Fort Benning, Main Post, Infantry School, Intersection of Wold Avenue and Sigerfoos Road, Fort Benning Military Reservation

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2431. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Intersection of Wold Avenue and Sigerfoos Road, Main Post, Fort Benning, Chattahoochee County, Georgia The building is located at latitude: longitude: The coordinate represents a point on the portico roof on the north fa ade and was obtained from Google Earth imagery. The USGS quadrangle map is Fort Benning, Georgia-Alabama, photo-revised

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2431. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building No. 35, completed in housed the U.S. Army Infantry School. The architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White prepared the original sketch drawings. The Construction Division of the Quartermaster Corps adapted the plans for construction. The imposing academic building is an example of the Second Renaissance Revival Style. The building s prominent siting is an example of the early practice of the City Beautiful Movement as applied to military installations during the late and the Established following World War I, the school prepared a cadre of infantry officers who served during World War II (Perry Building No. 35 was identified as a major contributing resource to the National Register-eligible Fort Benning Main Post Historic District (Fort Benning Appendix B; Perry Building No.

35 also has the potential for individual listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Historians: Katherine Grandine, Senior Historian, and Benjamin Riggle, Historian R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., December

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2431. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The documentation was prepared in anticipation of renovations to be undertaken for Building No. 35 due to a change in use.

The Fort Benning Historic Properties Component of the Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan for Certification under the Army Alternate Procedures for Historic Properties in lieu of 36 CFR Part 800 for Section 106 compliance of the National Historic Preservation Act of as amended, in effect since February states that, when renovations occur that do not meet the Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, treatment will take the form of documentation in accordance with the standards of the Historic American Buildings Survey and/or the Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) or similar equivalent documentation (Fort Benning FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 2) Part I: Historical Information A.

Physical History 1. Date of erection: Building No. 35 was constructed in The date stone was laid in and the construction was completed in 2. Architect: Designs for the monumental building in the Second Renaissance Revival Style (Panamerican were prepared by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White. The construction drawings were prepared by the Construction Division of the Quartermaster Corps. 3. Original and subsequent owners, occupants, uses: Building No. 35 is owned by the U.S. Department of the Army. The building was designed as an academic building to house the U.S. Army s Infantry School. In the building became administrative offices. In Building No. 35 became the permanent home of the U.S. Army School of the Americas.

Between January and the building housed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). 4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: Dice-Schmidt Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois, served as the general contractor for the project. Flooring contracts were given to David E. Kennedy of Brooklyn, New York, and Southern Flooring and Insulating Company of Atlanta, Georgia. Subcontractors who worked on the construction of Building No. 35 were hired from several southern states (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, 5. Original plans and construction: Building No.

35 was constructed to house the entire Infantry School, including headquarters, classrooms, all academic department offices, offices for instructors, four lecture halls accommodating 350 students, study rooms, library, bookshop, and administrative offices. The floor space on three full floors (i.e., basement, first floor and second floor) was reported as equivalent to an average ten- story city office building (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, Tilden and Roulston ca. 6. Alterations and additions: The alterations discussed in the following paragraphs are based on information collected from the real property records, the Environmental Management Division (EMD) project files, and the scanned drawings maintained by the Fort Benning Directorate of Public Works.

Acoustical tile was continuously installed in select rooms beginning in Also in a platform was constructed in the commanding general s briefing room. Asphalt FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 3) tile flooring and a partition were installed in the inspector s office. A buzzer system was installed in the building. In Walker Hall, one of the lecture halls, was painted, upgraded with asphalt floor tiles, and air conditioned with individual air conditioning units. Window air conditioning units were installed in several individual rooms.

Interior painting was continuous during the In the interiors of the four lecture halls (Wharton, Patrick, Walker, and Pratt) were painted, as well as other areas of the building (Fort Benning, real property records). In centrally controlled electric clocks were installed throughout the building. Steel cyclone wire was installed over the transoms and windows. Room the VIP briefing room, was modified with Philippine mahogany paneling, fluorescent lights, mahogany doors, a one-way mirror, and chalk boards (Fort Benning, real property records; Fort Benning drawing PE4055). In the building was modified for use as administrative offices after the Infantry School relocated to Building No. 4. The building was occupied by the Directorate of Public Works. The rooms were renumbered.

In air conditioning units were installed throughout the building and windows were modified to contain air conditioning units. In the electrical system was upgraded through the addition of new outlets and a 70 -0 soundproof wall was installed in Room In a computer center was installed in the building. Acoustical ceiling tile was continuously installed throughout the building during the (Fort Benning, real property records; Fort Benning drawings PE6540, PE6690, PE9316, PE8777). Major renovations occurred during the In plans were drawn up to sandblast the exterior of the building (Fort Benning drawings PE10601-10604). It is not clear from the records if this action was implemented. In the steam heating system was converted from coal to a dual fuel system run by oil or natural gas.

Originally the building was heated by steam radiators supported by three boilers located in the basement. The original plans called for these boilers to be coal-fired, but the completion report stated that the original boilers were fired by natural gas (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, The original boilers were replaced and underground fuel oil storage tanks were installed under the north lawn (Fort Benning drawings FE16963, FE17876, FE17879). In all the wood-frame rectangular windows were removed from the building, with the exception of the arched window in the commandant s office, the windows in the base of the cupola, and the arched window over the south entry. The windows were replaced with aluminum-frame units with four fixed lights over a two-light hopper.

Individual air conditioning units were reinstalled in the windows. All wood exterior doors also were FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 4) replaced with metal doors. The transoms over the north and south entries were replaced, as well as the transoms over the secondary doors in the south wall. The four-light transoms over the doorways that opened onto the courtyard remained in place (Fort Benning drawings FE18420-FE18430; FE18721-FE18722). Plans also were drawn up in to re-roof the entire building with replacement mission tiles (Fort Benning drawings FE18386-FE18391). The records do not state that this plan was executed. During the early efforts were undertaken to make the building handicapped accessible.

In new handrails were installed on the exterior steps on the north side of the building (Fort Benning drawing FE22866). In the doorways to the basement on the east and west ends were reconfigured to allow handicapped accessibility to the building. A single wide metal door with a single light replaced the set of paired doors in each end. The doorway currently has narrow sidelights. The flat-roof porches with concrete handicapped access ramps were installed at this time (Fort Benning drawing DEH24501). The cost for this improvement was The Geiger Company served as the project contractor (Fort Benning real property records). In additional window air conditioning units were installed in the building.

