Anniston Army Depot, Anniston

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Built in Anniston Army Depot was one of the first ammunition storage depots established under the Army's pre-World War II mobilization program. It is one of the largest ammunition storage facilities in the United States and is known as the "tank rebuild center of the free world." Historical Report Prepared by: Barbara E. Hightower, Prepared for Transmittal by: Robie S. Lange, HAbS/HA R, Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3~

Executive Summary

Located 10 miles west of Anniston, Alabama, Anniston Army Depot is situated on acres in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. A part of the Army Depot System Command (DESCOM), it is one of the largest ammunition storage facilities in the United States and is known as the "tank rebuild center of the free world." The installation, built in was one of the first ammunition storage depots begun under the Army's pre-World War II mobilization program. Over half of its present buildings were erected by war's end. Since storage, tank rebuild, ammunition demolition and renovation, missile fueling, and administrative facilities have been constructed at Anniston.

The storage annex of the former Coosa River Ordnance Plant was transferred to the depot in and has been operated as a subinstallation since that time. The annex is now inactive. There are no Category I, II, or III historic properties at Anniston Army Depot. Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3 CONTENTS Executive Summary PREFACE 1 1. INTRODUCTION 3 Scope 3 Methodology 4 2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 12 Background 12 Pre-Military Land Use , 15 Site Selection and World War II Construction , 15 Post-War Construction 26 Coosa River Storage Annex 29 3. PRESERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS 33 Background 33 Category I Historic Properties 38 Category II Historic Properties 38 Category III Historic Properties 38 BIBLIOGRAPHY 40 Appendix A 42 Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page *-/ PREFACE This report presents the results of an historic properties survey of the Anniston Army Depot and the Coosa River Storage Annex. Prepared for the United States Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM), the report is intended to assist the Army in bringing this installation into compli- ance with the National Historic Preservation Act of and its amendments, and related federal laws and regulations. To this end, the report focuses on the identification, evaluation, documentation, nomination, and preservation of historic properties at the Anniston Army Depot and the Coosa River Storage Annex.

Chapter 1 sets forth the survey's scope and methodology; Chapter 2 presents an architectural, historical, and technological overview of the installa- tion and its properties; and Chapter 3 identifies significant properties by Army category and sets forth preservation recommendations. Illustrations and an annotated bibliography supplement the text. This report is part of a program initiated through a memorandum of agree- ment between the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of the Army. The program covers 74 DARCOM installations and has two components: 1) a survey of historic properties (districts, buildings, structures, and objects), and 2) the development of archeological overviews. Stanley H.

Fried, Chief, Real Estate Branch of Headquarters DARCOM, directed the program for the Army, and Dr. Robert J. Kapsch, Chief of the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) directed the program for the National Park Service. Sally Kress Tompkins w&v program manager, and Robie S. Lange was project manager for the historic properties survey. Technical assistance was provided by Donald C. Jackson. **- Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 5 Building Technology Incorporated acted as primary contractor to HABS/HAER for the historic properties survey. William A. Brenner was BTI's principal- in-charge, and Dr. Larry D. Lankton was the chief technical consultant.

Major subcontractors were the MacDonald and Mack Partnership and Melvyn Green and Associates. The author of this report was Barbara E. Hightower. The author gratefully acknowledges the help of Tommy Gaines, Scott Parsons, and Lorene Ginn of the Facilities Engineer's Office; Public Affairs Officer Joan Gustafson; and Jan Earnest and Doug Stewart of the Anniston Public Library. The complete HABS/HAER documentation for this installation will be included in the HABS/HAER collections at the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, under the designation HAER No. AL-10 Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page G Chapter 1

Introduction Scope

This report is based on an historic properties survey conducted in of accessible Army-owned properties located within the official boundaries of the Anniston Army Depot and the Coosa River Storage Annex. The survey included the following tasks: Completion of documentary research on the history of the installation and its properties. Completion of a field inventory of accessible properties at the installation. Preparation of a combined architectural, historical, and technological overview for the installation. Evaluation of historic properties and development of recommendations for preservation of these properties. Also completed as a part of the historic properties survey of the installation, but not included in this report, are HABS/HAER Inventory cards for 67 indi- vidual properties.

These cards, which constitute HABS/HAER Documentation Level IV, will be provided to the Department of the Army. Archival copies of the cards, with their accompanying photographic negatives, will be trans- mitted to the HABS/HAER collections at the Library of Congress. The methodology used to complete these tasks is described in the following section of this report. Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page ' METHODOLOGY 1. Documentary Research The Anniston Army Depot was among the first ordnance storage depots begun during the pre-World War II mobilization program. The Coosa River Storage Annex, a subinstallation of the depot, was constructed during as a storage facility for the Coosa River Ordnance Plant at Talladega, Alabama.

