswith the Lead-Deadwood SchoolDistrict and received a $150,000 loanfrom the Deadwood HistoricPreservation Commission to remodelthe armory. The funds, along with$23,000 from the Chamber and SchoolDistrict, have paid for upgrades toelectrical, plumbing, and publicaddress systems. Stackable chairs andbleachers were purchased, and thebuilding was made compliant withprovisions of the Americans withDisabilities Act.

Designed by the firm William R. Walker andSon, the Rhode Island National Guard’sCranston Street Armory provided a strikingexterior vista, along with 165,300 squarefeet of space for the states artillery units.The National Guard moved from thebuilding in 1996, and now the Providencestructure awaits some type of suitablereutilization. It was included in theNational Trust for Historic Preservation’s11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 1997.


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Today the re-named DeadwoodPavilion reflects the interest of localcivic boosters who see the structure ashome for theatrical productions,community concerts, and other civicevents. During the Pavilion’s 1998inaugural holiday season, the FabulousChristmas Follies played to big crowdswith a comedy and musical review. Inaddition to management of theDeadwood Pavilion, the festivalorganization has sponsored otheroutdoor big-name concerts and plansto present historically relevanttheatrical productions from the stage ofthe former military/school property.

Revenue from the events is channeledback to the Deadwood HistoricPreservation Commission to repay theremodeling loan. In late 1999,Deadwood Festival officials and thePreservation Commission were stillworking on details of the repaymentschedule.

The Deadwood armory was built in1956 for $240,000. Under the formulaestablished by federal law in 1948, theNational Guard put up 75 percent ofthe construction costs using federalfunds. The Guard joined forces withthe school district, using local funds forthe remaining 25 percent, to construct a100-foot by 97-foot, gable-roofed, no-nonsense facility that was reflective ofpost World War II armory design. Thebuilding served first as home for anartillery battery and then small units ofthe 109th Engineer Battalion. In nearbyLead (“Leed”), a similar armory wasbuilt in 1959, for Company A of the109th Battalion. The unit closed in1991. The former Lead armory nowhouses a day care center. !

In Deadwood, S.D., the school district and local non-profit civic organization share ownership ofthe former National Guard armory, renamed the Deadwood Pavilion. The 1956 brick armory ishome to a range of theatrical productions, concerts, and civic events. Profits from the city’s low-stakes casino gambling industry have supported more than $40 million in historic preservationand infrastructure projects throughout the community since 1989.

Citizens of Deadwood, S.D., have turned the city’s former National Guard armory into a publicpavilion that now hosts a range of musical performances and other events. The 1950’s vintagearmory is jointly owned and operated by the city and school district.


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Appendices

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○


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The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 U.S.C.§§ 470a to 470w-6, (NHPA), amended in 1980, and again in1992, is the key federal law that establishes a federal policyfor the preservation of cultural and historic resources in theUnited States. The law creates a national preservationprogram and a system of procedural protections, whichencourage both the identification and protection of historicresources at the federal level, and indirectly, at the state andlocal level.

The functions of the NHPA are threefold:

(1) It authorizes the expansion and maintenance of theNational Register of Historic Places, the official listing of“districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objectssignificant in American history, architecture, archeology,engineering, and culture.”

(2) It establishes a protective review process, known as the“Section 106 review process,” to ensure that federalagencies consider the effects of federally licensed,assisted, regulated, or funded activities on historicproperties listed or eligible for listing in the NationalRegister.

(3) It requires federal agencies to locate, inventory, andnominate properties to the National Register, assumeresponsibility for preserving historic properties, and usehistoric buildings to “the maximum extent possible.”

The NHPA creates a specific role for state and localgovernments, Native American tribes, and Native Hawaiianorganizations in carrying out the Act’s specific directives.Each state, pursuant to the NHPA, has established a “statehistoric preservation office” or SHPO that is responsible foridentifying and nominating properties for listing in theNational Register of Historic Places and working with federalagencies in implementing the Section 106 review process.SHPOs are also responsible for administering a federalassistance program for historic preservation projects andcertifying local governments who wish to assume specificresponsibilities under the NHPA, such as nominatingproperties for inclusion in the National Register of HistoricPlaces.

The NHPA establishes a Historic Preservation Fund in theU.S. Treasury. Money from this fund is made available to thestates through annual appropriations by Congress. Up to10 percent of a state’s allocation may be transferred to“certified local governments.”

The Section 106 review process is the regulatory heart of theNHPA. Codified at 16 U.S.C. § 470f, Section 106 requiresfederal agencies to consider the effects of their actions onhistoric resources before funding, licensing, or otherwiseproceeding with projects that may affect historic resourceslisted in, or eligible for listing in the National Register ofHistoric Places.

The kinds of actions requiring Section 106 review are broadand inclusive and may affect historic resources directly orindirectly. For example, a federal agency may be required toperform a Section 106 review before approving funds to builda new convention center near a historic district. While afederal agency may delegate certain Section 106responsibilities to a state or local government, the federalagency is ultimately responsible and may be held legallyaccountable for Section 106 compliance.

The statutory provision establishing the Section 106 reviewprocess is relatively succinct. It states:

The head of any Federal agency having direct or indirectjurisdiction over a proposed Federal or federally assistedundertaking in any State and the head of any Federaldepartment or independent agency having authority tolicense any undertaking shall, prior to the approval of theexpenditure of any Federal funds on the undertaking orprior to the issuance of any license, as the case may be,take into account the effect of the undertaking on anydistrict, site, building, structure, or object that is includedin or eligible for inclusion in the National Register. Thehead of such Federal agency shall afford the AdvisoryCouncil of Historic Preservation established under§§ 470i – 470v of this title a reasonable opportunity tocomment with regard to such undertaking.

This provision, in effect, directs federal agencies to determinewhether any properties listed or eligible for listing in theNational Register will be adversely affected by proposed“undertakings,” and if so, provides the Advisory Council onHistoric Preservation, an independent federal agency, with anopportunity to comment. The Section 106 review process mayencompass the identification of protected resources,determinations as to adverse effects, and consultation withthe appropriate state historic preservation officer and theAdvisory Council on Historic Preservation about ways toavoid or reduce those effects. In the vast majority of cases, alegally binding Memorandum of Agreement is executed bythe consulting parties, setting forth specific protectivemeasures that must be taken.

The National Historic Preservation Act|Appendix A


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Regulations implementing Section 106 have beenpromulgated by the Advisory Council on HistoricPreservation. These regulations set forth the specificprocedures that federal agencies must follow to satisfy therequirements of Section 106. The regulations are publishedat 36 C.F.R. Part 800 and are available on the AdvisoryCouncil’s web site at www.achp.gov.

Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, theArmy National Guard has designated a FederalPreservation Officer:

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Army(Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health)110 Army Pentagon, Room 2E577Washington, DC 20310-0110

Staff Contact:

Cultural Resources Program ManagerArmy National Guard, National Guard BureauAttn: NGB-ARE-C111 S. George Mason DriveArlington, VA 22204-1382

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s ArmyNational Guard Liaison:

Michelle HellerAdvisory Council on Historic PreservationOld Post Office Building1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 809Washington, DC 20004Telephone: 202-606-8522

Other Federal StatutesGoverning Historic Resources

In addition to the National Historic Preservation Act,two other statutes provide protection for historic resourcesagainst potentially harmful federal actions: the NationalEnvironmental Protection Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. §§4321-4347, and Section 4(f) of the Department ofTransportation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 303. NEPA governs federalagency actions affecting cultural as well as natural resources,including properties listed or eligible for listing on theNational Register of Historic Places, as well as those listed onstate or local historic registers. While NEPA does not insiston preservation in every situation, it requires federal agenciesto give full consideration to the potential impact of majoractions on historic property. Each agency must prepare an“Environmental Impact Statement,” or EIS, whenever majorfederal actions will significantly affect the quality of thehuman environment. The EIS must identify the historicresources that may be affected by the proposed action andthen discuss alternatives to the proposed action that wouldavoid or mitigate the adverse affects. Regulationsimplementing NEPA are set forth at 40 C.F.R. Part 1500.

Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act providessubstantive protection for historic properties against federalactions taken by the Department of Transportation. Itprohibits the federal approval or funding of transportationprojects that require the “use” of any historic site unless(1) there is “no feasible and prudent alternative to theproject,” and (2) the project includes “all possible planningto minimize harm to the project.” The term “use” includesnot only the direct physical taking of property, but alsoindirect effects that would “substantially impair” the valueof protected sites. For example, the effect of a proposedhighway on the economic vitality of a nearby historicneighborhood that would isolate the district from nearbycommercial activity would require assessment underSection 4(f).

Section 4(f) applies to all transportation agencies within theU.S. Department of Transportation, including the FederalHighway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration,and the U.S. Coast Guard. Implementing regulations are setforth at 23 C.F.R. § 771.135.


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The National Register of Historic Places is the official list ofhistoric and cultural resources at the national level andserves as the primary resource for significant historical,architectural, and archaeological resources in the UnitedStates. Established under the Historic Sites Act of 1935,16 U.S.C. §§ 461 et seq., and expanded by the NationalHistoric Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 16 U.S.C.§§ 470 et seq., the Register includes districts, sites, buildings,structures, and other objects important in American history,architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. TheNational Register includes more than 70,000 listings,including individual sites and historic districts.

Thus far, approximately 200 armories have been individuallylisted in the National Register of Historic Places. The list isnot definitive and the fact that a property has not beenincluded on the Register does not mean that it is not eligiblefor listing. Indeed, the number of armories included on theRegister is likely to grow as historic preservation offices beginto focus on the inventory of historic armories within theirjurisdictions. Several of the armories currently listed on theNational Register, particularly from those from Pennsylvaniaand New York, are the result of efforts undertaken by statepreservation offices to identify and nominate historic armorieswithin their states.

The National Register is administered by the National ParkService under the U.S. Department of the Interior. Criteriaand procedures governing the National Register are set forthat 36 C.F.R. Part 60. The Park Service’s “Keeper of theNational Register” is responsible for listings anddeterminations of eligibility for listing in the NationalRegister, although the designation process usually begins atthe state level with nominations by the State HistoricPreservation Office.

The National Register’s principal purpose is to identifyhistorical and cultural resources of our nation. Indeed,listing on the National Register is essentially honorific,meaning that it does not impose substantive restraints on howa private property owner may use his or her property.National Register listings simply confer recognition that aproperty is significant to the country as a whole, a state, or alocal community.

The National Register also serves as the primary planningtool for federal agencies in meeting their legal responsibilitiesunder the National Historic Preservation Act. The NationalRegister is used by agencies in meeting their stewardshipresponsibilities under Section 110 of the act, 16 U.S.C.§ 470h, and can invoke the procedural safeguards of

Section 106 for federal or federally approved projects,16 U.S.C. § 470f. This provision directs federal agencies toconsider the effects of their activities on properties that arelisted or are eligible for listing on the National Register.Mitigation of potentially adverse effects is achieved throughconsultation with State Historic Preservation Officers andother affected parties.

Often the National Register is used by state and localgovernments as a tool for identifying historic resources withintheir own jurisdictions. In some localities, National Registerlisting may trigger review under state and local historicpreservation laws. In most instances, however, the Registersimply highlights properties for possible inclusion on state orlocal registers.

National Register listings may be beneficial to privateproperty owners interested in obtaining favorable tax benefits,such as the 20 percent income tax credit for the rehabilitationof historic property. See I.R.C. § 48(g). It may also helpproperty owners to qualify for a charitable tax deduction forthe donation of a partial interest in historically important landareas or structures, known as a preservation or façadeeasement. See I.R.C. § 170(h). National Register listing maytrigger benefits under state and local historic rehabilitationtax incentive programs as well.

For more information on the National Register of HistoricPlaces, contact the National Park Service, U.S. Department ofthe Interior, 1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240.Telephone: 202-343-9536. The National Park Servicemaintains a web site on the National Register atwww.cr.nps.gov/nr.

State and Local Registers ComparedMany states maintain their own registers of historic places, whichmay be more or less inclusive than the National Register ofHistoric Places. As with the National Register, listing on a stateregister tends to be honorific. In some states, however, inclusionon a state register may trigger regulatory protection or governwhether a property owner may qualify for favorable taxtreatment.

Properties may also be designated as individual landmarks or ascontributing structures within a historic district pursuant to alocal historic preservation ordinance. Unlike listing on theNational Register, designation under a local ordinance oftenaffects a property owner’s ability to change his or her propertyin ways that would harm the resource’s historic or architecturalcharacter. Properties designated under local ordinances maybe eligible for tax benefits including reductions in localproperty taxes.

The National Register of Historic Places|Appendix B


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Tax incentive programs in effect at the federal, state, andsometimes, local level, provide an important source offinancial support for historic rehabilitations, including thoseundertaken to adapt historic armories to new uses. Theseprograms are generally structured so that a portion ofrehabilitation expenditures may be recouped in the form ofa dollar for dollar credit against income taxes.Rehabilitations undertaken pursuant to these programsgenerally must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’sStandards for Rehabilitation. These standards appear at theend of this appendix.