The electrical system was upgraded and additional electric outlets were installed (Fort Benning real property records). In Building No. 35 became the permanent home of the School of the Americas. Between and a major renovation of the building was completed. During this renovation, the interior finishes of the building were upgraded to their present appearance. Apart from the plaster walls, the classroom finishes and trim were replaced. A new central heating and air conditioning system was installed in the attic. New ductwork was installed above new acoustic tile ceilings, and the steam radiators were removed (Fort Benning, EMD project files). The individual window air conditioning units were removed. Between and the installation completed a major upgrade to communications.

In wiring and fiber optics were installed in Building No. 35 (Fort Benning, real property records). B. Historical Context Camp Benning was established at the end of September just before the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. The mission of the new installation was to serve as the new home of the U.S. Army Infantry School. Initially, the post was a temporary cantonment occupying leased land in the Wynnton area of Columbus, Georgia. During the installation was moved to its present location; it became a permanent Army installation by order of the War Department in FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 5) The concept of a school for infantry grew from the expansion of military education during the Progressive Era and World War I During this time period, trends in military education and training focused on increasing staff professionalism, systematizing military organizations, and embracing new technology. Education, once focused on senior service schools, was expanded to include programs for junior officers and enlisted personnel. The increasing sophistication of new technologies used in warfare produced many new schools for all services (Goodwin & Associates, Inc., Vol. The Infantry School evolved from the School of Musketry that was established in by the U.S. Army at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

The purpose of the school was to train infantry personnel in the use of weapons and to improve marksmanship. In the School of Musketry was enlarged and relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In the school was relocated to Camp Benning, Georgia (Goodwin & Associates, Inc., Vol. 3). With the arrival of World War I, the educational requirements were revamped and multiplied, as the Army inducted millions of new soldiers. After the conclusion of World War I, the Army s education institutions were restructured and matured into the system that trained the leaders for World War II. Although all services experienced severe budget constraints during the the Army continued to invest in education.

The Army divided its education institutions into two categories: Special Service Schools that focused on branch-related instruction, and General Service Schools that offered advanced instruction in combined subjects. In September the War Department formally established a system of branch schools under General Orders The number of special schools was expanded to thirty-one where both officers and enlisted personnel were trained in the specific requirements of their branch; i.e., infantry, cavalry, ordnance, etc. In theory, each officer was expected to attend his branch school within four years of being commissioned. In practice, however, housing shortages prevented implementation of this policy. Even as late as the Army did not assign new infantry lieutenants to Ft.

Benning because suitable quarters were not available (Goodwin & Associates, Inc., Vol. In when then Lt. Colonel George Marshall arrived at Fort Benning as assistant commandant, approximately 600 officers were assigned to the post. Of these, 450 officers were students at the Infantry School, while the remaining officers served as instructors or commanded units assigned to the post. Marshall oversaw the growth of the school as it became the Army s primary infantry officer training school.

He assembled a group of Army professionals who established a training curriculum to improve the professionalism of infantry officers and to incorporate lessons learned from World War I (Stelpflug and Hyatt The Infantry School conducted its classes and maintained its offices in several wood-frame, temporary buildings that dated from the early the earliest days of the post. Apart from being fire hazards, the collection of buildings provided outdated facilities for the school (Tilden and Roulston ca. By the end of Marshall s five-year assignment, the permanent FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 6) construction program at Fort Benning was underway to house the school, staff, and post operations in new permanent buildings.

The development of Fort Benning during the inter-war period was influenced by several factors. The major impetus behind the installation s growth was the presence of the Infantry School. A second factor was the need for permanent buildings on post that corresponded to a need to put people back to work during the Great Depression of the A third factor was the Quartermaster Corps oversight of the permanent building program. The unity and cohesiveness of the overall post plan at Fort Benning was the result of the implementation of standardized plans developed by the Quartermaster Corps and their adoption of contemporary design and planning concepts. The Spanish Colonial Revival style was the most prevalent architectural style used in constructing the buildings at Fort Benning.

Although the Army preferred to use standardized plans, the Army did employ architects occasionally to design prominent individual buildings and installations. The designs for the Infantry School (Building No. 35) and the Chapel (Building No. at Fort Benning have been attributed to specific architectural firms. Building No. 35 is attributed to the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White, and Building No. 101 is attributed to regional architects Hentz, Adler, and Schutze. The architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White was formed in The three original partners were Charles McKim William Mead and Stanford White This firm was the largest architectural firm in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

By Charles McKim s death in the firm had received approximately 855 commissions. When Mead officially retired from the firm in the number of commissions was These commissions represented some of the most prominent buildings of the time period and comprised the entire range of building types, including private residences, libraries and museums, college buildings and campuses, commercial blocks, public buildings, and religious buildings. Classicism in all its varieties (such as, Roman, Italian, English, French Renaissance) was the prevalent style of these buildings. The architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White also provided designs for military installations and buildings, including the Army War College at Fort McNair in Washington, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

The Army War College was established as part of the Army reorganization of to provide training for senior officers. The War College was located on the site of the old Washington Arsenal at Greenleaf Point in Washington, When this site was chosen, the Army made efforts to integrate the overall installation layout and building designs with the McMillan plan proposed for the city of Washington, Charles McKim, an active member of the McMillan Commission, suggested the general plan for the new installation. The overall installation plan exemplified the Beaux-Arts planning ideals. The plan was symmetrical, with the War College building serving as the major focus of the installation from both the land and water approaches. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 7) Roman Classicism was chosen for the architectural style for the War College building to reflect the military grandeur that once was imperial Rome. The officer housing, non-commissioned officer housing, barracks, and supporting buildings were designed using Georgian Colonial Revival motifs. The architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White prepared the installation plan, architectural drawings, and specifications; Captain John Sewell of the Corps of Engineers supervised on-site construction. The installation was completed in although not to the full extent of the McKim, Mead and White plan (Roth Wilson Stanford White provided building designs for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

White designed Cullum Memorial Hall completed in Cullum Hall exhibits a severe rational classicism constructed in light stone in contrast to the gray granite Gothic Revival buildings already in existence on the installation (Roth White also designed the classically-inspired officers mess next to Cullum Hall. In Congress authorized a major architectural competition to add eleven new buildings and to create a cohesive plan for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. McKim, Mead and White was one of ten nationally-prominent architectural firms who entered the competition (Roth The competition was won by the architectural firm of Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson.

Their Gothic Revival buildings complemented the architectural tradition established during the nineteenth century at West Point and represented the single greatest expansion of the installation (Department of the Interior, HABS 1984:Vol. II:25-32). After the death and/or retirement of the original three partners, the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White continued until under the leadership of new partners. Partners added to the firm in the first decades of the twentieth century included William Kendall Burt Fenner William Richardson and Teunis J. Van der Bent (Architecture of McKim, Mead & White Lawrence White Stanford White s son, was made a partner in (Roth Under this leadership, the firm s work continued to exemplify the influence of classicism.