Documentary research conducted at the Anniston Army Depot and the Anniston Public Library focused on the physical development of the installation and the storage annex and on the pre- military land use. The Alabama State Historic Preservation Office was contacted about possible historic properties at the Anniston Army Depot and the Coosa River Storage Annex, but no properties were identified through this source. Army records used for the field inventory included current Real Property Inventory (RPI) printouts that listed all officially recorded buildings and structures by facility classification and date of construction; the installa- tion's property record cards; and base maps and photographs supplied by installation personnel.

A complete listing of this documentary material may be found in the bibliography. 2. Field Inventory The field inventory was conducted by Barbara E. Hightower during a three-day period in January Tommy Gaines and Scott Parsons of **> Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page V the Facilities Engineer's Office at Anniston Army Depot served as the point of contact for the surveyor and as survey escort. Lorene Ginn of the Facilities Engineer's Office provided access to installation real property records.

Anniston Army Depot Public Affairs Officer Joan Gustafson provided access to historical information and photographs on file in the Public Affairs Office, and Jan Earnest and Doug Stewart of the Anniston Public Library furnished additional historical information on the depot's initial construction and subsequent development. Field inventory procedures were based on the HABS/HAER Guidelines for Inventories of Historic Buildings and Engineering and Industrial Structures. All areas and properties were visually surveyed except for the inactive Lance Missile Fueling Facility, a vacant ammunition disassembly plant, and Buildings and all of which are located in the ammunition storage area.

Access to these facilities was prohibited for security reasons, impassable roads, and blasting schedules (see Appendix A). Building locations and approximate dates of construction were noted from the installation's property records and field-verified. Field inventory forms were prepared for, and black and white 35 mm photographs taken of all buildings and structures through except basic utilitarian structures of no architectural, historical, or techno- logical interest. When groups of similar ("prototypical") buildings were ^5s Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page l found, one field form was normally prepared to represent all buildings of that type. Field inventory forms were also completed for repre- 2 sentative post-1945 buildings and structures.

Information collected on the field forms was later evaluated, condensed, and transferred to HABS/HAER Inventory cards. 3, Historic Overview A combined architectural, historical, and technological overview was prepared from information developed from the documentary research and the field inventory. It was written in two parts: 1) an introductory description of the installation, and 2) a history of the installation by periods of development, beginning with pre-military land uses. Maps and photographs were selected to supplement the text as appropriate.

The objectives of the overview were to 1) establish the periods of major construction at the installation, 2) identify important events and indi- viduals associated with specific historic properties, 3) describe patterns and locations of historic property types, and 4) analyze specific building and industrial technologies employed at the installation. 4. Property Evaluation and Preservation Measures Based on information developed in the historic overviews, properties were first evaluated for historic significance in accordance with the elegibility criteria for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. These criteria require that eligible properties possess integrity "6* Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page i~fe of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and associa- 3 tion, and that they meet one or more of the following: A. Are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B. Are associated with the lives of persons significant in the nation's past. C. Embody the distinctive eharacteristies of a type, period or method of construction, represent the work of a master, possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. D. Have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history.

Properties thus evaluated were further assessed for placement in one of five Army historic property categories as described in Army Regulation Category I Properties of major importance Category II Properties of importance Category III Properties of minor importance Category IV Properties of little or no importance Category V Properties detrimental to the significance of of adjacent historic properties ^ Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page \\ Based on an extensive review of the architectural, historical, and techno- logical resources identified on DARCOM installations nationwide, four criteria were developed to help determine the appropriate categorization level for each Army property.

These criteria were used to assess the importance not only of properties of traditional historical interest, but of the vast number of standardized or prototypical buildings, structures, and production processes that were built and put into service during World War II, as well as of properties associated with many post-war technological achievements. The four criteria were often used in com- bination and are as follows: 1) Degree of importance as a work of architectural, engineering, or industrial design. This criterion took into account the qualitative factors by which design is normally judged: artistic merit, work- manship, appropriate use of materials, and functionality.

2) Degree of rarity as a remaining example of a once widely used architectural, engineering, or industrial design or process. This criterion was applied primarily to the many standardized or proto- typical DARCOM buildings, structures, or industrial processes. The more widespread or influential the design or process, the greater the importance of the remaining examples of the design or process was considered to be. This criterion was also used for non-military structures such as farmhouses and other once prevalent building types. 3) Degree of integrity or completeness. This criterion compared the current condition, appearance, and function of a building, structure, Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Pa e I L architectural assemblage, or industrial process to its original or most historically important condition, appearance, and function. Those properties that were highly intact were generally considered of greater importance than those that were not. 4) Degree of association with an important person, program, or event. This criterion was used to examine the relationship of a property to a famous personage, wartime project, or similar factor that lent the property special importance. The majority of DARCOM properties were built just prior to or during World War II, and special attention was given to their evaluation.

Those that still remain do not often possess individual importance, but collectively they represent the remnants of a vast construction under- taking whose architectural, historical, and technological importance needed to be assessed before their numbers diminished further. This assessment centered on an extensive review of the military construction of the period, and its contribution to the history of World War II and the post-war Army landscape. Because technology has advanced so rapidly since the war, post-World War II properties were also given attention. These properties were evaluated in terms of the nation's more recent accomplishments in weaponry, rocketry, electronics, and related technological and scientific endeavors.