The donation of a preservation or conservation easement mayalso provide important tax savings that contribute to theviability of a particular project. Preservation easements arepartial restrictions on property that typically are used topreserve the exterior facades of historic buildings.

While direct funding for historic rehabilitation is extremelylimited, money may be available for feasibility planning orsmall projects. The State Historic Preservation Office is agood place to start to determine what programs are available.

Historic RehabilitationThe most widely known incentive to preserve historicproperties is the federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit.This incentive gives property owners either a 10 percent or20 percent tax credit on rehabilitation expenses, dependingupon the classification of the building at issue. “Certifiedhistoric structures” (residential investment and commercialproperty) are eligible for a 20 percent credit whilenoncertified, nonresidential property placed in service before1936 may be eligible for a 10 percent credit.I.R.C. §§ 46(b); 48(g).

Several specific conditions must be satisfied to qualify for thecredit. In addition to being historic, the building must beincome producing and placed in service before the beginningof the rehabilitation. Most importantly, the building must be“substantially rehabilitated,” and the rehabilitation must be a“qualified rehabilitation.” In other words, rehabilitation costsmust exceed the adjusted basis of the building or $5,000, andthe work performed must meet certain preservation standards.

A rehabilitation tax credit may not be taken until theSecretary of the Interior has certified that the building atissue is historic and the rehabilitation has been performed inaccordance with the Secretary’s Standards for Rehabilitation.Certifications of historical significance and rehabilitationwork are obtained from the National Park Service, uponreview by the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office.

Regulations governing the certification process are set forth at36 C.F.R. Part 67.

Many state governments provide special incentives toencourage the maintenance and rehabilitation of historicproperties, typically in the form of property and/or income taxrelief. As with federal income tax incentives, relief isgenerally available only to owners of qualified historicproperties making qualified rehabilitations. Indeed, many ofthe state programs “piggy back” on the federal rehabilitationtax program. Property tax relief may be provided in the formof a property assessment freeze, a property tax abatement, ora property tax exemption.

Tax incentive programs are typically administered at the statelevel by the State Historic Preservation Office. Althoughinfrequent, local incentives may be available in the form ofproperty tax relief as a credit from local taxes.

Preservation EasementsUnder Section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code, historicproperty owners may receive a charitable tax deduction forthe appraised value of a conservation or preservationeasement donated to a qualifying charitable organization.This benefit can be combined with the federal rehabilitationtax credit to make a marginal project viable.

Conservation easements are partial restrictions on land forconservation purposes which may include historicpreservation, scenic preservation, archeology, and so forth.The term preservation easement is commonly used to refer toeasements on historic property. This type of easement may beused to protect the exterior facade of a building, or the entirestructure and surrounding land.

The donation of a preservation easement must bedocumented in the form of an easement agreement thatspells out the rights of the “holding organization” and mustbe recorded on the deed of record. To qualify for federal taxbenefits, the easement must also be in perpetuity. Lists ofhistoric preservation organizations operating easementprograms are generally available from the State HistoricPreservation Office.

Other Sources of Financial SupportLimited funding for rehabilitation projects may be availablethrough the State Historic Preservation Office, certified localgovernments, or state or local preservation organizations. Moneymay also be available for historic armory projects that canqualify as a transportation “enhancement” under theTransportation Enhancement Act of the 21st Century (TEA 21).

Tax Incentives and Other FinancialAssistance Programs |Appendix C


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1. A property will be used as it was historically or begiven a new use that requires minimal change to itsdistinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatialrelationships.

2. The historic character of a property will be retainedand preserved. The removal of distinctive materials oralteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationshipsthat characterize a property will be avoided.

3. Each property will be recognized as a physical recordof its time, place, and use. Changes that create a falsesense of historical development, such as addingconjectural features or elements from other historicproperties, will not be undertaken.

4. Changes to a property that have acquired historicsignificance in their own right will be retained andpreserved.

5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, andconstruction techniques or examples of craftsmanshipthat characterize a property will be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired ratherthan replaced. Where the severity of deteriorationrequires replacement of a distinctive feature, the newfeature will match the old in design, color, texture, andwhere possible, materials. Replacement of missingfeatures will be substantiated by documentary andphysical evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will beundertaken using the gentlest means possible.Treatments that cause damage to historic materials willnot be used.

8. Archeological resources will be protected andpreserved in place. If such resources must bedisturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related newconstruction will not destroy historic materials,features, and spatial relationships that characterize theproperty. The new work will be differentiated from theold and will be compatible with the historic materials,features, size, scale and proportion, and massing toprotect the integrity of the property and itsenvironment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related newconstruction will be undertaken in such a manner that,if removed in the future, the essential form and integrityof the historic property and its environment would beunimpaired.

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for RehabilitationThe Secretary of the Interior defines “rehabilitation” as “the act or process of making possible a compatible use for aproperty through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical,cultural, or architectural values.” Consistent with this definition, the Secretary has adopted the following standards for therehabilitation of historic properties:


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The Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213 (ADA), requires that all state and local governmententities, as well as all commercial facilities and privatebusinesses and nonprofit organizations providing goods andservices to the public (known as public accommodations),ensure that newly constructed buildings and facilities andall altered portions of existing buildings and facilities, arereadily accessible to individuals with disabilities. Inaddition, state and local governments must ensure thatexisting facilities comply with the law’s mandatedaccessibility requirements and private property owners withbuildings serving the public are required to remove barriersto access from existing buildings and facilities when it is“readily achievable” to do so. [Note that federal buildingsand federally funded facilities covered by the ArchitecturalBarriers Act of 1968 must satisfy the Uniform FederalAccessibility Standards as well as Section 106 of the NationalHistoric Preservation Act.]

Owners of qualified historic buildings and facilities, such ashistoric armories, are not exempt from ADA requirements.However, ADA responsibilities may be accomplished byalternative means where compliance would threaten ordestroy the historic nature of the building or facility.Qualified buildings include those that are listed or eligiblefor listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as wellas those designated under state and local law. Decisions topursue alternative methods to meet ADA requirementsmust be done in consultation with the State HistoricPreservation Office.

With respect to historic armories, owners are advised to,first, review the historical significance of their property andidentify the materials, features, and spaces that should bepreserved. For most armories, the construction materials,the form and style of the property, the principal elevations,the major architectural features, and the principal publicspaces should be viewed as important elements thatcontribute to the property’s overall historical significance.Thus, when making modifications to meet accessibilityrequirements, efforts should be made to minimize impactson these particular elements.