After the firm specialized in educational and medical complexes (Roth Design commissions completed for the Army include the Infantry Regimental Barracks (Building No. at Governors Island, New York, and the Infantry School (Building No. 35, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The infantry barracks at Governor Island was designed in the Georgian Revival Style as part of an overall plan for the installation. The barracks comprised a four-story central section flanked by three-story side wings.

The building housed personnel under one roof and included dining facilities, kitchens, and a drill hall on the fourth floor of the central block ( Governer s Island Infantry Regimental Barracks The original Federal appropriation for the Infantry School at Fort Benning was authorized in October for The money was appropriated as part of a million allotment for construction at Fort Benning through the Public Works Administration (PWA)-National Industrial Recovery Act. By the time the building was completed, the total cost was FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 8) (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, Tilden and Roulston ca. Authority to proceed with work on Building No.

35 was contained in a radiogram from the Quartermaster General dated September Drawings from the McKim, Mead and White architectural firm archived at the New-York Historical Society in New York City provided insights into the evolution of the design of Building No. 35. The collection contains the following: Concept drawings approved by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps dated October 20, McKim, Mead and White floor plans dated October 20, McKim, Mead and White elevations and floor plans dated October 30, McKim, Mead and White floor plans dated December 6, McKim, Mead and White elevations and floor plans for the current building dated January 19, and, Complete set of blueprints prepared by the U.S.

Army Quartermaster Corps dated March 8, and received in the office of McKim, Mead and White on April 9, The earliest drawings in the collection are two small, unsigned pencil drawings measuring approximately 5 x 11 in size and dated October 20, One elevation depicted the front with the curved entry of the building, while the second elevation depicted the rear courtyard. The schematic design for Building No. 35 proposed a U-shaped footprint that incorporated a curved center block with two rear wings. These elevations appeared to indicate that the exterior materials under consideration for the building were either stone facing or a stucco finish. The words the Fort Benning School were emblazoned across the portico.

Both drawings included approval signatures of Major General Edward Croft, Chief of the Infantry; Brigadier General Estes, Commandant of the Infantry School; Colonel Weeks, Assistant Commandant; and, Captain Jabelonsky, U.S. Quartermaster Corps. Brigadier General Guiney, Quartermaster Corps, Assistant, approved the drawing on October 23, for the Quartermaster General. Three larger pencil drawings were attached to the two concept pencil drawings. The larger drawings measured approximately 8.5 x 14 in size and depicted the ground floor, the main floor, and the second floor plans. The name of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White appeared on these larger drawings with military approval signatures. The floor plans provided the overall dimensions for Building No. 35.

While the overall length of the building was 240 -0 , the floor plans offered two different depths to the building based on two different proposals for the size of the lecture halls located in the rear wings. The two size options were 59 -0 x 99 -0 or 59 -0 x 110 -0 (New-York Historical Society, McKim, Mead and White drawings collection, Tube 584 D). FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 9) McKim, Mead and White prepared a plot plan and eight drawings of Building No. 35 dated October 30, The drawings were in pencil and measured approximately 11 x 17 in size. These drawings depicted the front elevation showing the stone quoining and the columned portico emblazoned with an eagle and the words The Infantry School.

Other drawings included a side elevation, the rear elevation, a section and side elevation, three floor plans (ground, main, and second floors), and a roof plan. The drawings of the exterior suggested that a stuccoed finish was selected for the building by this time (New-York Historical Society, McKim, Mead and White drawings collection, Tube 584 D). For the set of drawings dated October 30, the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White received the following payment recorded by the Constructing Quartermaster at Fort Benning: Sub-allotments: To Constructing Quartermaster, Washington, to McKim, Mead, and White for architectural services (November 16, . . . . . . (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, During November the requirements for the Infantry School building changed.

On December 6, the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White prepared three pencil drawings of floor plans (ground, main, and second) with an altered design. The curved north front and the rear court remained central to the building design, but an L-shaped wing was added to each side, forming four rear wings. These drawings were approval by Brigadier General Estes, Commandant of the Infantry School; Colonel C. W. Weeks, Assistant Commandant; and Captain Jabelonsky, Constructing Quartermaster at Fort Benning (New-York Historical Society, McKim, Mead and White drawings collection, Tube 584 D).

McKim, Mead and White submitted a second set of drawings dated January 19, These pencil drawings measured approximately 36 x 20 in size and were entitled as follows: Plot plan South elevation, west elevation and section North elevation and section through connecting wing looking east Ground floor plan First floor plan Second floor plan Roof plan Each drawing was labeled with the name and the address of the architectural firm. The January drawings depicted the current configuration of Building No. 35 with the curved north front and rear court and the extended side wings. In these drawings, the west wing contained the library and book stacks. The commandant s office was located on the second floor in the front of FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 10) the building; however, the window to this office was rectangular (New-York Historical Society, McKim, Mead and White drawings collection, Tube 584 D). The architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White received a second payment for this set of drawings in January The Fort Benning Constructing Quartermaster recorded the following payment: Sub-allotments To Constructing Quartermaster, Washington, to McKim, Mead, and White for architectural services (January 22, . . . . . . (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in Washington, prepared the final construction drawings for Building No.

35 numbered to and dated March 8, (NARA RG 77 Completion Report Book 7c, The title blocks on the blueprints credited in large letters the Construction Division, Office of the Quartermaster General; the name of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White appeared in smaller letters within the title block on each drawing. A complete set of the blueprints for Building No. 35 was received in the offices of McKim, Mead and White on April 9, (Fort Benning scanned drawing archive; New-York Historical Society, McKim, Mead and White drawings collection, Tubes 584 A-C). Based on the collection of drawings at the New-York Historical Society, the involvement of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White in the design of Building No. 35 seemed limited to exterior drawings and floor plans.

In each set of drawings prepared by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, the overall design of the building became simplified with less use of ornate ornamentation. However, the following intriguing statement was contained in a ca. history of the Infantry School: The original architectural plans were made by the celebrated firm of McKim, Meade (sic), and White, but were later abandoned as being too ambitious (Tilden and Roulston ca. Actual construction of Building No. 35 began at the end of April and extended through July 12, Building No. 35 was accepted officially as completed by Carl H.

