Fort Benning, Main Post Depot, Building 1836, 6759 Mitchell Avenue U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning Military Reservation

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2439. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Mitchell Avenue, Fort Benning, Chattahoochee County, Georgia. There are no restrictions on the release of this building s location to the public. Building Center Point: USGS photorevised Fort Benning Georgia- Alabama 7.5 topographic quadrangle, North American Datum Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates: E691157 (Figures 1 and 2).

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2439. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building (Train Depot, Engineers Office, Storage) is a contributing resource to the Main Post Historic District eligible under Criterion A (Transportation). Building is a physical reminder of early railroad transportation on Fort Benning. In the Central of Georgia Railway, a private corporation, obtained a lease from Fort Benning to service the Army s eleven-mile stretch of track that intersected with the Central of Georgia rail system north of the base.

With this lease, the Central of Georgia Railway operated freight and passenger service for the post from into the Building a combined passenger and freight depot, was built in the warehouse district of the Main Post by the Clausen-Lawrence Construction Company for the Central of Georgia Railway Company in Both the rail service lease and the depot were acquired by another private company, the Fort Benning Railroad, in The Fort Benning Railroad operated until when the depot was abandoned and acquired by the U.S. Army. Building is also eligible under Criterion C. The building is an example of a design commonly used by the Central of Georgia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the building embodies the distinctive architectural characteristics of this standard design.

FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 2) Historians: Alyssa N. Costas, Architectural Historian and Joseph Paul Maggioni, Architectural Historian, LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., 100 Bull Street, Suite Savannah, Georgia,

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2439. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Due to the infeasibility of repurposing Building Fort Benning required that a Historic American Building Survey (HABS) recordation of the facility be undertaken prior to its demolition. Per the installation s Army Alternate Procedures agreement with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) regarding the stewardship of historic resources, a Level II HABS was completed with final documentation provided to the SHPO, the installation, and the National Park Service Joseph P. Maggioni and Alyssa Costas conducted large format photography and research in January and February at Fort Benning, with additional research conducted at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah.

Historic photographs were accessed via Jefferson Reed, Curator, MCoE Museum Division, Fort Benning, while Don DeCarlo of the Fort Benning Real Property Office made available valuable railroad lease files from the through the The HABS narrative was authored by Architectural Historian Alyssa Costas, with contributions by Joseph Maggioni. The Project Manager was Wendy Puckett, LG2 Environmental Solutions Inc. Carson Sanders and Keri Cronan, two independent photographers, developed the negatives and produced archival prints for the project. The project was sponsored by the Environmental Management Division, Directorate of Public Works, MCoE with assistance from Cultural Resource Specialists Susanne Perry and Edward Howard, Architectural Historians. Part I. Historical Information A.

Physical History 1. Date of erection: 2. Architect: Chief Engineer, Central of Georgia Railway Co., Savannah, Georgia. 3. Original and subsequent owners and uses: The Central of Georgia Railway Co. leased the land from the Fort Benning Military Reservation and constructed the building as a freight and passenger depot on the property in The building served as a Central of Georgia passenger and freight train depot servicing Fort Benning from until From until probably the Central of Georgia used the building as a freight depot and stationmaster s office. From to about the privately-owned Fort Benning FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 3) Railroad used the building as a freight depot and company office space. 1 By the Railroad used the former depot for storage.

In the building reverted to US Army ownership and was first assigned the facility number From to the Army used the structure for general storage. In Building was repurposed as the Engineer Office. By the the use had reverted to storage. From the old depot functioned as a freight supply and transportation office. Since the building has been vacant. 2 4. Builder: Claussen-Lawrence Construction Company. John Christian Henry Claussen of Augusta founded the company in The Claussens were a prominent Augusta family and were also involved in Claussen Bakeries, Inc., the Georgia Railroad and Bank and Trust Company, and the Richmond County Bank. The Claussen-Lawrence Construction Company was involved primarily in roadwork and heavy construction projects and at one time employed four hundred people.

3 5. Original plans and construction: The Office of the Chief Engineer, Central of Georgia Railway Co., in Savannah, GA produced construction plans for the depot, which were of standard Central of Georgia design. Through the terms of the Central of Georgia Railway lease, the Company submitted the plans to the Office of the Quartermaster General for review and approval. 4 No original plans were located, but the original contract between the Central of Georgia Railway Co. and the Claussen-Lawrence Construction Company (the building contractor) included detailed specifications for the construction of the depot. Building is rectangular in plan with a canted bay and a northwest-southeast orientation.

This timber-framed building exhibits elements of Folk Victorian Style with a 1 Report entitled Points in Connection with the Controversy Between the Train Service Employees and the Company about the Substitution of Switch Engine Services for Road Crew Service Between Columbus, Georgia and Fort Benning, Georgia , no author, MS AN-60, Box Folder Central of Georgia Railway Records, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia; Draft letter from Jack H. Blalock, Contracting Officer, to Gertrude W. Page and Martha Page Ostrom, no date, Fort Benning Railroad Lease file, Fort Benning Real Property Office, Fort Benning, Georgia; and Contract No. W 148 June 1, Fort Benning Railroad Lease file, Fort Benning Real Property Office, Fort Benning, Georgia.