After familiarizing oneself with the property’s importantfeatures, owners of historic armories will then need to assessthe property’s existing level of accessibility, identify wherepotential barriers lie, and determine what level ofaccessibility is required. The rules, for example, varydepending upon whether the owner is a governmental entityor not. Moreover, some states and localities have adoptedadditional accessibility requirements and codes.

Finally, the owner should identify and evaluate the variousaccessibility options, keeping in mind the armory’s historicaland architectural significance and that alternative solutionsmay be possible. The optimal solution is one that providesthe greatest amount of accessibility without destroying thematerials or features of the property that makes it significant.Owners are required to consult with the State HistoricPreservation Office if they believe that compliance willthreaten or destroy the significance of the property.

Regulations governing ADA accessibility requirements areset forth at 28 C.F.R. §§ 5.149-151 (state and localgovernments) and 28 C.F.R. §§ 36.401-406 (publicaccommodations). ADA Standards for Accessible Design arepublished as an Appendix to the regulations. Basicaccessibility standards are set forth at § 4.1.6. Specialstandards applicable to historic properties are set forth at§ 4.1.7. The regulations and standards can be found at theU.S. Department of Justice’s web site at www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada. The National Park Service has also published twoPreservation Briefs that may be helpful in meeting ADArequirements. See Preservation Brief No. 17, “ArchitecturalCharacter: Identifying the Visual Aspects of HistoricBuildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character,” andPreservation Brief No. 32, “Making Historic Buildings orFacilities Accessible.” These are located on the NationalPark’s web site at www2.cr.nps.gov/TPS/briefs.

Americans with Disabilities Act|Appendix D


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Pre-Civil WarNo single architectural style can be associated with pre-CivilWar armories. While a few armory buildings assumed theappearance of a medieval castle or fortress, many weredesigned with classical Greek elements found on commercialstructures of the day. The Romanesque, Italianate, andFrench Second Empire styles were also popular duringthis period.

Post-Civil WarGradually the architectural style of armories became moreuniform. From approximately 1880 to 1910, many armorieswere built in a “castellated” Gothic Revival style suggestiveof the building’s military function. Armories of this periodoften donned castle-like features such as towers, turrets, andcrenellated parapets or battlements. The walls were typicallythick, constructed of heavy stone or brick, reminiscent ofEuropean architecture during the Middle Ages. A variationof this style, known as “Richardsonian Romanesque,” alsobecame popular during this period. Armories built in thisstyle typically have roughly finished or rusticated lowerlevels, with large, round arches and accentuated doorways.

Throughout this period, armories became a source of pride forcommunities, particularly in the wealthier cities of the Eastand Midwest. Armories serving an entire regiment, known as“regimental armories,” could readily be called the gems ofthe day. These exceptionally grand, imposing edifices weredesigned by architectural firms such as Holabird and Roche,and well known state architects, such as Isaac G. Perry, whoalso designed New York’s state capitol building.

20th CenturyIn the early years of the 20th century, the architectural stylesof armories once again became more varied. Armoriesdesigned in the castellated style were far more restrained inappearance, and a number were built in the popular BeauxArts style. In the West, where armory construction generallylagged behind, National Guard units were housed incommercial facilities or modest, functional buildings witharchitectural detailing borrowed from styles ranging fromMedieval Gothic to Italianate to Spanish or Mission Revival.

After World War I, modernistic designs began to replace theelaborate styles favored during the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. Armories of this period were typically built in theart deco style of the 1920s or the popular art moderne style ofthe 1930s and 1940s, giving the buildings a decidedly lessmilitary appearance. In stark contrast to the castellatedarmories, these buildings were more modest in design,embellished with simple cast concrete details such assquares, crosses or an eagle. While the art deco armoriescontinued to emphasize height over width, often through theuse of a stepped parapet and vertical fluting, the art modernebuildings were decidedly horizontal, with simple banding androunded corners. Many of these armories were built in theSouth and the West by the PWA (Public Works Administration)and the WPA (Works Progress Administration) underPresident Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program.

Architectural Styles of Historic Armories|Appendix E


47

AlabamaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 3711Montgomery, AL 36109-0711Phone: 334-271-7200Fax: 334-271-7366

AlaskaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 5800Fort Richardson, AK 99505-5800Phone: 907-428-6003Fax: 907-428-6019

ArizonaThe Adjutant General5636 East McDowell RoadPhoenix, AZ 85008-3495Phone: 602-267-2710Fax: 602-267-2715

ArkansasThe Adjutant GeneralCamp J.T. RobinsonNorth Little Rock, AR 72199-9600Phone: 501-212-5001Fax: 501-212-5009

CaliforniaThe Adjutant General9800 S. Goethe RoadSacramento, CA 95826-9101Phone: 916-854-3500Fax: 916-854-3671

ColoradoThe Adjutant General6848 South Revere ParkwayEnglewood, CO 80112-6703Phone: 303-397-3023Fax: 303-397-3281

ConnecticutThe Adjutant General360 Broad StreetHartford, CT 06105-3795Phone: 860-524-4953Fax: 860-524-4898

DelawareThe Adjutant GeneralFirst Regiment RoadWilmington, DE 19808-2191Phone: 302-326-7001Fax: 302-326-7196/7119

District of ColumbiaCommanding General2001 East Capitol StreetWashington, DC 20003-1719Phone: 202-433-5220Fax: 202-433-5105

FloridaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 1008St. Augustine, FL 32085-1008Phone: 904-823-0100Fax: 904-823-0125

GeorgiaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 17965Atlanta, GA 30316-0965Phone: 404-624-6001Fax: 404-624-6005

GuamThe Adjutant General 622 East Harmon IndustrialPark RoadFort Juan MunaTamuning, GU 96911-4421Phone: 011-671-475-0802Fax: 011-671-477-9317

HawaiiThe Adjutant General3949 Diamond Head RoadHonolulu, HI 96816-4495Phone: 808-733-4246Fax: 808-733-4238

IdahoThe Adjutant General4040 W. Guard StreetBoise, ID 83705-5004Phone: 208-422-5225Fax: 208-422-6179

IllinoisThe Adjutant General1301 North MacArthur BoulevardSpringfield, IL 62702-2399Phone: 217-785-3500Fax: 217-785-3736

IndianaThe Adjutant General2002 South Holt RoadIndianapolis, IN 46241-4839Phone: 317-247-3279Fax: 317-247-3540