Thus the traditional definition of "historic" as a property 50 or more years old was not germane in the assessment of either World War II or post-war DARCOM buildings and structures; rather, the his- toric importance of all properties was evaluated as completely as pos- sible regardless of age. Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page*3 Property designations by category are expected to be useful for approxi- mately ten years, after which all categorizations should be reviewed and updated. Following this categorization procedure, Category I, II, and III historic properties were analyzed in terms of: * Current structural condition and state of repair.

This information was taken from the field inventory forms and photogaphs, and was often supplemented by rechecking with facilities engineering per- sonnel. The nature of possible future adverse impacts to the property. This information was gathered from the installation's master planning documents and rechecked with facilities engineering personnel. Based on the above considerations, the general preservation recom- mendations presented in Chapter 3 for Category I, II, and III historic properties were developed. Special preservation recommendations were created for individual properties as circumstances required. 5. Report Review Prior to being completed in final form, this report was subjected to an in-house review by Building Technology Incorporated.

It was then sent in draft to the subject installation for comment and clearance and, with its associated historical materials, to HABS/HAER staff for technical review. When the installation cleared the report, additional draft copies were sent to DARCOM, the appropriate State Historic Preservation Officer, and, when requested, to the archeological contractor performing >S, Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 1 H- parallel work at the installation. The report was revised based on all comments collected, then published in final form. NOTES 1. Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Guidelines for Inventories of Historic Buildings and Engineering and Industrial Structures (unpublished draft, 2.

Representative post-World War II buildings and structures were defined as properties that were: (a) "representative" by virtue of construction type, architectural type, function, or a combination of these, (b) of obvious Category I, II, or III historic importance, or (c) prominent on the installation by virtue of size, location, or other distinctive feature. 3. National Park Service, How to Complete National Register Forms (Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, January 4. Army Regulation Historic Preservation (Headquarters, U.S. Army: Washington, 15 April "H Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page IS Chapter 2

Historical Overview Background

Anniston Army Depot is a part of the U.S. Army Depot System Command. The installation is one of the largest ammunition storage facilities in the United States and is known as the "tank rebuild center of the free world." The depot is located on acres in eastern Alabama in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, 10 miles west of Anniston. The acre Coosa River Storage Annex, 12 miles to the southwest, is an inactive subinstallation of the depot. (Illustrations 1 and 2) The depot at Anniston was among the first ammunition storage depots begun under the Army's pre-World War II mobilization program in Storage, administration, maintenance, and utility facilities were largely com- pleted by late and by war's end 924 of the installation's present buildings had been constructed.

During the last two years of the war, the depot was managed by Chrysler Corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary known as the Anniston Warehouse Corporation. Following the war, considera- ble expansion of ammunition storage facilities took place through both new construction and transfer of 136 storage igloos at the Coosa River Storage Annex. A tank farm containing 54 commercial gasoline tanks converted for vehicle storage was constructed in Since World War II, the depot has become a major tank rebuild center, and to accommodate this function a Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 1 * - ^ a!-;. ;-,-if.,.<-v'-,>?.' - - f > ffUH?T _L *': V>, f\ * Illustration 1 Map of Anniston Army Depot.

The depot, located on acres in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Alabama, is known as the "tank rebuild center of the free world." This mission is carried on in the east area at the southeast corner of the depot. Anniston is also one of the largest ammunition storage facilities in the United States, and much of the installation's land area is occupied by over storage igloos. Administration, additional storage, maintenance, and utility structures are situated at the south end of the depot. (Source: Facilities Engineering Division, The Master Plan of Anniston Army Depot, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston Alabama, Basic Information Maps, February *T% Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page i 1 Illustration 2 Map of Coosa River Storage Annex.

The acre annex, constructed in as part of the Coosa River Ordnance Plant, is located approximately 12 miles southwest of the Anniston depot. The facility contains 136 standard ammuni- tion storage igloos, and was transferred to the Anniston Army Depot in October (Source: Facilities Engineering Division, The Master Plan of Anniston Army Depot, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Alabama, Basic Information Maps, February x *4. Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page *5 number of rebuild facilities have been erected in the east area of the installa- tion. Additional post-war construction includes major warehouses, ammunition demolition and renovation facilities, a Lance Missile fueling facility, and, in a new headquarters building.

Pre-Military Land Use

Prior to acquisition by the Army in the depot site consisted largely of unoccupied woodland, scattered homesteads, and the small community of Bynum. During construction, existing buildings were either demolished, moved, or left vacant. One wood frame and log structure ruin remains from the pre-military period and is located in the northwestern section of the ammunition storage area. The building's original use is unknown, but it was probably part of a homestead. A brick chimney still stands southwest of the ruin. There are three cemeteries within the depot's boundaries; two are located in the ammunition storage area, and the third is near the main gate at the south end of the installation. SITE SELECTION AND WORLD WAR

Construction

Increased Congressional appropriations for defense brought about by the fall of France in led to the expansion of ammunition storage facilities across the United States. Initial plans called for placing depots in the four corners of the country to support forces repelling attacks from any direction. Sites in the Atlanta-Birmingham area were investigated for the location of the southeasten depot, and Fort McClellan, an existing military reservation Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page \ l located north of Anniston, Alabama, was chosen in mid-1940. The idea of placing the depot on the reservation itself, however, was soon rejected because of the lack of room for expansion and the danger of placing ammu- nition supply magazines too close to troops in training.

