Willimantic Armory
Willimantic Armory | |
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| Location | Pleasant St., Windham, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°42′35″N 72°12′54″W / 41.70972°N 72.21500°W |
| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1912 |
| Built by | F. D. Kent |
| Architect | Whiton & McMahon |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002310[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 1985 |
Willimantic Armory is a historic armory building located on Pleasant Street in Windham, Connecticut. It served as a facility for the Connecticut National Guard from 1913 until 1980, when the building was sold to developers who converted the building into apartments.[2]
History
[edit]In 1909, city officials from Willimantic petitioned the Connecticut General Assembly for funding to construct a modern armory. Despite opposition from a few senators concerned about the expansion of military infrastructure, the bill passed, allocating $50,000 for the construction of a single-company armory. A 300-by-160-foot lot was purchased from Samuel Chesbro for $6,500, and the architectural firm Whiton & McMahon was awarded the design contract. The builder, F. D. Kent, received $32,405 for construction.[2]
The armory originally housed Company B of the 169th Infantry until the 1960s, when it was reassigned to the 248th Engineer Company. The facility remained the home of the 248th until the late 1970s, when a new armory was constructed in Norwich, Connecticut, and the unit was relocated.[2]
Following its closure, the Willimantic Armory was sold to developers who converted the building into apartments, preserving the exterior while renovating the interior, eliminating most traces of the original design.[2]
The armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]
Characteristics
[edit]The Willimantic Armory consisted of two distinct elements, both of red-brick construction. The head house was a two-story, flat-roofed structure surmounted by a high parapet and a blocky tower. The drill shed was a 1+1⁄2-story gable-roofed structure in the rear of the head house.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Geoffrey L. Rossano & Mary M. Donohue, Built to Serve: Connecticut's National Guard Armories 1865-1940
| Lists by county |   | |
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| Lists by city or town | ||
| Other lists | ||
- Armories on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
- Military installations established in 1912
- Buildings and structures in Windham County, Connecticut
- Willimantic, Connecticut
- Military in Connecticut
- National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Connecticut
- 1912 establishments in Connecticut