IowaThe Adjutant General7700 Northwest Beaver Drive,Camp DodgeJohnston, IA 50131-1902Phone: 515-252-4211Fax: 515-252-4656

KansasThe Adjutant General2800 SW Topeka BoulevardTopeka, KS 66611-1287Phone: 913-274-1001Fax: 913-274-1682

The Adjutants General of the National Guard|Appendix F


48

KentuckyThe Adjutant GeneralBuilding 100 - 100Minuteman ParkwayFrankfort, KY 40601-6168Phone: 502-564-8558Fax: 502-564-6271

LouisianaThe Adjutant GeneralHeadquarters Building,Jackson BarracksNew Orleans, LA 70146-0330Phone: 504-278-8211Fax: 504-278-6554

MaineThe Adjutant GeneralCamp KeyesAugusta, ME 04333-0033Phone: 207-626-4205Fax: 207-626-4509

MarylandThe Adjutant General5th Regiment ArmoryBaltimore, MD 21201-2288Phone: 410-576-6097Fax: 410-576-6079

MassachusettsThe Adjutant General50 Maple StreetMilford, MA 01757-3604Phone: 508-233-6552Fax: 508-233-6554

MichiganThe Adjutant General2500 South Washington AvenueLansing, MI 48913-5101Phone: 517-483-5507Fax: 517-482-0356

MinnesotaThe Adjutant General4th Floor VeteransServices Building20 West 12th StreetSt. Paul, MN 55155Phone: 612-282-4666Fax: 612-282-4541

MississippiThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 5027Jackson, MI 39296-5027Phone: 601-313-6232Fax: 601-313-6251

MissouriThe Adjutant General2302 Militia DriveJefferson City, MO 65101-1203Phone: 573-526-9710Fax: 573-526-9929

MontanaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 47891100 North Main StreetHelena, MT 59604-4789Phone: 406-841-3000Fax: 406-841-3011

NebraskaThe Adjutant General1300 Military RoadLincoln, NE 68508-1090Phone: 402-471-7114Fax: 402-471-7171

NevadaThe Adjutant General2525 South Carson StreetCarson City, NV 89701-5502Phone: 702-887-7302Fax: 702-887-7369

New HampshireThe Adjutant General4 Pembroke RoadState Military ReservationConcord, NH 03301-5652Phone: 603-225-1200Fax: 603-225-1257

New JerseyThe Adjutant GeneralEggert Crossing Road, CN 340Trenton, NJ 08625-0340Phone: 609-530-6957Fax: 609-530-7097

New MexicoThe Adjutant GeneralState Programs Office, Room 20147 Bataan BoulevardSanta Fe, NM 87505Phone: 505-474-1202Fax: 505-474-1355

New YorkThe Adjutant General330 Old Niskayuna RoadLatham, NY 12110-2224Phone: 518-786-4502Fax: 518-786-4325

North CarolinaThe Adjutant General4105 Reedy Creek RoadRaleigh, NC 27607-6410Phone: 919-664-6101Fax: 919-664-6400

North DakotaThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 5511Bismarck, ND 58502-5511Phone: 701-224-5102Fax: 701-224-5180


49

OhioThe Adjutant General2825 West Dublin Granville RoadColumbus, OH 43235-2789Phone: 614-889-7070Fax: 614-889-7074

OklahomaThe Adjutant General3501 Military Circle, NEOklahoma City, OK 73111-4398Phone: 405-425-8201Fax: 405425-8289

OregonThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 14350Salem, OR 97309-5047Phone: 503-945-3981Fax: 503-945-3987

PennsylvaniaThe Adjutant GeneralFort Indiantown GapAnnville, PA 17003-5002Phone: 717-861-8500/1Fax: 717-861-8314

Puerto RicoThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 3786San Juan, PR 00904-3786Phone: 787-724-1295Fax: 787-723-6360

Rhode IslandThe Adjutant General645 New London AvenueCranston, RI 02920-3097Phone: 401-457-4102Fax: 401-457-4338

South CarolinaThe Adjutant General#1 National Guard RoadColumbia, SC 29201-4766Phone: 803-806-4217Fax: 803-806-4499, Fax

South DakotaThe Adjutant General2823 West Main StreetRapid City, SD 57702-8186Phone: 605-399-6702Fax: 605-399-6677

TennesseeThe Adjutant GeneralHouston Barracks, P.O. Box 41502Nashville, TN 37204-1501Phone: 615-313-3001Fax: 615-313-3129

TexasThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 5218, Camp MabryAustin, TX 78763-5218Phone: 512-465-5006Fax: 512-465-5578

UtahThe Adjutant General12953 S. Minuteman DriveDraper, UT 84020-1776Phone: 801-576-3900Fax: 801-576-3575

VermontThe Adjutant GeneralGreen Mountain Armory,Camp JohnsonColchester, VT 05446-3004Phone: 802-654-0124Fax: 802-654-0425

VirginiaThe Adjutant GeneralBuilding 316, Fort PickettBlackstone, VA 23824-6316Phone: 804-250-6102Fax: 804-298-6338

Virgin IslandsThe Adjutant General4031 La Grande Princess, Lot 1BSt. Croix, VI 00820-4353Phone: 809-772-7711Fax: 809-778-3282

WashingtonThe Adjutant GeneralCamp Murray, Building 1Tacoma, WA 98430-5000Phone: 206-512-8000Fax: 206-512-8497

West VirginiaThe Adjutant General1703 Coonskin DriveCharleston, WV 25311-1085Phone: 304-341-6316/18Fax: 304-341-6466

WisconsinThe Adjutant GeneralP.O. Box 8111Madison, WI 53708-8111Phone: 608-242-3001Fax: 608-242-3111

WyomingThe Adjutant General5500 Bishop BoulevardCheyenne, WY 82009-3320Phone: 307-772-5234Fax: 307-772-5010


50

AlabamaDr. Lee Warner, SHPOAlabama Historical Commission468 South Perry StreetMontgomery, AL 36130-0900Phone: 334-242-3184Fax: 334-240-3477www.preserveala.org

AlaskaMs. Judith Bittner, SHPOAlaska Department ofNatural ResourcesOffice of History & Archeology3601 AC@ Street, Suite 1278Anchorage, AK 99503-5921Phone: 907-269-8721Fax: 907-269-8908www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/oha

American SamoaMr. John Enright, HPOExecutive Offices of the GovernorAmerican Samoa HistoricPres. OfficeAmerican Samoa GovernmentPago Pago, American Samoa 96799Phone: 011-684-633-2384Fax: 684-633-2367

