Armories Sites

Constructed by the WPA in 1938.

Originally the 102d Cavalry Armory, this facility was constructed with the aid of Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. "This city is a residential suburb near New York. It has a population of approximately 25,000. The building contains a large riding ring, stable quarters, rifle range, machine shop, repair shop, caretaker's quarters, company rooms, officers' lounge, grill room, and administrative section. It is fireproof throughout with structural steel frame and concrete floor construction. There are 74,256 square feet on the ground floor. The volume is 2,598,690 cubic feet. It was completed in November 1938 at a construction cost of $458,469 and a project cost...

The WPA-built Art Moderne style armory adjacent to Delta State Teachers College (now Delta State University) provided facilities beginning in 1946 for one of the earliest guidance centers. Delta State later acquired the armory building and it served as an art studio until it was demolished in 1971.

This 2-story Art Moderne building was constructed by the WPA in 1938, and from 1939 to 1940 served as the armory for Company G, 155th Infantry. It is currently used to house the City Parks and Recreation Department.

The Works Progress Administration financed the construction of a national guard armory and rifle range for Amory. Architects N. W. Overstreet and A. H. Town designed the building, "expected to exceed $56,000 and take 12 months" (Daily Clarion-Ledger, Oct. 6, 1940, p. 5). The average number of workers for the project was 44. In 2002, the building was named a Mississippi Landmark.

The Works Progress Administration built the National Guard Armory in Batesville in 1936. A 1998 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form describes the formal characteristics of the structure: "The 1936 National Guard Armory in Batesville was constructed in a vernacular Ozark stone style with Gothic Revival influences by local stonemasons hired by the federal government as well as National Guard unit members. The armory was a WPA project designed by Dutch architect Pieter Blaauw and is composed of Batesville sandstone obtained from the Maxfield Quarry on the outskirts of town. Each stone from the local quarry is hand cut. A barreled tarpaper roof...

Saved from the wrecking ball after being slated for demolition in 2007, Bozeman's Daily Chronicle writes that current plans (as of 2013) for the building call for the construction of an eight-story 'boutique' hotel on top of the existing structure. The armory was designed by Fred Willson, who was also the architect behind the new WPA courthouse and multiple school construction projects in Bozeman. The Daily Chronicle writes: "The armory was built in 1941, complete with a rifle range, soundproof room and thick floors capable of accommodating military trucks." W.P.A. Official Project Numbers: 65‐91‐6550; O.P.: 265‐1‐91‐6. Details: "Complete the construction of armory building," total...

In 1941, the WPA completed work on a National Guard armory designed by Edd Gregg for Williamsburg. The building is a classic modern deco building with strong vertical elements surrounding the entry that is capped with an eagle in flight. From the Kentucky National Guard History eMuseum: The old armory in Carlisle was constructed circa 1941 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The armory was completed with funds from the Armory Corporation of Kentucky. The building is located in downtown Carlisle on Main Street, and is a grey one-story poured concrete building with an attached, barrel-vaulted drill hall and a basement. The...

The Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed the former National Guard Armory at 302 W. Fox Street in Carlsbad, New Mexico, in about 1941-2. WPA project No. 265‐1‐85‐20: "Construct Armory and improve grounds," $108,355, sponsored by the State Armory Board.

The National Guard Armory in Columbia was one of what was initially envisioned to be a large number of armories across the state, though the number actually built was limited. The building served as the home of the home of the Missouri National Guard until the last of the 20 th century. It presently houses the Ash St Sports complex for the Columbia Parks and Recreation Dept.

The former National Guard Armory in Columbia, Tennessee was designed by Warfield and Keeble. The facility includes a 70x100-foot drill hall. Warfield and Keeble designed a series of Tennessee National Guard Armories for the WPA between 1940-1942 with a "standardized but vaguely Art Deco-style architectural plan" (Fieser & Moore, 2011). Other armories were in Cleveland, Shelbyville, Centerville, and Murfreesboro. The Tenth Machine Gun and Chemical Company was headquartered in the Columbia armory during World War II. The building is currently used by the local Parks and Recreation department.

The National Guard Armory in Greenwood, Mississippi was built by the federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) with the City of Greenwood and Leflore County as sponsors. Began in 1939, the building was completed in 1940, with the facility dedicated March 31, 1941. The cost was approximately $80,000. Architects were N. W. Overstreet and A. H. Town. Frank McGeoy was supervising architect until his death in 1940 prior to completion. Superintendent of construction was Paul Thomas. The building was of reinforced concrete with an 80 x 100-foot drill hall, 20-foot ceilings, and maple floors. It included a stage with 1,600 square...

In 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed work on a National Guard armory designed by Edd Gregg. The building is a poured, 2-story modern Deco style building with both horizontal and vertical elements on the front façade. It has been repurposed for use by the local YMCA. A barrel vault over the gymnasium is visible at the rear.

