Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot, Ordinance Administration Shop, U.S. Highway 95, Hawthorne

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,11-HAWT,2D-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

g : The Ordnance Administration Shop, Building No. was built in. December during the tremendous expansion of the Depot during the World War II.period. The Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) is a nationally' significant military district. It was built for state-of-the-art ammunition storage in the late (criterion C); it is by and far the largest depot of its kind known in the world with magazines and storehouses, 212 miles of railroad track, 418 miles of blacktop, and 232 square miles of land (criterion C); and it is significant for its role in World War II. Producing a vast amount of ordnance, it was THE Naval Ammunition Depot for the Pacific Theater during World War 11.

Operations have included: production of propellant charges, projectiles, bombs and rockets; demilitarization of all types of munitions; and storage of national stock piles of munitions. Since the until the facility was turned over to the Armv in Hawthorne NAD was the country's largest producer of Navv mines and depth charges. The Depot is also significant for the role it plaved in the military historv of the State of Nevada. It represents 50 plus years of federal military operation in Nevada. The Hawthorne NAD is the oldest twentieth century U. S. military reservation in Nevada. It has been in continuous active operational status since its commissioning in (criterion A). The Depot is the best collection of earlv twentieth century military, cultural resources in Nevada (criterion C).

The Hawthorne NAD represents the largest industrial activity in the State of Nevada during World War II, as well as during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Hie operation has been the local area's major employer and has represented relative economic stability to the town of Hawthorne since its commissioning. The Depot significantly changed the fortunes of the town of Hawthorne. Over of the buildings within the plus acres of the Hawthorne MAD date from World War II or before. The district as a whole and great majority of the individual buildings within it retain integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. HAWTHORiNE

Naval Ammunition Depot

Ordnance Administration Shop No. HABS No. page 2 Description: The Ordnance Administration Shop is located in the vast open area on the southern end of the facility, called "Old Bomb." This area was used for the denotation of old bombs. The 24' by rectangular-in-plan, one story building uses stones located at the corners as its only visible foundation. The exterior is board-and-batten. The windows are six light wood framed casements with plain surrounds. The building has a two panel wooden door and a five panel wooden door. A medium pitched, front facing, gable roof of asphalt shingles covers the building and is finished with exposed rafter ends. A small shed roofed porch covers one half of the front facade. The porch has plain posts and a solid balustrade.

The interior of the building is primarily finished with fiberboard on the ceiling and walls. The floor is linoleum. The building is divided into two rooms. There are holes in the ceiling and roof for two stove pipes. History: # The Hawthorne NAD was created by an Act of Congress following the destruction of the Navy's East Coast main ammunition facility in In million were allotted for the development of the Naval Ammunition Depot at Hawthorne. Starting in plans were laid to increase the size of the depot. In the expansion began in earnest and the depot began producing ammunition and shipping it to classified locations. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, Hawthorne NAD took on new importance; the Hawthorne depot was the principal west coast naval ammunition plant.

Over construction workers increased the size of the depot tenfold during World War II and workers produced a tremendous amount of ammunition. Bombs, mines, and rockets were filled and assembled at Hawthorne NAD. Mines nnd rockets were also being developed and tested here. The Hawthorne Depot continued to play an important role in the Navy's chain of producing, storing, and destroying munitions alter World War II. After VV.W.II the depot was responsible for the destruction of thousands of tons of munitions. During ' the Korean and Vietnam conflicts the Hawthorne NAD provided back-up storage of conventional ammunition and mines for the entire Pacific theater.

In under directive of the Department of Defense, Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot was transferred to the Army and became the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant. HAWTHORNE NAVAL AMMUNITION DEPOT , Ordnance Administration Shop No. HABS No. page 3

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS NEV,11-HAWT,2D-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Ana B. Koval, Rainshadow Associates, Hillview Road, Berkeley, CA October 1, #

Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot

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