2 Facility Real Property Record Forms and no dates, Folder Fort Benning Real Property Office, Fort Benning, Georgia. 3 Jack N. Averitt. Families of Southeast Georgia. Originally published as Volume III of Georgia s Coastal Plain: Family and Personal History (New York, reprinted for Clearfield Company. Baltimore, Maryland, Genealogical Publishing Company, 4 Central of Georgia Railway Company-Secretary of War Contract No. April 21, MS AN-60, Box Folder Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 4) high-pitched hipped roof, wide overhanging eaves, and a cross gable over the canted bay.

The northeast part of the building consisting of the former ticket office and passenger waiting area is constructed directly on a poured concrete slab foundation. The southwest part of the building, consisting of the freight cargo storage area, is constructed atop wooden joists on poured concrete masonry piers. The original exterior wood cargo dock extended along the entire length of the raised portion of the building on the northeast fa ade and wrapped around the northwest fa ade. The building had at least one rolling cargo door on its northeast fa ade and two cargo doors on its southwest fa ade leading to the cargo storage area. The windows were wood-framed, single-hung windows which varied in size based on their location.

Originally, only the windows of the canted bay on the northeast fa ade had iron bars covering them. Bars were added to all other windows when the building was renovated in 5 6. Alterations and additions: Building has undergone several alterations in use and structure during its history. Originally designed and used as a freight and passenger depot, it ceased passenger service in and freight service in The Fort Benning Railroad used the building as storage from and the Army continued this used when it acquired the building in In Building was renovated for use as offices for the Engineers. The rolling cargo doors were removed and walled over. Each fa ade now had one doorway, and all windows fitted with iron bars to match the ticket window. A kitchen and an additional bathroom were added.

The space once used as cargo storage was divided up into an arrangement of offices and conference rooms all connected by a central hallway. Later, possibly in the1980s, the spaces once used for the waiting room, ticket sales, and the agent s office were also divided into office spaces united by another central hallway. The central vestibule area that includes the canted bay remained open and was renovated to be used as a reception area. Air conditioning and heating were also added at the time of this renovation. 6 The cargo dock was removed and was replaced by a new, smaller deck. A portable trailer was moved to the site and the deck joined the two buildings.

The trailer was still present when additional renovations occurred in Date Use and Alterations Originally constructed at the Fort Benning Railroad Depot for the use of freight and passengers. Fort Benning Railroad used Building for storage. 1 December U.S. Army acquired the building and continued using it for storage. 5 Alterations and Repairs to New Resident Engineer s Office, as-builts, US Army Engineer District, Savannah, Corps of Engineers, July 31, Fort Benning Directorate of Public Works. 6 Property Cards housed in the Real Property Office in Building 6 and design drawings on file in the Directorate of Public Works Office were the primary sources for this information. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No.

GA-2439 (Page 5) 24 February Building renovated for use as the base engineer s office. Drawing (Figure 15) shows the renovations. Work conducted by Titan Southern States Construction Corporation: Cargo hold doors removed. Windows added. Iron bars installed on windows. Space divided into fourteen individual rooms with a central hallway. Added kitchen and another bathroom. Plumbing replaced, and HVAC installed. 21 December Roof replaced. Northeast part of building further divided into additional offices. Minor cosmetic changes made to the interior. Exterior cleaned and painted (Figure Building used for freight and transportation offices. 2016-present Vacant. B. Historical Context 1. The Development of Fort Benning, In September of the Adjutant General of the U.S.

Army directed The Infantry School of Arms be relocated from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. A site was selected in Columbus, Georgia after heavy lobbying from local residents, and a nationwide search by an appointed board of officers. The climate and terrain of the selected area proved to be perfect for year-round infantry training. The original site chosen was located on Macon Road, roughly three miles from the Columbus city center, and less than a mile from the city s water supply and other amenities. The Army constructed the Macon Road site as a temporary post to house men and named it Camp Benning, after General Henry Lewis Benning, an infantry officer in the Confederate Army.

With the prospect of the Small Arms Firing School from Camp Perry, Ohio, and the Machine Gun School from Camp Hancock, Georgia moving to Camp Benning to create a consolidated infantry training center, it was determined that the current location was inadequate for the needs of such a training center. 7 In Camp Benning was moved from the Macon Road location to its present location, nine miles south of the Columbus city center, along Lumpkin Road. The new property was mostly used for agriculture with 7 W. Robinson Fisher, assisted by Christine Johnson. Historic Building Survey Fort Benning, Georgia. Athens, GA: Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 6) open fields and pastures, and small areas of wooded land and swamps.