Jabelonsky, the constructing quartermaster at Fort Benning, on July 12, and turned over to the Commanding General at Fort Benning on July 18, Dice-Schmidt Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois, served as the general contractor for the project. Flooring contracts were given to David E. Kennedy of Brooklyn, New York, and Southern Flooring and Insulating Company of Atlanta, Georgia (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, Subcontractors who worked on the construction of Building No. 35 were hired from several southern states. The contractors for the roofing and sheet metal work were Beaullieu & Company from Atlanta, Georgia; plastering and stucco were completed by Gomes & FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 11) Company from Atlanta, Georgia; the marble and tile work was contracted to Standard Tile and Marble Company from Charlotte, North Carolina; the stone setting contractor was Kenneth Reid from Chicago, Illinois; the ornamental ironwork contractor was the Birmingham Ornamental Iron Company from Birmingham, Alabama; and, the glazing contractor was Binswanger and Company from Memphis, Tennessee. Waterproofing and dampproofing was contracted to the Guaranteed Waterproofing Company of Greensboro, North Carolina. Linoleum was provided by the Southern Flooring and Insulating Company, Atlanta, Georgia. Venetian blinds were contracted to Kane Manufacturing Company, Kane, Pennsylvania. Weatherstripping was contracted to Ellis Johnson Weatherstrip Company of Chicago, Illinois.

The contractor for the electrical work was Miller Electric Company from Jacksonville, Florida, and the heating and plumbing contractor was Walter Denson, also from Jacksonville, Florida. Excavating, filling and grading for the construction site was completed by Columbus Sand & Gravel Company from Columbus, Georgia (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, Approximately 50 percent of the laborers on the job came from local unions, while the remaining labor was procured from the local re-employment office maintained at Fort Benning. Skilled laborers earned per hour, while unskilled laborers were paid (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, Construction materials and fittings were shipped from a wider area.

Locally procured building materials included sand and gravel, which were supplied by a local firm in Columbus, Georgia. Cement came from Leeds, Alabama. The structural clay tile block came from Atlanta, Georgia. Limestone was shipped from Bedford, Indiana. Marble for thresholds and mantels was shipped from Knoxville, Tennessee, while marble for bathrooms and stairs was shipped from Charlotte, North Carolina. Building materials and fittings represented many regions of the United States.

The following is a selection: Cast iron lanterns from Birmingham, Alabama Mission tile from Daisy, Tennessee Slate from Bangor, Pennsylvania Tile for bathrooms from Zanesville, Ohio Radiators from Jacksonville, Florida Boilers from Detroit, Michigan Telephone outlets from Bridgeport, Connecticut (NARA RG 77 Completion Report, Book 7c, The commandant in charge of the Infantry School at the time of its completion was Brigadier General George H. Estes, who served in that capacity from September to September (History of Fort Benning Estes was the first occupant of the commandant s office located on the second floor over the formal entry to the building. Estes was followed by eighteen commandants, who occupied that office from the opening of Building No.

35 in until the school moved to its new headquarters (Building No. 4) in June (Fort Benning: Home of the Infantry The names of those commandants are listed below: FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 12) Brigadier General Asa L. Singleton October 1936-August Brigadier General Courtney H. Hodges October 1940-March Brigadier General Omar N. Bradley March 1941-February Major General Leven C. Allen February 1942-September Major General Charles H. Bonesteel September 1943-June Major General Fred L. Walker July 1944-July Major General John W. O Daniel July 1945-June Major General Withers A. Burress July 1948-January Major General John H. Church March 1951-May Major General Robert N. Young June 1952-January Major General Guy S. Meloy, Jr.

January 1953-June Major General Joseph H. Harper June 1954-May Major General George E. May 1956-August Major General Herbert B. Powell August 1956-April Major General Paul L. Freeman May 1958-April Major General Hugh P. Harris April 1960-July Major General Ben Harrell August 1961-February Major General Rich February 1963-July The library was one of the first activities to move into the new Infantry School building. Located in the west wing, the library contained approximately volumes in This number represented a major increase over the volumes contained in the library in (Tilden and Roulston ca.

The first classes taught in the completed Infantry School building began during summer At that time, the Infantry School offered the Regular Course to train infantry officers in tactical duties, tactics and techniques of other Army disciplines, and combined employment of other [Army] arms (Tilden and Roulston ca. Other courses offered at the school for officers during included the Tank Course, the Refresher Course, and the National Guard and Reserve Officers Course. The Communication Course and the Motor Mechanic s Course were offered for enlisted personnel. During the first year of school s operation in its new building 327 officers and 131 enlisted personnel were graduated from all courses.

During the late courses were modified to include course work in tanks, motor vehicles, and updated weapons; military tactics and logistics that included field engineering, supply and evacuation, and signal communication; and, mobilization and training (Tilden and Roulston ca. During the school year Army staff on duty at the Infantry School comprised seventy- six officer instructors and department heads, and eighty enlisted instructors. Total attendance in all courses numbered 359 officers and 174 enlisted personnel (Tilden and Roulston ca. By end of the authorized staff at the Infantry School was 159 officers and FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 13) enlisted personnel.

The total number of graduates from all courses numbered 910 (Tilden and Roulston ca. Regular coursework at the Infantry School ended in June as military planners reviewed the challenging geo-political realities leading up to the U.S. entry into World War II. Courses that originally took nine months to complete were shortened to three to four months. By August all courses were reduced to thirteen weeks with a new class beginning every month. Training was undertaken year round in an effort to increase the numbers of trained officers and specialists needed to supply the rapidly expanding Army (Tilden and Roulston ca.

During World War II, Fort Benning became a major training center that offered officer candidate courses; officer courses in basic, advanced, communication, motor, and cannon; and, enlisted courses in communication, motor, artillery, maintenance, and radio repair (Tilden and Roulston ca. An estimated soldiers trained at Fort Benning during World War II and the officer candidate course introduced at the Infantry School in graduated over second lieutenants (Kane and Keeton Stelpflug and Hyatt Following the end of World War II in the infantry arm of the U.S. Army rapidly demobilized from a strength of personnel in May to by June (Jaeger Company Enrollment in the Infantry School dropped dramatically.

The school instructors focused on analyzing and revising infantry training techniques based on World War II experiences. Infantry losses were numerous during World War II. Four infantry generals who perished during the war were memorialized in the names of the four lecture halls in Building No. 35. Patrick Hall was named for Major General Edwin D. Patrick who was killed on Luzon. Pratt Hall was named for Brigadier General Don F. Pratt. Walker Hall was named for Brigadier General Nelson M. Walker and Wharton Hall was named for Brigadier General James E. Wharton. Both generals were killed at Normandy (Fort Benning Memorializations Infantry training increased during the period due to the U.S. involvement in Korea.

