Fort Jackson, Cold Storage Plant, East Side, Parade Ground, Columbia

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,40-COLUM.V,2C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The cold storage plant was erected in as part of the World War II mobilization effort. Built to standard plans, it is one of a group of warehouse buildings constructed to support the increased troop activity that was expected at the installation. Description: Located on the east side of the Parade Ground in a row of warehouses, Building is a large, one-story, 15-bay-long, reinforced concrete, industrial structure (Photographs -2 and Concrete pilasters divide the bays. The building is topped by a flat, concrete roof which cantilevers slightly over the concrete loading platforms on the east and west elevations to provide protection from the weather. A metal rack is suspended from the canopy on the west elevation.

Openings on the east and west elevations include 12-light, metal-frame transom windows and large, thick, insulated freezer doors (Photographs and With the exception of one wooden door, all of the freezer doors are metal (Photographs and One, pedestrian entrance, consisting of double, metal-frame doors, is located in the center bay of the east elevation (Photograph There are no openings on the other elevations. The interior of the building is divided into three, identical, separate freezer units, arranged in a row (Photograph Each has its own entrance room and small, medium, and large freezer rooms. These have a metal-covered freezer door (Photograph mechanical freezer units at the end of each room, and squared, reinforced concrete columns.

The interior finishes consist of unfinished concrete floors, and walls and ceilings that are insulated with sealed, painted cork. Painted wood bumpers protect the walls and columns from damage (Photograph l). The interior finishes have been damaged by water leakage. Architectural evidence indicates that relatively few changes have been made to the building since its construction. In guard rails were installed on the wooden steps at the ends of the east and west elevations. Mechanical repairs were made in and Photographs of the original plan of the building (No. are provided (Photographs SC- and FORT JACKSON, COLD STORAGE PLANT (Fort Jackson, Building No. HABS No.

(Page 2) History: The history of Fort Jackson can be divided into five developmental phases: Pre-Camp Jackson (to Camp Jackson Post World War I Transition Period the South Carolina National Guard at Camp Jackson and World War Il to the Present (Parsons and Horne It is during the last period, at the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War Il, that Building was constructed. During World War I, the U.S. government built temporary structures and miles of roads and infrastructure at Camp Jackson, which was one of 16 National Army Cantonments established nationwide to train new recruits. With the exception of 31 buildings, the roads, and some utilities, all of the camp was demolished during the Post World War I Transition Period.

The first permanent construction program was carried out during the camp's occupancy by the South Carolina National Guard and was done within the context of the road system that was laid out during the first World War. In the Federal government took control of the camp, renamed it Fort Jackson, and began training troops and upgrading the installation. The buildings were constructed to the 700 and 800 series of standard plans that the Army developed specifically for this purpose. Although cold storage plants had been built by the Army during World War I, they were of temporary construction and few installations had such facilities at the outbreak of World War Il.

In as part of its temporary mobilization plan, the Army began to construct cold storage plants at most installations, including Fort Jackson (Goodwin and Building was erected by J.A. Jones Construction Company (Charlotte, NC) to the specifications of Quartermaster Corps cantonment construction drawing (Parsons and Horne It was built as part of a larger group of warehouses located in an area that had traditionally been set aside since World War I for this use. The warehouse rows formed a border along the east side of the Parade Ground and were among the more than structures that were erected as part of the World War IT effort. From its construction through the Building was used for its original purpose. By however, it was mostly vacant and no longer in use.

Today it is vacant and in deteriorating condition.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS SC,40-COLUM.V,2C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. and Home Engineering Services, Inc., Historic Properties Maintenance Plan, Fort Jackson, SC, December R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., Support and Utility Structures and Facilities Overview, Inventory, and Treatment Plan, May Gulf Engineers and Consultants, Inc., and Hardy Heck More & Associates, Inc., Fort Jackson, South Carolina: An Army Infantry Training Facility in the Southern Department and Fourth Corps Area, June