The chosen site was largely dominated by Arthur Bussey s 1,800-acre plantation which was purchased by the Army for The purchase of the Bussey Plantation included Riverside (the main house), three barns, two silos, a creamery, a farmhouse, and other structures related to the management of the plantation. 8 In an initial plan for the installation was devised as a traditional cantonment layout with a north/south, east/west axis. The new construction was guided by the original Quarter Master s building program plan that was approved March 8, Roughly 450 cantonment type buildings were planned as well as new rail lines and depot, educational facilities, civic structures, utilities, and a warehouse district along Upton Avenue.

9 Although changes were made to the Fort Benning master plan in the following years, the location of the railroad and warehouse district remained in the same general location. The move and subsequent beginning of construction occurred during congressional debates about the need for such camps due to the armistice and end of World War I. Only a few weeks after the move, orders were received to stop all construction work. At that point, the camp was roughly 60 percent complete. Unable to build proper barracks, row upon row of tents were erected as successive waves of student officers and troops continued to arrive for training.

10 Soldiers constructed eleven miles of standard gauge railroad tracks from the Main Post to Fort Benning Junction where it joined the Central of Georgia Railroad, connecting the post to the national railroad network. By the end of the industrial area surrounding the standard gauge rail yards began to take shape with the construction of brick warehouses. In Congress authorized the retention of Camp Benning as a permanent Military post. At this point, construction was able to continue in the fall of The resumed construction largely followed the original plan to maintain some sense of order. Initially, marksmanship and musketry composed the Infantry school s curriculum, but with the growth of the camp, the whole field of infantry weaponry training and field tactics were added.

As the school became larger, and offered a larger scope of training opportunities, the population boomed. With more than troops anticipated, more tents were erected to house troops and officers. The tent structures served as accommodations for troops for over ten years, and housing remained a problem throughout the decade, despite the 8 Peggy A. Stelpflug and Richard Hyatt. Home of the Infantry, the History of Fort Benning. Macon, GA, Mercer University Press, 9 Lieut. Col. A. B. Warfield. Fort Benning, The Home of the Infantry School. Infantry Journal 10 Leroy W. Yarborough in collaboration with Truman Smith, MAJ. A History of the Infantry School Fort Benning Georgia Fort Benning, GA: The Infantry School, Available in the Donovan Technical Library, Fort Benning, Georgia.

FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 7) construction of numerous wooden bungalows, apartment buildings, and barracks salvaged from other camps. 11 Fort Benning began planning and constructing infrastructure, such as roads, drainage, additional railroad tracks, and permanent buildings to move on from being simply an encampment to becoming a permanent installation. In Brigadier General Brian H. Wells became the Infantry School s new Commandant. He held this position from to It was under his leadership that Fort Benning began to take shape, moving away from the plan and towards what came to be known as the Wells Plan. The Wells Plan consolidated the functions of the Infantry School, forming a central campus.

The hospital, some of the cuartels (large barracks with courtyards), and some of the recreation facilities where the first to be built. Many of these buildings were planned in the Mediterranean Revival architectural style, giving the installation a practical and unifying appearance. The warehouse district and the train depot were not built in this unifying style. Under the tenure of Brigadier General Edgar T. Collins to much of the installation s infrastructure was completed, although the construction of permanent housing and the cuartels would continue. 12. During the the Great Depression caused an uptick in enlistments as private employment dried up.

Because more men were enlisting since the end of WWI and posts were expanding, more training facilities for officers and enlistees were needed. Workers at Fort Benning were hired from Columbus at the National Re-employment Agency office. 13 Between the start of the Great Depression to the beginning of WWII, Fort Benning saw a lot of general development around the installation. 2. Rail Transportation and the US Army: The American Civil War witnessed the first large-scale use of railroads by the American Army (both Union and the Confederate). The railroad revolutionized warfare, providing an exponentially more rapid and efficient means of moving troops and supplies on foot, wagon, or downriver. The railroads used by the Confederate Army were privately owned and contracted by the Army.

In contrast, the Union Army used both contracted private railroads as well as developing their own military railroad system. After the Civil War ended in the focus of the Army shifted to trying to keep the peace on the Western frontier, which required the Army to support numerous scattered and isolated outposts over vast territories. In the Army still moved most of its freight by 11 Ibid. 12 Industrial Index, 13 Benning Herald, FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 8) wagon. However, because of the vast distances involved and the nature of most Army posts (widely dispersed, with few troops stationed at most posts), the cost of wagon transportation proved restrictive.

In the Quartermaster Department began using commercial railroads to move men and supplies, and hiring contractors to move freight via wagon, mule, or stagecoach from railheads to distant Army posts. The majority of supplies and troops were still moved by wagons, mules, or stage coaches at some point during transit. 14 In Lt. Col. Charles G. Sawtelle became Quartermaster General. Sawtelle believed that a well-equipped and organized transportation system was of paramount importance to the Army and recommended that officers be instructed in transportation and railroad operations at the Artillery School at Fort Monroe and the School of Application at Fort Leavenworth. He warned that the lack of suitable transportation could be a point of trouble for an army at war.