Instead, a site south of the military reservation along the Southern Railroad line was selected, and in September the Army approved purchase of acres. The surrounding area soon became a center of ordnance manufacture and storage: the Alabama Ordnance Works in Sylacauga and the Coosa River Ordnance Plant and Storage Annex were built within 35 miles of the Anniston Ordnance Depot.3 Work on the installation commenced shortly after acquisition of the site. A contract was awarded to the architectural and engineering firms of A. C. Polk of Birmingham and J. B. Converse and Company of Mobile for the design of the installation's buildings. The Dunn Construction Company, Inc. of Birmingham and the John S. Hodgson Company of Montgomery received the construction contract.

Field surveys began in November and construction started in March Much of the installation was completed by the end of Problems encountered during the planning and construction phases slowed completion of the depot. Fitting the straight roads specified by the Ordnance Department's standard layouts to the site's rough terrain and intricate drainage patterns considerably increased the amount of cut and fill work necessary in the ammunition storage area. The topography also affected the design of the depot's rail system and ultimately resulted in a system incapable of routing rail traffic in an efficient manner. The Dunn and Hodgson companies ^ Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page i&Cs were unable to devote full attention to the depot, since they were involved simultaneously in the expansion of facilities at Fort McCIellan. Shortages of building materials, adverse weather, and labor problems further delayed con- struction.^ The depot was laid out in five major areas: ammunition storage, inert mate- rials storage, combat equipment storage, administration and utilities, and housing. Each is discussed below. Ammunition Storage Area Initial construction authorization "in February called for 500 standard storage igloos 60' in length to be erected on the eastern portion of the site. In March, the number was increased to and acres were acquired along the southern and eastern boundaries to provide room for the additional igloos.

Work began on the southwestern block, Block D, by April, and the first igloos were conditionally accepted for use in October. Ammunition began arriving the same month.6 (Illustration 3) According to Ordnance Department requirements, these barrel vaulted struc- tures, built of reinforced concrete and covered by earth, were arranged in blocks of no more than Individual structures were placed at least 400 feet apart and staggered so that the front of each was no closer than 800 feet to any igloo in the next row. Seventy-one reinforced concrete open- ended ''foxholes" were interspersed among the igloos to provide personnel shelter in the event of an ammunition explosion.? >fc Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page <?

I Illustration 3 View of igloo construction, During 700 reinforced concrete ammunition storage igloos were erected on the depot. These structures were arranged at least 400 feet apart in blocks of no more than as required by the Ordnance Department's standards for ammunition storage depot construction. (Source: U.S. Army, Public Affairs Office, Anniston Army Depot) *8v Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Uncertainty about the Ordnance Department's standardized igloo magazine design proved to be a problem at Anniston and other ordnance supply depots under construction during No decision was made on whether igloos should be ventilated until construction was well underway at Anniston.

By the time ventilation was required, 419 igloos had been completed, and each had to be altered to include precast ventilators. The lack of sound water- proofing methods also added to construction difficulties. At Anniston, layers of felt applied with hot coal tar pitch and covered by a fabric saturated with coal tar pitch proved ineffective because the pitch became so soft during the hot summer months that the fabric began to slide, wrinkle, and tear. Whitewashing the exteriors to reflect sunlight and raising the melting Q point of the pitch improved the situation.

Six above^round magazines (Buildings were erected in the ammunition storage area in Located south of igloo Block D, they are of standardized design: 8-inch solid clay tile construction over a concrete skeleton, with corrugated asbestos clad gable roofs. Five loading bays with sliding metal door- opening onto concrete platforms face rail lines on one side of each building. To facilitate the movement of ammunition, 14 loading docks with storage houses were erected along rail lines within the storage area. These struc- tures consist of open-sided concrete platforms covered by a shed roof on wood supports. A concrete storage house is situated at one end of each platform. Small concrete block dunnage buildings (Buildings are located near the loading platforms. ^ AnnisCon Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page Inert Materials Storage Area While initial construction of Ordnance storage depots concentrated on the erection of ammunition storage facilities, increased war production soon made apparent the need for expanded warehouse space for general supplies. As a result, over was appropriated for fiscal year for warehouse construction at Ogden Ordnance Depot in Utah, and for two unspecified depots in the southeast and central United States. Anniston was chosen as one of the depots because of its proximity to the southern maneuver area and the availability of adjacent land that could be used for expansion. ^ During the summer of construction began on 17 steel framed, brick, gable-roofed warehouses (Buildings southwest of the igloo storage area.