ArizonaMr. James W. Garrison, SHPOArizona State Parks1300 West WashingtonPhoenix, AZ 85007Phone: 602-542-4174Fax: 602-542-4180www.pr.state.az.us

ArkansasMs. Cathryn H. Slater, SHPOArkansas HistoricPreservation Program323 Center Street, Suite 1500Little Rock, AR 72201Phone: 501-324-9880Fax: 501-324-9184

CaliforniaMr. Daniel Abeyta, Acting SHPOOffice of Historic PreservationDept. of Parks & RecreationP.O. Box 942896Sacramento CA 94296-0001Phone: 916-653-6624Fax: 916-653-9824www.cal-parks.ca.gov

ColoradoMs. Georgianna Contiguglia, SHPOColorado Historical Society1300 BroadwayDenver, CO 80203Phone: 303-866-3395Fax: 303-866-4464www.coloradohistory.org/oahp

ConnecticutMr. John W. Shannahan, SHPOConnecticut Historical Commission59 South Prospect StreetHartford, CT 06106Phone: 860-566-3005Fax: 860-566-5078

DelawareMr. Daniel Griffith, SHPODivision of Historical andCultural AffairsP.O. Box 1401Dover, DE 19903Phone: 302-739-5313Fax: 302-739-6711

District of ColumbiaMr. Wilbert J. Parker, SHPOHistoric Preservation Division941 N. Capitol St, NE, Room 2500Washington, DC 20002Phone: 202-442-4570Fax: 202-442-4860www.dcra.org

FloridaDr. Janet Snyder Matthews, SHPODiv. of Historical Resources,Dept. of StateR. A. Gray Building, 4th Floor500 S. Bronough StreetTallahassee, FL 32399-0250Phone: 850-487-2333Fax: 850-922-0496www.dos.state.fl.us/dhr/contents.html

GeorgiaMr. Lonice C. Barrett, SHPOHistoric Preservation Division57 Forsyth Street, NW, Suite 500Atlanta, GA 30303Phone: 404-656-2840Fax: 404-651-8739www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/histpres/

State Historic Preservation Offices|Appendix G


51

GuamMr. Richard D. Davis, SHPOGuam Historic Preservation OfficeDepartment of Parks & RecreationP.O. Box 2950, Building 13-8 TiyanHagatna, Guam 96932Phone: 1-671-475-6290Fax: 1-671-477-2822www.gov.gu/dpr/hrdhome.html

HawaiiMr. Timothy Johns, SHPODepartment of Land &Natural ResourcesP.O. Box 621Honolulu, HI 96809Phone: 808-587-0401www.hawaii.gov/dlnr

IdahoMr. Steve Guerber, SHPOIdaho State Historical Society1109 Main Street, Suite 250Boise, ID 83702-5642Phone: 208-334-3847Fax: 208-334-2775

IllinoisMr. William L. Wheeler, SHPOIllinois HistoricPreservation Agency1 Old State Capitol PlazaSpringfield, IL 62701-1512Phone: 217-785-1153Fax: 217-524-7525

IndianaMr. Larry D. Macklin, SHPODirector, Department ofNatural Resources402 West Washington StreetIndiana Govt. Center South,Room W256Indianapolis, IN 46204Phone: 317-232-1646Fax: 317-232-0693

IowaMr. Tom Morain, SHPOState Historical Society of IowaCapitol ComplexEast 6th and Locust StreetsDes Moines, IA 50319Phone: 515-281-5419Fax: 515-242-6498

KansasDr. Ramon S. Powers, SHPOKansas State Historical Society6425 Southwest 6th AvenueTopeka, KS 66615-1099Phone: 913-272-8681, x205Fax: 913-272-8682

KentuckyMr. David L. Morgan, SHPOExecutive DirectorKentucky Heritage Council300 Washington StreetFrankfort, KY 40601Phone: 502-564-7005Fax: 502-564-5820

LouisianaMs. Gerri Hobdy, SHPODept. of Culture,Recreation & TourismP.O. Box 44247Baton Rouge, LA 70804Phone: 504-342-8200Fax: 504-342-8173www.crt.state.la.us

MaineMr. Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.,SHPOMaine HistoricPreservation Commission55 Capitol Street, Station 65Augusta, ME 04333Phone: 207-287-2132Fax: 207-287-2335www.state.me.us

Marshall Islands, Republic of theMr. Fred Debrum, HPOSecretary of Interior and OuterIslands AffairsP.O. Box #1454, Majuro AtollRepublic of the Marshall Islands96960Phone: 011-692-625-4642Fax: 011-692-625-5353

MarylandMr. J. Rodney Little, SHPOMaryland Historical Trust100 Community Place, Third FloorCrownsville, MD 21032-2023Phone: 410-514-7600Fax: 410-514-7678www.ari.net/mdshpo

MassachusettsMs. Judith McDonough, SHPOMassachusetts HistoricalCommission220 Morrissey BoulevardBoston, MA 02125Phone: 617-727-8470Fax: 617-727-5128TTD: 1-800-392-6090www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc

MichiganMr. Brian D. Conway, SHPOState Historic Preservation OfficeMichigan Historical Center717 West Allegan StreetLansing, MI 48918Phone: 517-373-1630Fax: 517-335-0348www.sos.state.mi.us/history/preserve/preserve.html


52

Micronesia, Federal States ofMr. Rufino Mauricio, FSM HPOOffice of Administrative ServicesDiv of Archives andHistoric PreservationFSM National GovernmentP.O. Box PS 35Palikir, Pohnpei, FM 96941Phone: 011-691-320-2343Fax: 691-320-5634

FSM includes four states, whoseHPOs are listed below:

Mr. John Tharngan, HPOYap Historic Preservation OfficeOffice of the GovernorP.O. Box 714Colonia, Yap, FM 96943Phone: 011-691-350-2194/2255Fax: 691-350-2381

Mr. Elvis Killion O’Sonis,Chuuk SHPODepartment of Commerce& IndustryP.O. Box 280Weno, Chuuk State, FM 96942Phone: 011-691-330-2552/2761Fax: 691-330-4906

Mr. David W. Panuelo, HPODir., Dept of Land, Pohnpei StateGovernment P.O. Box 1149Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSME. Caroline Islands 96941Phone: 011-691-320-2715Fax: 011-691-320-5599

Mr. Berlin Sigrah, Kosrae HPODiv. of History andCultural PreservationDept. of Conservation andDevelopmentKosrae, FSM, E. Caroline Islands96944011-691-370-3078FAX: 011-691-370-3767