The number of classes conducted at the school in was In the number of classes increased to 247 (History of Fort Benning Jaeger Company The officer candidate school reopened at Fort Benning in and graduated more than junior officers between and (Stelpflug and Hyatt The Infantry School continued to operate in Building No. 35 until when the new Infantry Hall (Building No. 4) opened. Building No. 4 was dedicated in June (Stelpflug and Hyatt Building No. 35 then became administrative offices, housing the staff of the Directorate of Public Works. In Fort Benning was selected as the site of the U.S. Army School of the Americas. The school was founded in in the Canal Zone in Panama to train Spanish-speaking military FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 14) officers, cadets, and non-commissioned officers from Latin American countries. The selection of Fort Benning for the school initially was temporary due to the U.S. removal from the Canal Zone in Panama. In November Building No. 35 at Fort Benning officially became the permanent headquarters of the School of the Americas in a ceremony attended by the Secretary of the Army John O. Marsh, Army and local dignitaries, and guests from Latin America (Stelpflug and Hyatt Between and Building No. 35 was closed and underwent what was announced as a $12 million major renovation. The building reopened in February under Commandant Colonel Jose R.

Feliciano (History of Fort Benning Stelpflug and Hyatt The School for the Americas was charged under Public Law with the mission of development and conducting instruction for the armed forces of Latin America, using the most doctrinally sound, relevant, and cost-effective training programs possible (Global Security The goals were to promote military professionalism, (to) foster cooperation among the multi-national military forces, and (to) expand the Latin American armed forces knowledge of U.S.

customs and traditions (History of Fort Benning Course work included a Command and General Staff training course, Infantry Officers Basic course, Artillery Officers Course, a Cadet Orientation course, and courses on infantry weapons, technical support, counter- insurgency, and specialized skills, such as Ranger course, Jungle Operations course, Patrolling course, Basic Airborne course, and Pathfinder and Jumpmaster courses (WHINSEC Beginning in changes to the school s curriculum were made to incorporate training on the destabilizing effects of terrorism, insurgency, and drug trafficking in Latin American countries, and to emphasize human rights issues (Stelpflug and Hyatt During the new courses were introduced to help Latin Americans adjust to the post Cold War era (Stelpflug and Hyatt In January the School of the Americas was reconstituted as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).

WHINSEC was established as part of the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the U.S. Congress in The new legislation authorized changes that expanded the potential student pool to allow both military and civilian police personnel to attend classes. Students generally numbered per year. Course work was offered in professional development, staff development, leadership, tactical, and mobile training.

The course work was revised to emphasize democratic processes and less military training (Stelpflug and Hyatt WHINSEC In the former Infantry School building was named Ridgway Hall to honor General Matthew Bunker Ridgway (Stelpflug and Hyatt General Ridgway was born into a military family in March His father, Colonel Thomas Ridgway, was an artillery officer (Arlington National Cemetery website). General Ridgway entered West Point in In he graduated and was commissioned a second lieutenant, but was promptly promoted to first lieutenant (Krebs He was assigned to the infantry and planned on being sent to Europe to FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 15) fight during World War I.

Instead of being sent overseas, he was given command of an infantry company at Eagle Pass, Texas (Krebs Following World War I, General Ridgway returned to West Point as an instructor in Spanish. In he attended the company officers training course at the Infantry School at Fort Benning and then took command of an infantry company in Tiensin, China ( Ridgway Following his tour in China, he utilized his knowledge of Spanish to assist in resolving a border dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay. This would be the first of several military-diplomatic assignments given to General Ridgway during his long military career (Krebs In General Ridgway was assigned as military advisor to the Governor General of the Philippines, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (Arlington National Cemetery website).

He proved to be a successful military advisor and then was appointed to attend a two-year course at the Army s Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon completion of the course in he was recognized as an excellent military officer with potential to rise into the top Army leadership (Krebs He was promoted to major by this time and served under Brigadier General George C. Marshall on a special assignment in Brazil. After World War II began in Europe in General Ridgway was assigned to the War Department in Washington, He was part of the general staff in the war plans division (Arlington National Cemetery website). Following the U.S.

entry into the war, General Ridgway was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the Eighty-Second Infantry Division in August The Eighty-Second was renamed the Eighty-Second Airborne Division and was one of the first two airborne divisions utilized by the United States (Krebs While deployed in North Africa during spring General Ridgway planned the Army s first night airborne operation during the invasion of Sicily. During the operation, the Eighty-Second Airborne lost several transport airplanes to anti-aircraft fire. Other personnel were lost due to the novelty of the night drop into enemy territory.

General Ridgway did not participate in the jump into Sicily, but he insisted on making the combat jump with the Eighty-Second into Normandy before the D-Day invasion on June 6, (Arlington National Cemetery website; Krebs For his service during World War II, General Ridgway was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Bronze Oak Leave Cluster in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Cross (Arlington National Cemetery website). Following the war, General Ridgway served in several command and staff positions, including chairman of the Inter-American Defense Board in the Mediterranean theater and chief of the Caribbean Command.

In he returned to Washington, to serve as Army Deputy Chief of Staff (Gale After the Chinese Communists launched an offensive in Korea during late General Ridgway was given command of the Eighth Army fighting to hold South Korea. He organized his troops and began launching counter offensives to halt the Communist advances. He rallied his troops and commanded from front line positions giving orders to focus on killing FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 16) the enemy rather than simply trying to regain ground (Krebs In April President Harry Truman removed General MacArthur from overall command of the U.S. forces in the Far East and General Ridgway was chosen as his replacement.

General Ridgway disagreed with MacArthur s strategy and instead conducted a limited war during his command in Korea (Gale In General Ridgway was sent to Europe to replace General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe. Between and Ridgway served as Army chief of staff from which he retired from military service ( Ridgway In General Ridgway was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and, in he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. General Ridgway died on July 26, at the age of 98. He was buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington National Cemetery website). Part II: Architectural Information A. General statement 1. Architectural character: Building No.

35 is a large imposing academic building in the Second Renaissance Revival Style. 2. Condition of fabric: Building No. 35 was in good condition at the time of the research. B. Description of Exterior 1. Overall dimensions: The overall dimensions of Building No. 35 are 498 -0 x 205 - 0 x 77 -0 high. The building incorporates three full floors, including the basement, the first and second floors, and a full attic. The symmetrical building comprises a central U- shaped section flanked on each end by an L-shaped wing. The curved section projects from the north fa ade. The inward curve on the south side forms a courtyard framed by the inner wings. 2. Foundations: The foundation is concrete.

The exterior walls of the foundation are faced with limestone blocks capped by a limestone water table on all exterior walls. 3. Walls: The exterior walls are structural clay tile block and finished with stucco. All corners on the building are ornamented with limestone quoins. A continuous limestone beltcourse encircles the building and forms the sills of the second-story windows. The northwest corner has a date stone that reads Erected by / The Quartermaster Corps / U.S. Army / FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 17) The south wall on the courtyard side of the building features a two-story bay with limestone quoins that support a limestone frieze. The closed pediment has a full entablature of limestone.