Each building contains three sections making a total of 51 storage units. Thirty bays with sliding metal doors open onto concrete platforms along two sides of each structure. The rectangular buildings are placed parallel in two rows and are divided on one side by rail lines and on the other by roads. Delays caused by a shortage of construction materials, adverse weather conditions, and labor problems slowed construction progress, and the warehouses were not sufficiently completed for use until February Three additional brick warehouses (Buildings were erected in in the same area. The three are smaller in size and have combination shed and flat roofs.10 (Illustration 4) >a Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page W^r^'A-'^-.i^: i-'^i^'-^-'-y'^-': Illustration 4 View of the northeast side of the inert materials storage area. Seventeen brick, gable-roofed warehouses, each divided into three units, and three smaller warehouses were constructed in for the storage of inert mate- rials. The warehouses are arranged in parallel rows and are located at the south end of the depot. (Source: Field inventory photograph, Barbara Hightower, Building Technology, Inc.) ^s Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page A5 Combat Equipment Storage Area Shortly after Pearl Harbor, additional funds were allotted for the construction of warehouse facilities to store combat equipment at the Anniston Depot.

In March 250 acres (now referred to as the east area) were purchased adjacent to the southeast boundary of the depot. Principal contractors for construction, which began in early April, were McDougall Construction Company, Skinner and Beidermann, Andrew and Dawson, and J. B. Dillard and Son.

Twenty-five brick warehouses (Buildings and of various sizes, most of which are similar to the smaller ware- houses (Buildings in the inert materials storage area, were completed in With the addition of these facilities, Anniston's square footage of combat and general equipment warehouse space was greater than that of ammunition storage by the end of Initial construction also included a boiler house (Building an optical repair shop (Building and a firehouse (Building The most archi- tecturally distinctive of these brick structures is the firehouse, a two-story building embellished with brick quoins at the corners, a concrete cornice, and concrete lintels with keystones.

Two prefabricated ordnance repair shops (Buildings 108 and were also built in They are of steel frame construction with corrugated metal cladding and gabled clerestories. During additional facilities were constructed in the east area. These included two clay tile structures (Buildings 140 and used as a change house and cafeteria, a corrugated metal tank servicing facility (Building Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page ^^5 and a tank repair shop (Building a wood frame building clad with asbestos sheeting (Building originally used as a heating plant, and two clay tile structures (Buildings 183 and now used for maintenance and storage.

(Illustration 5) Administration and Utility Area The administration and utility area was constructed west of the inert materials warehouses beginning in The administration section consists of seven structures. Two are of permanent brick construction and are two stories in height with flat roofs. The major entrances to each are flanked by fluted stone pilasters surmounted by entablatures. The entablature on Building 1 bears the inscription ADMINISTRATION, and the words DISPENSARY and DORMITORY are carved into the entablatures on Building 2. Three wood frame officers' family quarters were erected during and Building 48, a one-story, gable-roofed building serves as the commanding officer's residence, and L-shaped two-story structures (Buildings 15 and 16) house two families each.

Two additional buildings constructed in complete the administration section: a two-story, wood frame, gable-roofed structure clad with aluminum siding (Building originally used as the officers' club, and a one-story, clay tile and concrete block building (Building 75) that now serves as the dispensary.

(Illustration 6) The utility section located northwest of the administration buildings contains 14 major structures erected during World War II, most of which were completed in These include nine permanent brick buildings: a machine and carpenter shop (Building 4), paint and paint storage shops (Buildings 8 and 9), a locomotive house and blacksmith shop (Building a heating plant (Building warehouses *^ Illustration 5 View of the southwest and southeast sides of Building This steel framed, corrugated metal building was con- structed in the east area in as a tank repair shop. Following the war, the depot began its mission as a major tank rebuild center, and additional facilities were added in the east area.

(Source: Field inventory photograph, Barbara Hightower, Building Technology, Inc.) Illustration 6 View of the southwest side of Building 1. This brick structure was originally the headquarters building for the depot. Its major entrance is flanked by fluted stone pilasters and surmounted by a stone entablature with the word ADMINISTRATION carved on it. (Source: Field inventory photograph, Barbara Hightower, Building Technology, Inc.) >* Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page %' (Buildings 17 and and a maintenance facility (Building Buildings 17, 18, and 55 are similar to the brick warehouses constructed in the inert mate- rials and combat equipment storage areas.

The remaining buildings in the utility section are of semipermanent construction, either wood frame clad with asbestos cement shingles (Buildings 49, 74, and or corrugated metal (Buildings 60 and Housing Area Using Lanham Act funds, the Federal Housing Authority constructed a wartime housing project southeast of the inert materials storage area in Upon completion, the project, which consisted of 67 apartment structures with a total of 360 individual units, was transferred to the War Department to provide housing for depot employees.