This national guard armory was constructed by the WPA in 1934-36. It is no longer in use, though as of 2012, the building was still standing. The Armory is constructed of native stone cut into irregular size blocks. It is rectangular, 141x120 feet with a front facade with large columns of stone flanking the entrance in a deco modern style. A large portion of the roof has a round vaulting. It is currently being used for storage.

"The Pawnee Armory in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States, is a single story rectangular building measuring 149' x 237'. It was built of native stone by the Works Progress administration. According to the plaque...it was completed in 1936, though the application form for the National Historic Places Registration form indicates it was finished in 1937. It originally housed the Oklahoma National Guard."   (wikipedia)

"The Sedalia Armory is one of the few remaining WPA projects in the city, and a good example of Art-Moderne style structures, emphasizing simplified streamlined form, smoothed-faced concrete exterior walls, rounded corners and horizontal emphasis. Work began on the Armory in December of 1940 and was completed in March of 1943. Located on a six-acre lot this concrete building consists of a two-story office wing, with and 85 x 100 foot barrel roof drill hall. Two incised artillery pieces flank each side of the main entry way, which faces south onto Ninth Street. Sold to a private owner in the...

This WPA armory was constructed in 1940-1941. "The significance of the Tulsa Armory stems from its date  of construction and its enormous size, among other things. Tulsa was not among those scheduled for an armory in 1936, in part because the WPA supported other projects and in part because Tulsa was strongly Republican in politics and armory selection was controlled by Democratic officials in Oklahoma City. The clear need for job opportunities for Tulsa's unemployed and the willingness of Tulsa County to lease land at no cost to the state as a site for the armory cleared the way for the...

"The Wagoner Armory, also known as National Guard Armory, was built in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration in order to make jobs for unemployed workers in the area. The Oklahoma National Guard used the building since it was built, until it was abandoned along with 58 other armories in the state of Oklahoma after they were ordered to be closed in 2006 by the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The Wagoner Armory, like many other armories, was contaminated with lead from bullets fired in their underground rifle ranges and from asbestos. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality cleaned the...

In 1942, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed work on a National Guard armory designed by Edd Gregg for Williamsburg. The building is a 2-story poured concrete building with a modern deco style. From the Kentucky National Guard History eMuseum: The first armory was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1942, and was located close to downtown on Bridge Street. The old Williamsburg Armory was designed by Louisville architect Edd R. Gregg, who designed six other armories in Kentucky in the same style. The armory is a two-story poured concrete building with attached maintenance garage/drill hall. Currently, the old armory is...

Duluth's National Guard Armory, built in 1915, received a significant expansion through the Works Progress Administration on the eve of World War II. Minnesota's WPA administrator, Sidney L. Stolte, announced the plans to "increase the size of the building, provide new meeting rooms, and extend the stage easterly" in the fall of 1940. Architect Philip C. Bettenberg drew up the plans. Bettenberg had already designed armories throughout Minnesota, including those in Minneapolis and Brainerd. A rift between the city and state regarding what type of curtain (steel or asbestos) should be used for the stage delayed the project. Construction was further postponed...

The historic National Guard Armory in Burlington, New Jersey was the recipient of WPA efforts: "alteration and addition" work. WPA Official Project Number: 65‐22‐3451

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed an armory and equipment garage and for the New Mexico National Guard in Tucumcari. The location and status of the structure is unknown to Living New Deal. Official Project Number: 165‐1‐85‐163 Project cost: $111,456.00 Project sponsor: New Mexico National Guard

Gardner, Massachusetts's former city hall building was converted into as constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The building is still in service.into an armory with assistance from the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

"The old National Guard Arsenal is the second largest adobe building in continuous use in the United States. Funded by the Works Progress Administration in 1936, it was part of the recreation development of Papago Park, an expansive, designed landscape."

In 1933, the Washington Post reported the allocation of just over $30,000 to the Public Works Administration (PWA) for repairs to the Navy and Munitions Buildings, which were temporary troop quarters constructed during World War I on the western portion of the National Mall. $27,000 was apportioned for a new roof, $672 for other repairs, and $2,340 for resurfacing a road serving the facility. According to Paul Williams (2004): "Washington had been suffering from a shortage of both office space and housing since World War I, when the giant Main Navy and Munitions Building had been built as one  of the...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed additions to the drill hall at the Naval Militia Armory in Whitestone, New York. "The only active, federally-recognized Naval Militia with continuous, unbroken service to the Country and State for more than a century and a history stretching back to the Revolution, housed in the former club house of the Whitestone Yacht Club." "The New York Naval Militia's heritage spans over two centuries, dating back to the American Revolution. The first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought on Lake Champlain in 1776 by New York Militiamen manning the ships of a small American squadron."