15 The Spanish-American War of proved Sawtelle s predictions accurate. Although the movement of troops over sea proved a logistically challenging, the efficiency of the railroads did not go unnoticed during this time. The Army contracted privately owned railroads to get troops quickly to their training camps, to supply the camps, and then to get troops and supplies to ports. In the time between the Spanish-American War and World War I, railroads used by the military vastly improved. 16 In railroad companies had begun to enter into contractual agreements on the exchange of rolling stock, centralized city depots, and time zones in the United States.

However, once the United States entered World War I, the railroad companies began coordinating the shipment of troops, supplies, and equipment from various places to ports or large army camps. After the declaration of war, the American Railway Association created the Railway War Board composed of their own executives, and representatives from the six departments of the Army. The goal was to coordinate military movements and regulate car supply for different installations. Due to unforeseen volume and congestion, the government took control of the railroads in December of With that, the United States Railroad Administration was created. This helped to coordinate rail efforts and 14 Benjamin King, Richard C. Biggs, and Eric R. Criner. Spearhead of Logistics: A History of the U.S.

Army Transportation Corps. U.S. Army Transportation Center, Fort Eustis, Virginia and Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, DC. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 9) reduce traffic congestion. The USRA eventually led to the creation of the Transportation Division in the Office of the Quartermaster General. The Army began operating their own railroads following WWI, but still relied heavily on contracting private companies. 17 3. Central of Georgia Railway Company: The Central of Georgia Railway Company, originally called the Central Rail Road & Canal Company, was created in by Savannah businessmen in response to Charleston s newly created railroad to Augusta.

The main catalyst behind the creation of this new railroad was the fear that the Charleston- Augusta line would take potential shipping business away from Savannah s port. The company added banking to their name to advertise their interests and attract capital investments in the railroad. Actual construction of the new railroad did not begin until By the line stretched from Savannah, Georgia to Macon, Georgia. The line was completed in with addition of a connection from Macon, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia. 18 By the Central controlled over miles of railroad due to continued growth and accumulation of smaller lines. The Central s success would soon end, however.

Due to bond default and lawsuits from shareholders, The Central entered receivership in It was sold at foreclosure and renamed the Central of Georgia in The Central of Georgia continued to grow and acquire other lines such as the Savannah and Atlantic Railroad, the Macon and Northern Railway, the Savannah and Western Railroad, and the Middle Georgia and Atlantic Railway. The pattern of acquiring smaller lines and offering services to new areas continued into the 19 In the Central entered receivership once again. It endured an uncertain financial situation throughout the Depression and World War II. However, after the war, the Central s finances improved once again and in the receivership came to an end. In the St.

Louis-San Francisco Railway gained control of the Central after several years of purchasing its stock. This raised concern about the lack of competition, and the Interstate Commerce Commission decided to deny the Frisco-Central merger. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway sold its Central stock in to Southern Railway. 20 17 Ibid. MS Central of Georgia Railway Records, Georgia Historical Society, finding aid, no date, 18 Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 10) 4. Freight and Passenger Railroad Transportation at Fort Benning and the Main Post Depot: When Camp Benning moved to its new permanent location in off Lumpkin Road, construction began almost immediately.

One of the advantages of the new location for Fort Benning was its proximity to three large railroads. The Southern, the Seaboard Airline, and the Central of Georgia all had service to Columbus (Figure The government planned to build a railroad to connect to the nearest line to provide freight and passenger service to Fort Benning. Construction of the railroad started almost immediately to ship materials for other construction to the fort. Soldiers constructed an eleven-mile standard gauge railroad spur in May This spur ran north from the Fort Benning warehouse area to join the Central of Georgia Columbus-Americus-Albany main line roughly six miles north of the base, between Fort Benning and Columbus, at a point named Fort Benning Junction.

The government constructed their railroads with their own materials and labor, and the Central of Georgia provided stock and passenger cars. 21 In addition to its mainline railroad connection to Columbus, the Army used soldier labor to construct a narrow-gauge rail line within the boundaries of the base. Informally called the Chattahoochee Choo Choo, or the Dinky Line, this Army-operated line consisted of over twenty-seven miles of narrow-gauge railroad stretching west to east through the installation (Figure This so-called Dinky Line was used to quickly move soldiers and supplies to various training grounds and ranges within the Fort Benning maneuver area.

The Army got the idea from its experience in World War I, where narrow gauge railroads were used to move troops and supplies to the front line quickly. The Dinky Line was operated solely by the Army and was unrelated to the Central of Georgia s services to Fort Benning, which concerned railroad traffic to and from the installation. 22 The Central of Georgia Railway Company began offering passenger services to the cantonment in In the Central of Georgia entered into an agreement with the Rail Transportation Services of the U.S. Army. The government would own the lines, and the railroad would agree to operate a passenger service for the installation. The government agreed that the Central of Georgia would not be charged for this, and they would also continue the maintenance of the railroad.