All 67 buildings were demolished in the late and early but two buildings associated with the housing project remain; both are clay tile structures with flat roofs that formerly served as community and recreation buildings (Buildings 220 and and are 12 now used as administration and civilian club facilities. During the fall of the operation of six ordnance depots was transferred to private corporations having extensive managerial expertise. In October, Chrysler Corporation assumed control of the Anniston Ordnance Depot through a wholly-owned subsidiary, the Anniston Warehouse Corporation.

Under Chrysler control, Anniston not only served as a storage depot, but overhauled tanks, scout cars, and other armored vehicles and artillery, and reclaimed material and equipment received from battlefields and training camps. Operation of 13 the depot was resumed by the Army in September ^6. Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 iS Page ^ POST-WAR CONSTRUCTION A comprehensive program for the renovation, demilitarization, and restorage of stocks went into effect at the installation after the war. To adapt to its peace-time mission, the depot's existing facilities were expanded by new building projects that lasted into the and primarily consisted of the 14 construction of storage, tank rebuild, and ammunition maintenance facilities.

By the number of ammunition storage igloos controlled by the depot had doubled. The igloo area of the former Coosa River Ordnance Plant, which was composed of 136 igloos used for the storage of smokeless powder, was transferred to the depot in and operated as a subinstallation. In 100 additional igloos were added to the existing blocks within Anniston's ammunition storage area. The largest igloo expansion project took place in when 478 Stradley or "yurt" type magazines were erected west of the World War II igloo area. Like the earlier igloos, they are built of reinforced concrete and covered with earth; however, the sides are vertical instead of arched to provide for more storage space.

The tank farm (Structures and located in the southwest corner of the depot, was completed in Nearly 500 combat vehicles of various types were serviced, processed with protective materials, and placed on specially constructed stands over concrete bases to remove weight from their springs. Commercial type bolted steel gasoline storage tanks, reduced in height from 24 to 11 feet, were then erected around the vehicles. The tanks are provided with mechanical dehumidifying equipment. (Illustration 7) **N Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3& Illustration 7 View of tank farm under construction. In 54 commercial type steel gasoline storage tanks were erected at the depot for storage of nearly 500 combat vehicles.

The vehicles were serviced, processed with protective materials, and placed on specially constructed stands before the tanks were erected around them. (Source: U.S. Army, Public Affairs Office, Anniston Army Depot) ^ Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3>* Eleven transitory shelters for vehicle storage (Buildings and were built east of the tank farm in These gable-roofed shelters are of steel frame construction, clad with corrugated metal, and have sliding metal doors on the long sides. Since the a number of smaller storage facilities have been erected throughout the installation. Most are simple steel framed corrugated metal clad structures such as Buildings 61, 73, and At war's end, Anniston was one of five installations responsible for the repair and overhaul of tanks.

By the early the depot was rebuilding between 1 fi 500 and tanks each year. The tank rebuild mission is carried out in the east area (the former World War II combat equipment storage area) where a number of rebuild facilities were added to the existing World War II tank repair shops. The installation's main rebuild structure (Building was erected in This steel frame, concrete block and corrugated metal structure has square feet of shop space with overhead cranes for heavy lifting.

Seven tank repair shops (Buildings and six of corrugated metal and one of concrete block) and a concrete block dynomometer building (Building for testing engines have been constructed in the area since Other facilities include a vehicle test track, an open storage area, and a gantry crane used for lifting tanks onto rail cars. Since a number of facilities have been erected in the ammunition storage area west of the World War II igloos. A complex consisting of small ammunition demolition and renovation shops, most of which are semiperma- nent corrugated metal buildings, was constructed in Major buildings in the complex are a TNT washout and flaker building (Building 17 2), a receiving Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AX-10 Page 39- building (Building and a renovation shop (Building A reinforced concrete, earth-covered demoliton structure (Building was erected in adjacent to the burning pit. Major additions were made to the area in when the Lance Missile fueling facility, a complex of offices, shipping, receiving, shop, storage, propellant loading, and welding buildings, and concrete cachements, was built. The facility is now inactive. An ammunition maintenance facility (Buildings including a concrete maintenance shop, lunchroom and change house, flammable storage buildings, vacuum collector building, and four earth-covered magazines) was also completed in These structures are currently leased to Rockwell International Corporation for the assembly of the Hellfire Laser Guided Anti-Armor Missile.

17 A new headquarters building (Building 7) was completed in This three-story concrete slab structure has continuous bands of windows across its main facade, and stands on a hill overlooking the World War II inert materials warehouses to the west. (Illustration 8) CQOSA RIVER STORAGE ANNEX The Coosa River Storage Annex is located on a acre tract approximately 12 miles southwest of the depot. The annex contains 136 standard ammunition storage igloos, two covered loading platforms, two wood frame sentry stations, and a one-story, gable-roofed, corrugated metal building. It was originally constructed in as part of the Coosa River Ordnance Plant at Talladega. The facility was transferred to Anniston in October and operated as a subinstallation for the storage of smokeless powder.