The New Jersey National Guard Armory located near McGinley Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, was constructed during the Great Depression with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The building is still in use and also serves as a recreational facility. "This armory provides quarters for one battalion of infantry, one battalion of engineers, two medical units, and one division of the naval militia. The large drill hall is on the street level and has banks of seats on two sides. Under these seats are eight company rooms and equipment storage rooms, and on two mezzanine floors are four more company...

"Armory construction was the first major thrust of the WPA Building Program in Oklahoma. By mid-1937, 126 armories had been constructed throughout the United States, with 51 of these projects located in Oklahoma. When the WPA ended its program in 1943, 54 armories had been built and 53 others 'reconstructed' in the state. The new construction infused $3.5 million into local Oklahoma economies. Groundbreaking for the Okemah Amory took place in October of 1935, and construction proceeded through the rest of the year, through 1936, and into 1937. Due to labor shortages, material shortages, and weather-related shutdowns, a short project expanded...

"The Oklahoma National Guard Armory located west of the Capitol at 200 N. E. 23rd Street, is an armory constructed in 1938 by the WPA. In the Depression torn 1930s, the federal government's WPA project kept food on many an Oklahoma table. Unlike so many of the native sandstone armories, this one is constructed of light colored brick. Its Art Deco features are classic. A two-story office area projects from the north and west of the main drill hall. The windows have six-over-six double-hung sashes. A panel of vertically set bricks decorates the area between all the first and second story...

The "Old Arsenal," as it is known, was built in 1809, and remodeled by the WPA. From Waymarking.com: "'It was repaired and remodeled in 1936, partly as a project of the Works Progress Administration and leased (1937) to the Unemployment Compensation Commission of Delaware' . The building was later used by the National Youth Administration.  During World War II the building was used as offices for the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation which was building aircraft for the war effort.  In the late 1940s the building was again used as a school building.  By 1950 the building was owned by the State of Delaware...

The historic Olympia Armory in Columbia, South Carolina was constructed in 1936-7 by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1939, the Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Owen County Gymnastics center located in a former National Guard Armory in Spencer IN. 

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to clean and otherwise improve the old Paterson Armory on Market St. in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1936. In addition to giving the armory its first scrubbing since its construction in 1894, WPA workers oiled, sanded and finished the 225'-by-151' drill floor; rebuilt two stairways; repaired all the doors; and fixed the sewer connection. Federal funds: $9,338.49; sponsor funds: $3,857.65. Project descriptions, per a DoD Heritage Assessment: "General repairs to Armory on Market Street"; "Improve 113th Infantry Armory, including constructing floor, walls, ceilings, and rifle ranges, filling, removing floors, painting, installing plumbing, electrical, heating, and...

The historic former armory at West College St. and North Central St. in Canonsburg was constructed in 1938 as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The building presently serves as a youth center. Short and Stanley-Brown: "This armory is the headquarters of Company H, One Hundred and Third Medical Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The building is also extensively used for public meetings and entertainments. The structure is two stories and a mezzanine in height. The first floor contains two offices, officers' recreation and locker room, the company property room, a garage, recreation and locker room for enlisted men, a kitchen, and...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted millions of dollars (not even adjusted for inflation) of improvement and development work at the Picatinny Arsenal and a sub-installation, the Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Depot, in New Jersey. Work involved the construction and improvement of storage facilities and various utilities. One WPA project description: Repair and rehabilitate buildings, utilities, equipment, water supply, and purification, water and sewer lines, transportation facilities, and airport, improve plumbing, heating, and electrical installations, landscape, grade, and drain grounds, also includes the construction of storage buildings officers quarters extension to storage buildings, officers quarters, extension to carpenter shop, change houses,...

The former armory building in Northfield, Vermont was improved by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The building is now owned and managed by Norwich University. WPA Project Nos. 65‐12-2, 65-12-259

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted millions of dollars (not even adjusted for inflation) of improvement and development work at the former Raritan Arsenal in Edison, New Jersey. Work involved the construction and improvement of facilities and various utilities, including railroad tracks and docks. A cataloguing of these projects was undertaken by the DoD in its Heritage Assessment, cited below.

From contributor Charles Swaney: "Older style National Guard Armory with dual entrances on the front façade which is predominately brick with concrete accents, art deco." The building is not specifically listed as a New Deal project, but dates to the period when the WPA was constructing armories in this area of Kentucky. The building is now the Estill County Youth Center.

From contributor Charles Swaney: "Atypical National Guard Armory, which from the front façade is wider than usual, and which has predominant horizontal concrete bands across the 2nd story.  The roof is flat. A basement is accessed from the rear." The building is now the Richmond Recreation Center.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the gorgeous (original) Community Building at Riverside Park in Iola, Kansas. It is now known as the Iola Recreation Center & Little Theatre. GetRuralKansas.com: "The community building was built by the WPA program for the national guard armory. By 1941, it was changed to a basketball court and a small theater which was used by the school system for many years, as well as clubs, organizations and citizens of the community. After the school district built their own gymnasium, the community building is being used for indoor exercising, pick up basketball, and an area that's available for...