The ends of the wings that frame the courtyard are blind. These blind ends are ornamented with limestone corner quoins, beltcourses, and central arches under gable pediments with full entablature. 4. Structural system, framing: The exterior walls are supported by a poured concrete frame infilled with structural clay tiles. The roof framing combines wood frame with steel framing over the large open lecture rooms. 5. Porches, stoops, balconies, porticoes: The center of the curved section of the north fa ade features the main entry doors under a two-story monumental projecting portico with a temple front. The portico has three arched openings separated by applied, quoined pilasters and columns. Each arched opening has a limestone surround and keystone.

The front gable has a full pediment with limestone frieze, on which is incised THE INFANTRY SCHOOL in capital letters. A carved eagle with a U.S. shield and talons clutching an olive branch and ten arrows standing over a ribbon adorns the center of the pediment. The portico is accessed by two flights of artificial granite steps separated by a granolithic cement platform. The south entry is accessed by sets of shallow artificial granite stairs. The outer set of steps leads into a paved courtyard enframed by the projecting wings of the building. The outer edge of courtyard is demarcated by stone balustrades that project inwards from the ends of the wings. A second set of steps leads to the entry. The steps are enframed by limestone wing walls.

On top of each wing wall is a freestanding cast iron lamp post. Each lamp post has a base ornamented by crossed rifles capped by an acanthus leaf from which rises a fluted column. Each lamp post has an opaque white glass globe. 6. Chimneys: A massive metal chimney flue that vented the original boilers in the basement is located in the cupola. 7. Openings a. Doorways and doors: The formal entry occupies the center bay under the portico in the north fa ade. The main doorway is enframed by a two-story, arched stone surround with imposts and keystone. Four metal doors with single lights replaced the original two- panel wood doors; the doors are supported by a cast iron frame. A large single light above each door forms a four-light transom across the doorway.

Painted ornamental cast iron spandrels are placed over the doorways. The center panel depicts crossed rifles flanked by torches linked by a ribbon. Painted shields of the infantry insignia with the words Follow Me over a bayonet flank the center panel. The doorway is flanked by large metal lanterns. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 18) The south entry is contained in the center bay in the slightly projecting, two-story bay. The doorway contains four metal doors with single lights. Secondary entrances are located along the south side wings. Two entrances open from the inner wings onto the courtyard. These entries are contained in rectangular openings enframed with limestone surrounds with keystones.

Each doorway contains two metal doors with single lights under a four-light transom; the original doors were paired three- panel wood doors in cast iron frames. Additional entries are centered in L-shaped wings. These entries are enframed in arched limestone surrounds with keystones. Each doorway contains paired metal doors with single glass lights under a two-light transom and an arched fanlight; the original doors were three-panel wood doors. Large metal sconces flank each doorway. As originally designed, the east and west ends contained one set of paired two-panel wood doors set under two-light transoms in the center bay of the east and west ends. These doors provided access to the basement level. b. Windows and shutters: Building No. 35 contains rectangular window openings.

All windows on the first and second floors were replaced with aluminum frame, four- light fixed units over two-light hopper windows. These windows were installed in (Fort Benning drawings FE18420-FE18430; The Bayonet The original windows were paired, wood-frame, three-light casements that were supported on a T-shaped frame. The first-floor window openings are ornamented with rectangular limestone surrounds with keystones. Stone panel spandrels are located beneath the first-floor window openings. Two-light fixed windows are visible on the basement level on the north, east, and west walls. The basement level on the south wall has full windows. The north wall over the main entry doors in the portico has an arched window opening that lights the commandant s office on the second floor.

The wood-frame arched window contains two, three-light casements in the center bay. Two-light fixed windows flank the center bay. A two-story, multi-light, metal-frame arched window occupies the projecting bay over the entry doors on the south wall. The window is set in an arched stone surround with imposts and a keystone. The window lights the interior stairway and the first-floor lobby. The original drawings indicated that the window framing was cast iron. 8. Roof a. Shape, covering: The intersecting hipped and gabled roof is clad in barrel-curved mission clay tiles that are colored in variegated shades of reds. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 19) b.

Cornice, eaves: The building has a continuous limestone cornice with terra cotta mutules and bed molds. The eave has copper gutters with painted metal downspouts. A few cast iron shoes at the base of the metal downspouts are decorated with lion heads. c. Dormers, cupolas, towers: Arched eyebrow dormers containing metal louvers project from the south roof plane of the L-shaped wings. A circular cupola on a square base rests on the center of the roof above the north and south entrances. The square base is ornamented with limestone quoins. The base contains three windows in the south wall and two windows each in the east and west walls; the north wall is blind. The stone cornice of the base is ornamented by stone spheres on pedestals at each corner.

The circular cupola is constructed of stuccoed brick piers. The piers terminate in a limestone beltcourse capped by stuccoed frieze ornamented by five-pointed metal stars. The roof is a foreshortened conical shape clad in metal. The cupola originally was open; the openings between the piers were enclosed with metal louvers after The interior of the cupola is accessed by a metal rung ladder located in the attic. C. Description of Interior 1. Floor plans: Building No. 35 has a basement, a first floor, a second floor, and an attic. All floors have double loaded corridors between the east and west wings; all rooms are accessed from interior corridors. As originally constructed, the basement level housed the court martial room, prisoner s entry, and waiting room in the east wing.

A weapons storeroom and a communication laboratory were housed in the interior wings, while the west wing was a storeroom. The original boilers and coal storage were housed in the center of the curved section under the entrance lobby. Other room uses included a switch board room, a message center, a locker room, and additional storage areas. The room uses on the first floor of the curved section of the building historically were identified as the entry hall, the information/security room, a telegraph and radio room, the bookstore and sales office, and offices for stenography, the chief clerk, and the assistant commandant. The west wing held the library book stacks and reading rooms. The interior wings contained lecture rooms. Other room uses were offices or assembly rooms.

The second floor contained the administrative offices in the curved portion of the building. The commandant s office was directly in the center of the building over the monumental entry on the north side of the building. Offices flanking the commandant s office were assigned to aides, executive officer, assistant executive, judge advocate, judge advocate clerk, inspector, inspector clerk, and chief clerk. The west wing was the library reading room, while the interior wings were lecture halls. The east wing was FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 20) divided into offices and assembly rooms. The radio room was located in the square base of the cupola (Fort Benning, scanned drawings). 2.

Stairways: A wide central stair comprises a single flight of steps from the south entry to the lobby. The stairway then divides into two flights attached to the outer walls of the entry hall leading to a half landing. The stairs then merge again to form a single flight to the second floor. The stairs have marble treads on green tile risers set on a reinforced-concrete slab. The stair has a continuous ornamental metal balustrade with diagonal bracing with cast brass ornaments. The cast iron newel posts molded into columns are capped with brass orbs and rest on green tile plinths. Newel posts are placed at the south entry level, the main floor, and the second floor. All hand rails are wood.