The agreement also stipulated that the Central of Georgia Railway Co. would deliver and receive carload shipments of government and commercial freight at regular tariff rates on Central of Georgia Railroad side tracks near Fort Benning Junction. They were also to operate a minimum of one passenger train daily, except Sundays, to handle laborers coming to and from Fort Benning from Columbus for 21 Points in Connection with the Controversy Between the Train Service Employees and the Company about the Substitution of Switch Engine Services for Road Crew Service Between Columbus, Georgia and Fort Benning, Georgia, report, no author, MS AN-60, Box Folder Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. 22 The Chattahoochee Choo Choo, manuscript, NIM Files, Fort Benning.

FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 11) work. A memorandum of agreement was signed stating that the Central of Georgia Railway Co. would supply the passenger cars, and the government would supply the engines. 23 In the Central of Georgia Railway Co. hired the Claussen-Lawrence Construction Company of Augusta, Georgia, to replace the dilapidated structure being used as the camp s depot. The new combined passenger and freight depot (Building would be built at a location where the railroad track entered the elevated plateau of the Main Post area then branched out to warehouses, train repair facilities, and other places of logistical importance.

The Central of Georgia designed the facility as a second-class combination freight and passenger station from a standard company plan. Examples of this building plan can be found throughout the state of Georgia, indicating that this plan was a commonly used one. Although designed by the railroad, the contract stipulated the Army would have final say on design since the depot would be constructed on base. 24 The building was completed in but only used very briefly for passenger service.

Due to the rising popularity of personal automobiles during the late and improvement in road conditions in the Columbus area, the depot served passengers for only three years and stopped passenger service in 25 The depot, however, continued freight service through at least 26 By the Central of Georgia Railway Company s lease with Fort Benning had ended. That year the Corps of Engineers awarded the rail service contract with H.A. Page of Aberdeen, North Carolina. Page formed a small private company, the Fort Benning Railroad. The government contracted Page s Fort Benning Railroad to operate the railway switching service between the receiving and delivery tracks, and to oversee the junction point at the Fort Benning Junction in Columbus.

Per the contract s stipulation, the railroad was to operate at little to no cost to the Government. The contract was to be renewed Central of Georgia Railway Company-Secretary of War Contract No. April 21, MS AN-60, 23 Box Folder Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. 24 Contract and Specifications for Freight and Passenger Depot at Fort Benning, GA, Office Chief Engineer, Central of Georgia Railway Company, June 22, MS AN-60, Box Folder 3092-A, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.

25 Points in Connection with the Controversy Between the Train Service Employees and the Company about the Substitution of Switch Engine Services for Road Crew Service Between Columbus, Georgia and Fort Benning, Georgia, report, no author, MS AN-60, Box Folder Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. 26 Key to Main Post, map, no date [ca. NIM Files, Fort Benning. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 12) annually to provide uninterrupted service to Fort Benning. The Fort Benning Railroad operated the railroad and occupied the depot from 27 Unlike the prior contract that the Government had with the Central of Georgia, the Government provided the steam locomotives and other rolling stock equipment to be used by the Fort Benning Railroad.

These locomotives were not to be operated beyond the Government owned standard gauge tracks. However, the railroad had free range of the government-owned tracks so long as the use pertained to government operations. The Fort Benning Railroad Company was tasked with maintaining the Depot (Building and the office within. The contract stipulated that the depot was to be removed at the end of the contract period. If it was not, the property would be taken by the government without compensation to the contractor. 28 In the Fort Benning Railroad Company ceased operations and the owners did not remove the depot. The depot thus came into the possession of Fort Benning, which named it Building From until building was used as general storage for Fort Benning.

In the installation converted the depot to the Engineers office. For this to happen, the building had to undergo extensive renovations. The original cargo storage area was divided into smaller office spaces. New walls were built, a kitchen was added, and an additional bathroom was added. To secure the building, new windows fitted with iron bars and doors were also added, and the rolling cargo bay doors were removed, and the openings were walled over. New lights, air-conditioning, and heating were also added. 29 Between the years Building was used as an office for the contractor, Shaw Outbound Freight. In it briefly served as the ITT ESH Supply and Transportation Office. 30 The building is currently vacant. Part II. Architectural Information A. General Statement 27 Contract No.

W 148 George B. Ford and H.A. Page, Railroad Services; and Memorandum from Colonel Youngman, Director of Logistics, to Post Engineer, October 7, re: Railroad Facilities, Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Benning Railroad Lease File, Fort Benning Real Property Office, Fort Benning, Georgia. 28 Contract No. W 148 United States of America, H.A. Page, Railroad Services, Fort Benning Railroad Lease File, Fort Benning Real Property Office, Fort Benning, Georgia. 29 Alterations and Repairs to New Resident Engineer s Office, as-builts, US Army Engineer District, Savannah, Corps of Engineers, July 31, Fort Benning Directorate of Public Works. 30 Property Cards housed in the Real Property Office in Building 6 were the primary sources for this information. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No.