It is currently inactive. Two cemeteries are on the property, but no buildings predating construction of the annex are known to remain.*8 "H Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3 5 Illustration 8 View of the southwest side of Building 7. This three-story headquarters building was erected on the depot in It stands on a hill at the south end of the installation and overlooks the warehouse area to the west. (Source: Field inventory photograph, Barbara Hightower, Building Technology, Inc.) Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3 *f NOTES 1. Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot. Analysis of Existing Facilities/Environmental Assessment Report, p. 4. 2. The Anniston Times, March 7, and May 9, "Igloos for Munitions Storage," Engineering News Record, September 18, p. A. C.

Polk, "Magazine Separation Determines Plan of Ordnance Depot," Civil Engineering, January p. 26. 3. Harry C. Thomson and Lida Mayo, The Ordnance Department: Procurement and Supply (Washington, Office of the Chief of Military History, I960), pp. Anniston Ordnance Depot, Historical Report of the Organization and Activities of Anniston Ordnance Depot, Anniston, Alabama (January 1, p. 1. 4. Anniston Ordnance Depot, Historical Report, pp. 1-2 and 5. 5. Ibid, pp. 7, and 6. Ibid, pp. 2, 5, and 8; Anniston Times, March 7, Anniston Star, August 10, 7.

Thomson and Mayo note that the igloo type of magazine had been preferred by the Joint Army-Navy Ammunition Storage Board and the Ordnance Safety Board for all types of ammunition except small arms since the late These structures, called igloos because of their resemblance to Eskimo shelters, were shaped to direct the force of an explosion upward rather than outward to prevent sympathetic explosions in surrounding igloos. Thomson and Mayo, The Ordnance Department, pp. 361 and 8. Anniston Ordnance Depot, Historical Report, pp. Thomson and Mayo, The Ordnance Department, p. 9. Thomson and Mayo, The Ordnance Department, p. 10. Anniston Ordnance Depot, Historical Report, p. 44; Anniston Times, June 25, 11. ,Anniston Ordnance Depot, Historical Report, p.

15; Thomson and Mayo, The Ordnance Department, pp. 12. Anniston Star, August 10, 13. Ibid. 14. Ibid. 15. Ibid. 16. Anniston Star, January 17, X Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page SS 17. Anniston Army Depot, Installation and Activity Brochure (DARCOM, December 31, p. 4. 18. Anniston Star, August 10, Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3fe> Chapter 3

Preservation Recommendations Background

Army Regulation requires that an historic preservation plan be developed as an integral part of each installation's planning and long range maintenance and development scheduling. The purpose of such a program is to: Preserve historic properties to reflect the Army's role in history and its continuing concern for the protection of the nation's heritage. Implement historic preservation projects as an integral part of the installation's maintenance and construction programs. Find adaptive uses for historic properties in order to maintain them as actively used facilities on the installation. Eliminate damage or destruction due to improper maintenance, repair, or use that may alter or destroy the significant elements of any property.

Enhance the most historically significant areas of the installation through appropriate landscaping and conservation. To meet these overall preservation objectives, the general preservation recommendations set forth below have been developed: Category I Historic Properties All Category I historic properties not currently listed on or nominated to the National Register of Historic Places are assumed to be eligible for >Sv Armiston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 3 7 nomination regardless of age. The following general preservation recommendations apply to these properties: a) Each Category I historic property should be treated as if it were on the National Register, whether listed or not. Properties not currently listed should be nominated.

Category I historic properties should not be altered or demolished. All work on sueh properties shall be performed in accordance with Sections 106 and of the National Historic Preservation Act as amended in and the regulations of the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP) as outlined in the "Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties" (36 CFR b) An individual preservation plan should be developed and put into effect for each Category I historic property. This plan should delineate the appropriate restoration or preservation program to be carried out for the property. It should include a maintenance and repair schedule and estimated initial and annual costs.

The preservation plan should be approved by the State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council in accordance with the above referenced ACHP regulation. Until the historic preserva- tion plan is put into effect, Category I historic properties should be maintained in accordance with the recommended approaches of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Revised 2 Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer. *K Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 c) Each Category I historic property should be documented in accor- dance with Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) Documentation Level II, and the documentation submitted for inclusion in the HABS/HAER 3 collections in the Library of Congress. When no adequate architectural drawings exist for a Category I historic property, It should be documented in accordance with Documentation Level I of these standards. In cases where standard measured drawings are unable to record significant features of a property or technological process, interpretive drawings also should be prepared.

Category II Historic Properties All Category II historic properties not currently listed on or nominated to the National Register of Historic Places are assumed to be eligible for nomi- nation regardless of age. The following general preservation recommendations apply to these properties: a) Each Category II historic property should be treated as if it were on the National Register, whether listed or not. Properties not currently listed should be nominated. Category II historic prop- erties should not be altered or demolished.

All work on such prop- erties shall be performed in accordance with Sections 106 and of the National Historic Preservation Act as amended in and the regulations of the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP) as outlined in the "Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties" (36 CFR X Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page^ b) An individual preservation plan should be developed and put into effect for each Category II historic property. This plan should delineate the appropriate preservation or rehabilitation program to be carried out for the property or for those parts of the property which contribute to its historical, architectural, or technological importance. It should include a maintenance and repair schedule and estimated initial and annual costs.