Secondary stair halls throughout the building also have decorative metal railings, cast newel posts capped with brass orbs, and wood hand rails. The stairs have marble treads on green tile risers set on a reinforced-concrete slab. 3. Flooring: The floors are modern vinyl tiling. Green tile baseboards are located in the public hallways. The floor in the commandant s office on the second floor currently is carpeted with a green tile baseboard; the original flooring was linoleum. Tile flooring is installed in the bathrooms (Panamerican 4. Walls and ceiling finish: The walls are plastered throughout the building. Drop acoustical tiles cover the original plaster ceilings throughout the building. Artificial stone wainscot is installed in the south entry hall.

The entry hall features plastered pilasters at the corners of the hallway and the main stair hall. The pilasters support a plaster crown-mold cornice. The cornice over the stairs is ornamented by a line of painted stars. The plaster cornice continues on the second story over the main stair that leads from the first floor entry hall to the second floor. The commandant s office on the second floor has plastered walls with a wood chair rail and a plaster cornice with wood picture rail. The original drawing indicated that the plaster cornice was to be painted and grained to match the oak wood trim used throughout the office (Fort Benning scanned drawing file).

The original drawings indicated that the bathrooms on the first and second floors were to be finished with marble wainscoting 6 -0 tall with marble cove base and marble quarter- round baseboard molding. The walls above the wainscoting were plastered (Fort Benning scan drawing sav22083_14). These interior finishes were documented in an interior survey in (Panamerican FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 21) 5. Openings a. Doorways and doors: The interior doors generally are modern doors set in metal surrounds; few original interior six-panel or two-panel wood doors remain in place. The transom lights have been covered over leaving the metal transom surrounds visible.

The commandant s office on the second floor is accessed through paired, two-panel wood doors in the south wall. The doorway has a molded wood surround with exaggerated shoulders and a four-light transom that contains frosted glass. The doors have brass hardware. Single doors set in wood surrounds are located in the east and west walls of the commandant s office. The attic contains several original fire doors. These doors are large metal-clad wood doors suspended by rope cords on a pulley system at critical attic openings. The doors are slightly angled to shut automatically when the rope cord is burned through. The fire doors were produced by the Follansbee Brothers Company, Follansbee Forge to meet the fire door standard of pounds. b.

Windows: The north wall of the commandant s office on the second floor features an arched window set in a heavy oak surround with a heavy upper cornice. The upper corners of the surround are ornamented with carved wood Follow me insignia. The interior finish of the arched window surround over the south entry is identified on the drawings as artificial stone. 6. Decorative features and trim: The security office historically was located on the first floor in a room just inside the formal entry. This room has a built-in window with a pedimented wood surround. The commandant s office on the second floor contains built-in wood cabinets that flank the arched window in the north wall. Each cabinet has an arched surround with keystone and contains four movable shelves.

Originally the area below the window had removable wood panels; no panels were present at the time of the survey. Pratt Hall is a lecture room on the second floor of the south wing east of the courtyard. This room originally was arranged with the lecture platform against the south wall. This wall was equipped with a shelf for sliding panels. A projection booth was located on the north wall. The room currently is arranged with the lecture platform on the north wall under a red oak segmental arch. The projection area is on the south wall. 7. Hardware: The doors that access the commandant s office on the second floor have brass hardware. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 22) D. Site 1. Historic landscape design: Building No.

35 was built to house the U.S. Army Infantry School and occupies a prominent location in the overall layout of the post as planned during the late The imposing academic building occupies the south side of and fronts onto a formally landscaped open area formed by the diagonal intersection of Wold Avenue and Sigerfoos Road. This open area is framed on the north by a housing area and on the east by three bachelor officers quarters (Building Nos. 36, 37, and 38) that are sited to front onto Richardson Circle. The chapel (Building No. the Doughboy athletic field (Building No. and Gowdy stadium (Building No. occupy the western end of the open area. The open area contains lawns and tree-lined streets.

The formal entry on the north side of the building is accessed from Wold Avenue and Sigerfoos Road by a semi-circular street lined with sidewalks. Single mature trees are dispersed across the lawns adjoining the north side of the building. The lawns extend to the foundation on the north side of the building. Evergreen hedges flank the terraced entry stair leading to the entry portico. During the the intersection of Wold Avenue and Sigerfoos Road was landscaped as a circular intersection with a monument on a circular lawn at the center (Thomas The circular intersection was removed by the (Fort Benning scanned drawing FE16963). A double sidewalk enframes a strip of lawn that leads from the intersection to the main entry of the school.

In the a single flag pole was placed half way between the road intersection and the main entry. In this area is landscaped with evergreen shrubs. Flagpoles line the semi-circular drive to display national flags for students training at WHINSEC. The south side of the building has planting beds for shrubs, hedges, and low growing vegetation along the foundation. A double sidewalk enframes a strip of lawn containing a line of short trees from the entry to Morrison Avenue. Parking lots occupy the areas east and west of the main building. As originally designed, a paved driveway terminating in a paved circle accessed each parking lot. By the the paved parking areas were expanded to incorporate the circles (Thomas Part III: Sources of Information A.

Architectural Drawings: The original architectural drawings for Building No. 35 are archived at Fort Benning. The complete drawings comprise numbers FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 23) through Fort Benning also has scanned all original and subsequent project drawings related to Building No. 35. Selected images of the original drawings for Building No. 35 are included in this documentation package as supplemental graphic material.

The drawings reviewed during the preparation of this documentation package are listed below: Selected Original Drawings, March 6406-2930-plot plan (sav22083_1) 6406-2931-ground floor plan-central portion (sav22083_2) 6406-2932-ground floor plan-wings (sav22083_3) 6406-2933-main floor plan-central portion (sav22083_4) 6406-2934-main floor plan-wings (sav22083_5) 6406-2935-second floor plan-central portion (sav22083_6) 6406-2936-second floor and roof plan-wings (sav22083_7) 6406-2937-roof plan-central portion (sav22083_8) 6406-2938-north elevations (sav22083_9) 6406-2939-south elevations (sav22083_10) 6406-2940-east and east court elevations (sav22083_11) 6406-2941-west and west court elevations (sav22083_12) 6406-2942-sections (sav22083_13) 6406-2944-window and miscellaneous details (sav22083_15) 6406-2945-details of main entrance (sav22083_16) 6406-2946-details-entrances on central court (sav22083_17) portion (sav22083_18) and attics (sav22083_19) 6406-2949-details-entrances on central court (sav22083_20) Alterations PE4055-PE4057-VIP briefing room-room PE6540-space allocation, PE6690-modifications for new occupancy, PE8777-computer center, PE9316-modifications and maintenance, PE10601-10604-sandblasting and painting of exterior, FE16963-boiler conversion and fuel oil storage tank installation, FE17876- FE17879-replace boilers for dual fuel capacity, FE18386-FE18391-reroof building, FE18420-FE18430-replace exterior doors and windows, FE18721-FE18722-replace exterior doors and windows, FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No.