GA-2439 (Page 13) 1. Architectural character: Although constructed in the mid-1920s in Folk Victorian style, with a high-pitched hipped roof with large eaves and prominent canted bay. Building was constructed using design plans created by the Central of Georgia Railway Company. The design was used across the state of Georgia for different depots owned by the company. Most of the buildings constructed from these plans were built in the late nineteenth century. The building is rectangular in plan with a northwest-southeast orientation. The building is divided into two office areas connected by a central hallway. The northeast office area is constructed directly on a poured concrete slab foundation, and originally held the ticket office and passenger waiting rooms.

The southwest office area (which also includes a kitchen and two restrooms) is raised and constructed atop wooden joists on poured concrete masonry piers, and originally held the cargo area. The building is a timber-framed single- story building with a hipped roof. There are four entrances to the building, one located on each side. 2. Condition of fabric: The overall condition of Building is good. There is no indication that there is any structural damage to the building. There is slight warping of some of the interior wood paneling, but this is likely due to humidity in the unoccupied building instead of water infiltration. The paint on its exterior siding and doors is chipping. B. Description of Exterior 1. Overall Dimensions: 96 -6 x 30 -6 for a total of square feet. 2.

Foundation: Masonry pier (poured Portland cement) foundation with a system of wood joists supporting the interior floors. Poured slab foundation. 3. Walls: Timber-framed walls with weatherboard cladding (wood siding) and a painted finish. 4. Structural system, framing: Wood frame. 5. Porticos: None 6. Chimneys: There is one chimney located in the interior of the southeast portion of the building. The Chimney was constructed using hard burned common brick and Portland cement mortar. Terra cotta was used to line the interior of the chimney. The base of the chimney has since been covered over, but parts of the stack are still visible in the attic and above the roofline. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 14) 7. Openings a.

Doorways and doors: The building has four entrances, one on each side. The front fa ade faces northeast, towards the former location of the railroad tracks that ran directly adjacent to the station. This fa ade has a single-leaf door accessed from the deck entering the building s kitchen. The entrances on the southeast side and northwest side open into the central hallway. and the entrance located on the southwest opens into the lobby/reception area. It does not appear that the doorways or the doors are original. The current doorways appear to have been created when the structure was converted to the Engineering Office in When the building was renovated, the three cargo doors on the northeast and southwest fa ades were covered.

There is a single concrete step located next to the canted bay, indicating the location of an original door. All four exterior doors are constructed out of wood to match the original look of the building. The bottom half of the doors are comprised of three panels and the top has four panes of glass. The hardware on the doors is new. The doorways are simple openings in the framed timber walls. They have simple wood doorframes with wood trim. There is no decorative molding. b. Windows: Windows vary in size, all but two appear to be of the same construction method. The windows are all wood single-hung sash windows. In most of the office spaces off the central hallway the windows are six-over-six. The south lobby has a single eight-over-eight single-hung sash window.

The window arrangement in the lobby area s canted bay is comprised of four windows. The large face has two six-over-six-light single-hung sash windows, and the two smaller side windows are four-over-four-light single-hung sash. There are also two fixed single- light sanded glass windows in the bathrooms. All the windows have metal bars fitted over their exterior. The current windows are replacement windows that appear to have been replaced when the building was renovated in 8. Roof a. Shape, covering: The roof of Building is a wood-framed hipped roof. The original cladding for the roof was asbestos shingles. Real Property records indicate that the roof has been replaced, and the current cladding is asphalt shingles. b.

Cornice, eaves: The roof extends well past the exterior of the wall to create noticeable eaves. The eaves are not covered by any soffit; therefore, the rafters are exposed, revealing structural evidence of the roof. The outer ends of the rafters are covered by simple wood fascia boards, and a rain gutter system is affixed to these boards. c. Dormers, cupolas, towers: None. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 15) C. Description of Interior 1. Floor plan: The building is rectangular in plan with a central hall way. The hall is located off-center in the northeast part of the building and does not completely align with the building s central axis. The southeast part of the building is constructed on the ground level on a poured concrete foundation.

It is comprised of an open reception area with a canted bay and four offices to the east. The northwest part of the building has a foundation of poured concrete piers supporting wood joists and was originally the cargo area. This part of the building is now divided into seven offices, two bathrooms, and a kitchen connected by the central hallway. 2. Stairway: There is one single-run wooden stairway connecting the lower level northeast part of the building to the raised portion of the building. The tread is covered by carpet to match the rest of the interiors. 3. Flooring: The interior floor is carpeted in all areas except for the kitchen and two restrooms. The kitchen and restrooms are floored with linoleum tiles.