MinnesotaDr. Nina Archabal, SHPOMinnesota Historical Society345 Kellogg Boulevard WestSt. Paul, MN 55102-1906Phone: 651-296-2747Fax: 651-296-1004www.mnhs.org

MississippiMr. Elbert Hilliard, SHPOMississippi Dept of Archives& HistoryP.O. Box 571Jackson, MS 39205-0571Phone: 601-359-6850Fax: 601-359-6955

MissouriMr. Stephen Mahfood, SHPOState Department ofNatural Resources205 Jefferson, P.O. Box 176Jefferson City, MO 65102Phone: 573-751-4422Fax: 573-751-7627www.mostateparks.com

MontanaDr. Mark F. Baumler, Acting SHPOState Historic Preservation Office1410 8th AvenueP.O. Box 201202Helena, MT 59620-1202Phone: 406-444-7715Fax: 406-444-6575www.hist.state.mt.us

NebraskaMr. Lawrence Sommer, SHPONebraska State Historical SocietyP.O. Box 825541500 R StreetLincoln, NE 68501Phone: 402-471-4745Fax: 402-471-3100

NevadaMr. Ronald James, SHPOHistoric Preservation Office100 N. Stewart StreetCapitol ComplexCarson City, NV 89701-4285Phone: 702-687-1311Fax: 702-687-3442www.state.nv.us

New HampshireMs. Nancy C. Dutton, Director/SHPONH Division of Historical ResourcesP.O. Box 2043Concord, NH 03302-2043Phone: 603-271-6435Fax: 603-271-3433TDD: 800-735-2964www.state.nh.us/nhdhr

New JerseyMr. Robert C. Shinn, SHPODept. of Env’l ProtectionCN-402, 401 East State StreetTrenton, NJ 08625Phone: 609-292-2885Fax: 609-292-7695

New MexicoMs. Dorothy Victor, Acting SHPOHistoric Preservation Div., Office ofCultural Affairs228 East Palace AvenueSanta Fe, NM 87503Phone: 505-827-6320Fax: 505-827-6338www2.nmmnh-abq.mus.nm.us/hpd/

New YorkMs. Bernadette Castro, SHPOParks, Recreation & HistoricPreservationAgency Building #1,Empire State PlazaAlbany, NY 12238Phone: 518-474-0443www.nysparks.com


53

North CarolinaDr. Jeffrey J. Crow, SHPODivision of Archives & History109 East Jones StreetRaleigh, NC 27601-2807Phone: 919-733-7305Fax: 919-733-8807http://www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us

North DakotaMr. Samuel Wegner, SHPOState Historical Society ofNorth Dakota612 E. Boulevard AvenueBismarck, ND 58505Phone: 701-328-2666Fax: 701-328-3710www.state.nd.us/hist

Northern Mariana Islands,Commonwealth of the

Mr. Joseph P. DeLeon Guerrero,HPODept. of Community &Cultural AffairsDivision of Historic PreservationAirport RoadNorthern Mariana IslandsSaipan, MP 96950Phone: 011-670-664-2120/2125Fax: 011-670-664-2139

OhioMr. Amos J. Loveday, SHPOOhio Historic Preservation Office567 E. Hudson StreetColumbus, OH 43211-1030Phone: 614-297-2600Fax: 614-297-2233www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres

OklahomaMr. Bob L. Blackburn, SHPOOklahoma Historical Society2100 N. Lincoln BoulevardOklahoma City, OK 73105Phone: 405-521-2491Fax: 405-521-2492

OregonMr. Bob Meinen, SHPOState Parks & RecreationDepartment1115 Commercial Street, NESalem, OR 97301-1012Phone: 503-378-5019Fax: 503-378-8936

Palau, Republic ofMs. Victoria N. Kanai, HPOMinistry of Community &Cultural AffairsP.O. Box 100Koror, Republic of Palau 96940Phone: 011-680-488-2489Fax: 680-488-2657

PennsylvaniaDr. Brent D. Glass, SHPOPennsylvania Historical &Museum CommP.O. Box 1026Harrisburg, PA 17108Phone: 717-787-2891

Puerto Rico, Commonwealth ofMs. Lilliane D. Lopez, SHPOOffice of Historic PreservationBox 82, La FortalezaOld San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901Phone: 787-721-2676/3737Fax: 787-723-0957

Rhode IslandMr. Frederick C. Williamson, SHPORhode Island HistoricalPreservation Comm.Old State House, 150 Benefit StreetProvidence, RI 02903Phone: 401-222-2678Fax: 401-222-2968

South CarolinaDr. Rodger E. Stroup, SHPODepartment of Archives & History8301 Parklane RoadColumbia, SC 29223-4905Phone: 803-896-6100Fax: 803-896-6167http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/

South DakotaMr. Jay D. Vogt, SHPOState Historic Preservation OfficeCultural Heritage Center900 Governors DrivePierre, SD 57501Phone: 605-773-3458Fax: 605-773-6041http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/deca/cultural/histpres.htm

TennesseeMr. Milton Hamilton, SHPODept. of Environment andConservation401 Church Street, L & C Tower21st FloorNashville, TN 37243-0435Phone: 615-532-1550Fax: 615-532-1549


54

TexasMr. F. Lawrence Oaks, SHPOTexas Historical CommissionP.O. Box 12276Austin, TX 78711-2276Phone: 512-463-6100Fax: 512-475-4872www.thc.state.tx.us

UtahMr. Max Evans, SHPOUtah State Historical Society300 Rio GrandeSalt Lake City, UT 84101Phone: 801-533-3500Fax: 801-533-3503

VermontMs. Emily Wadhams, SHPOVermont Division for HistoricPreservationNational Life Building, Drawer 20Montpelier, VT 05620-0501Phone: 802-828-3211www.state.vt.us/dca/historic/

Virgin IslandsMs. Beulah Dalmida-Smith, SHPODept. Plan & Natural ResourcesDiv. Archaelogy & Historic Pres.Foster Plaza, 396-1 Anna=s RetreatSt. Thomas, VI 00802Phone: 340-774-3320Fax: 340-775-5706

VirginiaMr. H. Alexander Wise, Jr, SHPODepartment of Historic Resources2801 Kensington AvenueRichmond, VA 23221Phone: 804-367-2323Fax: 804-367-2391

WashingtonDr. Allyson Brooks SHPOOffice of Archeology & Hist.PreservationP.O. Box 48343420 Golf Club Road, SE,Suite 201, LaceyOlympia, WA 98504-8343Phone: 360-407-0753Fax: 360-407-6217

West VirginiaMs. Renay Conlin, SHPOWest Virginia Division ofCulture & HistoryHistoric Preservation Office1900 Kanawha Boulevard EastCharleston, WV 25305-0300Phone: 304-558-0220Fax: 304-558-2779

WisconsinMr. George L. Vogt, SHPOState Historical Society ofWisconsin816 State StreetMadison WI 53706Phone: 608-264-6500Fax: 608-264-6404www.shsw.wisc.edu/

WyomingMs. Wendy Bredehoft, SHPOWyoming State Historic Pres. Office2301 Central Avenue, 4th FloorCheyenne, WY 82002Phone: 307-777-6300Fax: 307-777-6421www.commerce.state.wy.us/cr/shpo


55

Beaumont, Constance A. Smart States,Better Communities: How StateGovernments Can Help Citizens PreserveTheir Communities. Washington, D.C.:National Trust for HistoricPreservation, 1996.