35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 24) FE22866-new building handrails, DEH24499-DEH24501-construct facilities for handicapped, The New-York Historical Society maintains the records of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White for the period to Material related to the Infantry School at Fort Benning was contained in four tubes of drawings. This material comprised the following: Complete set of blueprints through dated March 8, and stamped as received in the office of McKim, Mead and White on April 9, (Tubes 584 A-C). Plan of Fort Benning dated by George B. Ford, revised (Tube 584 D). Two pencil drawings measuring approximately 5 x 11 in size of the curved front (north) of Building No.

35 and the rear court flanked by two wings (south) stamped as approved by Edward Croft, Major General, Chief of Infantry, General Estes approved in general, and Colonel Weeks approved in detail in presence of Capt. Jabelonsky dated October 20, and approved by the Guiney, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, October 23, Three pencil drawings of ground, main floor, and second floor plans measuring approximately 8.5 x 14 labeled McKim, Mead and White, dated October 20, (Tube 584 D). Nine pencil drawings measuring approximately 11 x 17 in size and comprising a plot plan, four elevations, three floor plans, and one roof plan of Building No.

35 showing the U-shaped building with the curved center section flanked by two rear wings, signed by McKim, Mead and White, dated October 30, (Tube 584 D). Three pencil drawings of ground floor, main floor, and second floor plans measuring approximately 11 x 17 in size, showing of the center section with additional wings appended to side elevations, noted as designed by McKim, Mead and White, dated December 6, (Tube 584 D). Seven pencil drawings measuring approximately 36 x 20 in size comprising a plot plan of the current configuration of Building No. 35, two elevations with sections, three floor plans (ground, first, and second), and one roof plan, signed by McKim, Mead & White, dated January 19, (Tube 584 D).

War Department blueprints of general planting plan for academic building, court elevation with planting plan, elevation showing proposed landscape treatment, general FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 25) grading plan, dated March 6, and stamped received in the office of McKim, Mead and White on March 19, (Tube 584 D). Topographic map showing location of Building No. 35 at Fort Benning, Georgia (Tube 584 D). B. Selected

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2431. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

(The) Architecture of McKim, Mead & White in Photographs, Plans and Elevations Dover Publications, Inc., New York. Reprint of 2 volume monograph published in with introduction by Richard Guy Wilson. Arlington National Cemetery Website Matthew Bunker Ridgway, General, United States Army, Posted October 29, updated January 2, viewed December 5, (The) Bayonet Doughboy Statue Marks Quarter Century at Fort Benning. 8 April. Department of the Interior, Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record Historic Structures Inventory: United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, Vol. II.

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record, Washington, Fort Benning, Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Division (EMD) Historic Properties Component of the Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan. Document prepared under the Army Alternate Procedures for Historic Properties. Environmental Management Division project files. Real Property Records. Var. Scanned drawing archive. Fort Benning: Home of the Infantry U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, Fort Benning Memorializations (by Facility Number) On file at the Infantry School Library, Building No. 4, Fort Benning, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No.

GA-2431 (Page 26) Gale, Thomson "Matthew Bunker Ridgway." Encyclopedia of World Biography, viewed December 5, Global Security United States Army School of the Americas: Background and Congressional Concerns, viewed March 29, Goodwin, R. Christopher, & Associates, Inc. National Historic Context for Department of Defense Installations, Prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Baltimore, Maryland. Four volumes. Governors Island, Infantry Regimental Barracks Historic American Buildings Survey documentation, Library of Congress, HABS No. http://www.loc.gov/, viewed November History of Fort Benning: Diamond Jubilee The Advertiser Company, Columbus Georgia. On file at the Infantry School Library, Building No. 4, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Jaeger Company (The) Fort Benning Historic Resource Survey Update. Volume One: Survey Report. Prepared for the U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Division, Fort Benning, Georgia, by the Jaeger Company, Gainesville, Georgia. Kane, Sharyn, and Richard Keeton Fort Benning: The Land and The People. U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Division, Fort Benning, Georgia. Krebs, Albin Matthew B. Ridgway Dies at 98; Leader of U.S. Troops in 2 Wars. The New York Times. July 27, National Archives and Records Administration Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Entry Construction Completion Reports Fort Benning, Georgia.

Completion Report, Book 7c, FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 27) New-York Historical Society Infantry School, Fort Benning, Drawings. McKim, Mead and White architectural drawings collection. Tubes 584 A-D. On file at New-York Historical Society, New York, New York. Panamerican Consultants, Inc. Fort Benning Historic Resources-Surveys and Treatment Plans for the Historic Properties Component: Building No. 35. Prepared for Environmental Programs Management Branch, Directorate of Public Works, Fort Benning, by Panamerican Consultants, Inc., Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Perry, Susanne Seale Fort Benning Main Post Historic District. National Register nomination on file at Environmental Management Division, Directorate of Public Works, Fort Benning.

Ridgway, Matthew Bunker" The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military, viewed December 5, Roth, Leland M. McKim, Mead & White, Architects. Harper & Row, New York. Stelpflug, Peggy A., and Richard Hyatt Home of the Infantry: The History of Fort Benning. Mercer University Press, Macon, Georgia, with The Historic Chattahoochee Commission and The National Infantry Association. Thomas, Kenneth H. Images of America: Fort Benning. Arcadia, Charleston, Tilden, Richard A., and Rosalind Roulston ca. A History of the Infantry School. Typescript on file at the Infantry School Library, Building No. 4, Fort Benning, Georgia. Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) WHINSEC home page, viewed March 30, Wilson, Richard Guy McKim, Mead & White, Architects.

Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., New York, New York. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page 28) Excerpt of Fort Benning Main Post Map Showing Building No. 35 Location FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page No. 29) Building 35 North Elevations (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_9). FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 South Elevations (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_10). (Page No. 30) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 East Elevation and East Court (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_11). (Page No.

31) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 Details of Main Entrance (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_16). (Page No. 32) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 Main Floor Plan-Central Portion (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_4). (Page No. 33) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 Main Floor Plan-Wings (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_5). (Page No. 34) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 Second Floor Plan-Central Portion (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_6). (Page No.

35) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 Building 35 Second Floor & Roof Plans-Wings (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_7). (Page No. 36) FORT BENNING, MAIN POST, INFANTRY SCHOOL (Building No. 35) HABS No. GA-2431 (Page No. 37) Building 35 Detail of Commandant's Office (Source: Fort Benning scanned drawing archive sav22083_15).