There are wooden subfloor boards still visible under the raised portion of the structure where the insulation has fallen away. This indicates that the original floors were hardwood as stated in construction documents. 31 4. Wall and ceiling finish: The central hallway running through the raised portion of the structure has wainscoting up to the chair rail, and painted drywall above that up to the ceiling line. The ceiling is a modern drop ceiling with ceiling tiles. The original wood ceiling is still extant above drop ceiling. The top portion of the wall between the drop ceiling and the original ceiling could not be observed and it is unknown if the original wall finish is still present there. 5. Openings a.

Doorways and doors: There are four doors on the exterior of the building, one on each fa ade. Additionally, there are sixteen interior doors leading to offices, the bathrooms, and the kitchen. They are constructed of wood with five horizontal rectangle wooden panels. b. Windows: There is at least one window in every room of the building. There are twenty-one windows in total. The windows are all wood single-hung sash windows. 31 Contract and Specifications for Freight and Passenger Depot at Fort Benning, GA, Office Chief Engineer, Central of Georgia Railway Company, June 22, MS AN-60, Box Folder 3092-A, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.

This document was the primary source of information regarding the original construction of Building FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 16) In most of the office spaces off the central hallway the windows are six-over-six. The south lobby has a single eight-over-eight single-hung sash window. The canted bay s window arrangement in the lobby area is comprised of two six-over-six single-hung sash windows in the center, and two smaller four-over-four single- hung sash windows. The two bathrooms each have a single rectangular single-light fixed sanded glass window. All windows in the building have molding. 6. Decorative features and trim: a chair rail runs through the hallway, and there is painted wainscoting up to the rail. 7.

Hardware: Replacement metal hardware on all doors and windows. 8. Mechanical equipment a. Heating, air-conditioning, ventilations: Service for all systems is housed mainly in the attic and crawlspace. The building was constructed with electricity and plumbing, both of which have been updated to modern standards. Heating and air-conditioning systems were added at a later date. b. Lighting: All lighting in the structure are replacement fluorescent light fixtures. D. Site 1. Historic landscape design: There is an elevated railroad bed running parallel with the northeast fa ade of the building and located about 40 meters to the northeast. This spur accessed a coal bin located approximately 100 meters northeast of the building.

Other railroad tracks ran adjacent to and parallel with the building on its northeast fa ade, while others ran southeast of the depot to access base warehouses and cold storage facilities. Except for the raised railroad bed leading to the former coal bin, and some rails still embedded in front of the building hidden by turf, none of the railroad lines are extant. There is a paved parking area to the south, east and west of the building. The north (front) fa ade has no pavement or landscaping. A paved road runs east west past Building giving access to the warehouse parking nearby. 2. Outbuildings: There is one outbuilding, currently designated Building (formerly known as Building directly west of Building It is a small concrete block structure with a rectangular plan.

The foundation is poured concrete, and the dimensions are 12 x 16 . This building is currently unoccupied, but in fair condition. It was constructed as a storage facility for Building at some point between and It was used for storage until Building was vacated. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 17) Part III. Sources of Information A. Architectural drawings: Digital files of Building s measured drawings dating from and are available in the Plans and Support Office, Master Planning, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia.

An original plan and elevation drawing of a nearly identical Central of Georgia Railway station is available online at the PBA Galleries website, The document was sold to a private, unknown buyer and permission to reproduce the image for this report could not be obtained. B. Early views: Research at the National Infantry Museum s collections uncovered two undated early photographs of Building The earliest photograph of Building is believed to have been taken in the early (Figure 9). The second photograph has the building in the background of the view and was likely taken during World War II (Figure Aerial views showing Building dating from and are available in digital format through the Cultural Resource Management office, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. C. Selected

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2439. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

1. Primary and unpublished sources: Blalock, Jack H. Draft correspondence to Gertrude W. Page and Martha Page Ostrom, no date. Fort Benning Railroad Lease File, Real Property Office, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. Central of Georgia Railway Company, Report of Points in Connection with the Controversy Between the Train Service Employees and the Company about the Substitution of Switch Engine Services for Road Crew Service Between Columbus, Georgia and Fort Benning, Georgia, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia Central of Georgia Railway Company-Secretary of War. Contract No. Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. Chattahoochee Choo-Choo. Information sheet, no date.

National Infantry Museum Files, Fort Benning, Georgia. Ford, George B. Restudy for New Construction, Fort Benning, Georgia, Plans and Support, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. Ford, George B., and H.A. Page, Jr. Contract No. W 148 Fort Benning Railroad Lease File, Real Property Office, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 18) General Plan Map, Fort Benning, Georgia. November 5, Plans and Support, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. Georgia Historical Society. MS Central of Georgia Railway Records, Finding Aid. No date.

Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. Office Chief Engineer, Central of Georgia Railway Company. Contract and Specifications for Freight and Passenger at Fort Benning, Georgia, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. Real Property File for Building No. and Building No. various dates. Real Property Office, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. Revised General Layout, Fort Benning, Georgia. Map showing proposed permanent buildings, railroad extensions, etc., April 5, Plans and Support, Master Planning Department, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District.