Blumenson, John J.G. IdentifyingAmerican Architecture: A PictorialGuide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945.2nd ed. Nashville: AmericanAssociation for State and LocalHistory, 1981.

Fogelson, Robert M. America’sArmories: Architecture, Society, andPublic Order. Cambridge, Mass.:Harvard University Press, 1989.

Hill, Jim Dan. The Minute Man inPeace and War: A History of theNational Guard. Harrisburg, Pa.,1963.

Miller, Julia H. A Layperson’s Guide toHistoric Preservation Law. Washington,D.C.: National Trust for HistoricPreservation, 1998.

National Park Service Publications.The National Park Service issues awide range of publications relating tothe identification and rehabilitation ofhistoric properties, including NationalRegister Bulletins, Preservation Briefs,Technical Reports, and PreservationTech Notes. The Park Service’sbookstore may be accessed on line atwww2.cr.nps.gov/bookstore.htm.

Rypkema, Donovan D. The Economicsof Historic Preservation: A CommunityLeader’s Guide. Washington, D.C.:National Trust for HistoricPreservation, 1994.

Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation:An Introduction to its History,Principles, and Practice. New York:W.W. Norton & Co., 2000.

Suggested Reading/References|Appendix H

Helpful Contacts

National Alliance ofPreservation Commissions

University of GeorgiaSchool of Environmental DesignFounders’ Garden House325 South Lumpkin StreetAthens, GA 30602-1861Phone: 706-542-4731

National Center for PreservationTechnology and Training

200 South HallNatchitoches, LA 71457Phone: 318-357-6421Web site: www.ncptt.nps.gov

National Guard BureauHistorical Services

1411 Jefferson Davis Highway,Suite 11200Arlington, VA 22202-3259Web site: www.ngb.dtic.mil

National Conference ofState Legislatures

(State Historic Preservation Offices)444 North Capitol Street, NWSuite 515Washington, DC 20001Phone: 202-624-5400Web site: www.ncsl.org

Click on Policy Issues, then chooseArt and Culture from the drop-downmenu to reach the Arts and HistoricPreservation section.

National Conference of StateHistoric Preservation Offices

444 N. Capitol St., NWSuite 342Washington, DC 20001Website: www.sso.org/ncshpo

National Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesRoom NC4001849 C Street, NWWashington, DC 20240Phone: 202-343-9536Web site: www.cr.nps.gov/nr

Heritage Preservation ServicesRoom NC200800 N. Capitol Street, NWWashington, DC 20240Phone: 202- 343-9573Web site: www2.cr.nps.gov/

National Trust forHistoric Preservation

1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20036Phone: 202-588-6000Web site: www.nthp.org

U.S. Army Center ofMilitary History

103 Third AvenueFort McNair, DC 20319-5058http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/default.htm

U.S. Department of JusticeCivil Rights DivisionDisability Rights SectionAmericans With Disabilities ActP.O. Box 66738Washington, DC 20035-6738Phone: 202-307-0663Web site: www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htmADA hotline: 800-514-0301


56

David SuperCurrently a technical writer and web site editor forWALCOFF Technologies, David Super served as a member ofthe Army National Guard for 31 years, including 15 yearsof active duty at the National Guard Bureau in Washington,D.C., as a public affairs officer. During the time Super was atraditional drill-status National Guard member, he worked forseveral South Dakota weekly newspapers as a reporter/photographer/editor.

Julia Miller, Contributing AuthorJulia Miller is editor-in-chief of the Preservation LawReporter, a quarterly publication on legal developments in thefield of historic preservation. A lawyer and longstandingemployee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation,Miller has written or co-authored several books and articleson the topic, including Historic Preservation Law & Taxation,A Layperson’s Guide to Historic Preservation Law, andProviding for Economic Hardship Relief in the Regulation ofHistoric Properties.

Renee Hylton, Contributing AuthorRenee Hylton received her master’s degree in history fromPrinceton University, and is currently a historian for theNational Guard Bureau. Hylton grew up as an “Army brat,”living all over the world. She has been a preservationist sincethe age of 7, when she moved from Tokyo to Texas anddiscovered the “settler houses” (one of which she now knowsto have been an antebellum “dog trot” cabin) that still dottedthe landscape.

About the Authors Photo Credits

David Super, Cover photo & p. 26, 5, 8, 14 (bottom), 16-18,22-23, 28, 30-31,

National Guard Bureau, p. 1

“The First Muster,” National GuardHeritage Series, National Guard Bureau, p. 2

From the collection ofCommand Sgt. Maj. Marion Williams, p. 4 (top)

New York National Guard Public Affairs Office, p. 4 (bottom)

Courtesy of Tom Howard, pp. 6-7

Savannah College of Art and Design archives, pp. 10-13

Savannah College of Art and Design archives, p. 14 (top)

Courtesy of Capt. Warren Higginbotham,Oklahoma National Guard, pp. 19-20

Courtesy of Dawson Sentinel newspaper, p. 24

Courtesy of Mrs. Betty Craig Wood, p. 27 (top)

Deming, New Mexico National Guard unitarchive, p. 27 (bottom)

Courtesy of Defiance County FamilyResource Center, p. 32

National Guard Bureau, p. 33

Courtesy of Bernard J. Goba, architect, p. 34 (top)

Courtesy of Tom Howard, p. 34 (bottom)

Courtesy of New York State HistoricPreservation Office, p. 35

Courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation,Photos by Erik Gould, pp. 36-37

Courtesy of South Dakota National GuardPublic Affairs Office, p. 38

Still Serving - National Guard Armories

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Transcript of Still Serving - National Guard Armories