The preservation plan should be approved by the State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council in accordance with the above referenced ACHP regulations. Until the historic preservation plan is put into effect, Category II historic properties should be maintained in accordance with the recommended approaches in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Revised Guidelines 4 for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer.

c) Each Category II historic property should be documented in accor- dance with Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) Documentation Level II, and the documentation submitted for inclusion in the HABS/HAER collections in the Library of Congress. Category III Historic Properties The following preservation recommendations apply to Category III historic properties: x. Anniston Army Depot HAER No.

AL-10 Page SO a) Category III historic properties listed on or eligible for nomination to the National Register as part of a district or thematic group should be treated in accordance with Sections 106 and of the National Historic Preservation Act as amended in and the regulations of the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation as outlined in the "Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties" (36 CFR Such properties should not be demolished and their facades, or those parts of the property that contribute to the historical landscape, should be protected from major modifications. Preservation plans should be developed for groupings of Category III historic properties within a district or thematic group.

The scope of these plans should be limited to those parts of each property that contribute to the district or group's importance. Until such plans are put into effect, these properties should be maintained in accordance with the recommended approaches in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Revised Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer. b) Category III historic properties not listed on or eligible for nomination to the National Register as part of a district or thematic group should receive routine maintenance. Such properties should not be demolished, and their facades, or those parts of the property that contribute to the historical landscape, should be protected from modification.

If the properties are unoccupied, they x Armistcm Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page <Jj should, as a minimum, be maintained in stable condition and prevented from deteriorating. HABS/HAER Documentation Level IV has been completed for all Category III historic properties, and no additional documentation is required as long as they are not endangered. Category III historic properties that are endangered for operational or other reasons should be documented in accordance with HABS/HAER Documentation Level III, and submitted for 7 inclusion in the HABS/HAER collections in the Library of Congress. Similar structures need only be documented once. CATEGORY

Historic Properties

There are no Category I historic properties at Anniston Army Depot. CATEGORY II HISTORIC PROPERTIES There are no Category II historic properties at Anniston Army Depot.

Category Iii Historic Properties

There are no Category III historic properties at Anniston Army Depot. NOTES 1. Army Regulation Historic Preservation (Headquarters, U.S. Army: Washington, 15 April *3u Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page 2. National Park Service, Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Revised Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, (Washington, Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service, 3. National Park Service, "Archeology and Historic Preservation; Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines," Federal Register, Part IV, 28 September pp. 4- National Park Service, Secretary of the Interior's Standards. 5. National Park Service, "Archeology and Historic Preservation." 6. National Park Service, Secretary of the Interior's Standards. 7.

National Park Service, "Archeology and Historic Preservation." *3* Armiston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page </3

Bibliography

Anniston Army Depot. Installation and Activity brochure. DARCOM, December 31, DARCOM brochure. Anniston Ordnance Depot. Historical Report of the Organization and Activities of Anniston Ordnance Depot, Anniston, Alabama. January 1, Anniston Public Library, Anniston, Alabama. The following newspaper articles in the library's files contain valuable information on the World War II construction of the depot and its subsequent history: Anniston Times, March 7, May 2, May 9, May 30, June 25, July 25, July 30, August 6, September 24, October 1, August 8, April 19, July 23, Anniston Star, August 10, September 7, July 31, January 17, Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot.

Analysis of Existing Facilities/ Environmental Assessment Report, "Igloos for Munitions Storage." Engineering News Record, September 18, pp. Briefly describes igloo construction in progress at the depot. Polk, A. C. "Magazine Separation Determines Plan of Ordnance Depot." Civil Engineering, January pp. Construction described by one of the engineers involved with building the depot. Public Affairs Office, Anniston Army Depot. Files include early photographs, historical reports, and early scrapbook and information compiled for the anniversary of the depot. Thomson, Harry C. and Mayo, Lida. The Ordnance Department: Procurement and Supply.

Washington, Office of the Chief of Military History, Useful source for placing the development of the depot into the context of overall development of American ordnance supply depots during World War II. U.S. Army DARCOM. Real Property Inventory, Anniston Army Depot. March Anniston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10 Page ty <-f U.S. Army DARCOM. Real Property Inventory, Coosa River Storage Annex. March "K

Appendix a

Armiston Army Depot HAER No. AL-10

Department of the Army Anniston Army Depot

Page ANNISTON, ALABAMA . January 9, Repl y To The At 1 ent Ion Of: Mr. William Brenner Architech Building Technology, Inc Spring Street Silver Springs, MD Dear Mr. Brenner: During her visit to Anniston Army Depot on January Barbara Hightower was not allowed to visit, photograph, or collect written data on the 600 series buildings in the Lance Missile Fueling Facility due to security restrictions. Building and 392 were not accessible because of blasting in the area and the road to structures 179A, and 179E was impassable. d S^GORDON L/ KELLEY Chief, /Engineering Branch, FED x