Alterations and Repairs to New Resident Engineer s Office, as-builts, Fort Benning Directorate of Public Works. 2. Secondary and published sources: C.W.A. Work Expected to Begin In Few Days, Benning Herald, 1 December Fisher, W. Robinson, assisted by Christine Johnson. Historic Building Survey Fort Benning, Georgia. Athens, GA: Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc., The Interesting Story of Construction at Benning, Industrial Index, Columbus, GA: City of Columbus 30 November King, Benjamin, Richard C. Biggs, and Eric R. Criner. Spearhead of Logistics: A History of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. U.S. Army Transportation Center, Fort Eustis, Virginia and Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, DC. Nolte, Kelly.

Main Post Historic District National Register of Historic Places Nomination. Tuscaloosa, AL: Panamerican Consultants, Inc., Stelpflug, Peggy A. and Richard Hyatt. Home of the Infantry, the History of Fort Benning. Macon, GA, Mercer University Press, Sullivan, Charles Jackson. Army Posts & Towns; the Baedeker of the Army. Burlington, Free Press Print. Co., FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 19) United States Geological Survey. Georgia-Alabama Columbus Quadrangle. Reston, Virginia, United States Department of the Interior, Warfield, Lieut. Col. A. B. Fort Benning, The Home of the Infantry School. Infantry Journal Wheaton, Francis B., LT COL, The Architecture of the Army Post, The Quartermaster Review, Vol. VIII, No.

2, September-October, Available in the Donovan Technical Library, Fort Benning, Georgia. Yarborough, Leroy W. in collaboration with Truman Smith, MAJ. A History of the Infantry School Fort Benning Georgia Fort Benning, GA: The Infantry School, Available in the Donovan Technical Library, Fort Benning, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 20) D. Supplemental Information Figure 1. Location of Building Fort Benning Military Reservation, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Chattahoochee County, Georgia. 32 32 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc. May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 21) Figure 2. Location of Building Fort Benning Military Reservation, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Chattahoochee County, Georgia.

33 33 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc. May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 22) Figure 3. Building front (northeast) fa ade looking southwest. 34 34 Photo by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., February FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 23) Figure 4. Building rear (south) and west elevations looking northeast. 35 Note outbuilding to the southeast. 35 Photo by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., February FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 24) Figure 5. Map of Fort Benning Warehouse District depicting construction dates of buildings surrounding building 36 36 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 25) Figure 6.

Map of Fort Benning Warehouse District depicting location of building overlaid with current map showing extant structures. Building was not extant at this time. 37 37 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 26) Figure 7. WWII War Department Map of Fort Benning Warehouse District depicting location of Building and surrounding buildings, overlaid with current map showing extant structures. Building was not extant at this time. 38 38 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc., May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 27) Figure 8. Map of Fort Benning Warehouse District depicting location of Building overlaid with current map showing extant structures.

Building (labeled on this map as is visible to the west of Building 39 39 Prepared by LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc. May FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 28) Figure 9. A ca. photograph of Building front (north) and east elevations looking southwest. 40 Note the exposed truss in the gable above the canted bay. The canted bay windows are the only windows with bars. 40 Photo on file at the National Infantry Museum, Columbus Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 29) Figure 10. Building in 41 41 Photograph courtesy of Environmental Management Division, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 30) Figure 11.

Aerial view of construction of cuartels with building in the center background. 42 42 Photo on file at the National Infantry Museum, Columbus Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 31) Figure 12. Map of the Fort Benning Railroad, the Narrow-Gauge Railroad, and the seaboard and Central of Georgia Railroads in relation to one another. 43 The red line represents the Fort Benning Railroad that linked Fort Benning Junction south of Columbus and Building (the Depot). The blue line represents the Central of Georgia Railway Line, the green line represents the Seaboard Line, and the broken brown line represents Fort Benning s narrow-gauge rail line route used to transport units to training areas.

United States Geological Survey, Georgia-Alabama Columbus Quadrangle, Reston, Virginia, United States 43 Department of the Interior, FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 32) Figure 13. Inspecting a tank in front of Date unknown but probably taken during World War II. 44 44 Photo on file at the National Infantry Museum, Columbus Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 33) Figure 14. Workers stand in front of an engine used by the Fort Benning Railroad. Date unknown. 45 45 Photo on file at the National Infantry Museum, Columbus Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 34) Figure 15. Plan of Building after alterations.

46 46 Digital files of Building s measured drawings are available in the Plans and Support Office, Master Planning, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia. FORT BENNING, MAIN POST DEPOT, BUILDING HABS No. GA-2439 (Page 35) Figure 16. Plan of Building after alterations. 47 47 Digital files of Building s measured drawings are available in the Plans and Support Office, Master Planning, Directorate of Public Works, Building No. 6, Fort Benning, Georgia.