Building has served as the base's command center since its completion in and it survives as a good illustration of "temporary" military architecture that the Navy specified during the rapid United States military build up of the early Though relatively insignificant alterations detract minimally from the property's overall historic character and ambiance, Building survives as one of best-preserved World War II-era properties at Naval Air Station (NAS) Chase Field. Physical Description: Building which stands on level terrain, is an imposing physical landmark at the naval air station, and its importance is immediately discernible upon entering the base.
The structure occupies a highly visible location near the western edge of the most intensely developed section of NAS Chase Field and has a relatively unobscured view of the surrounding area. A paved parking lot extends around the south, west and north sides of the building, and a narrow, curved driveway cuts across property in front of the building. Vegetation includes the grass lawn, a row of low, well-trimmed hedges to the front, a grouping of small oak trees just beyond the east, north and west sides of the building. A metal flag pole near the street is directly in front of the main entrance. Building rests on a pier-and-beam foundation and has wood-frame construction that is sheathed with galbestos siding. The flat roof has a built-up covering of tar-and-gravel.
The building's massing is the most distinctive physical feature and includes a two-story H-shaped plan and a small four-story tower above the central portion of the hyphen. With window openings on all sides, the third and fourth floors provide a panoramic view of the entire military installation. The front faces east onto Independence Street, and the main entrance is set within the recessed (hyphen) section of the facade. A small open porch with metal posts provides covered access to and from the front semi-circular driveway. The double-hung windows with 616 lights have wood sashes on the ground floor and metal sashes on the other floors. Secondary entrances on the south, west and north elevations include single doors with metal frames.
The interior contains offices with balloon-frame partitioned walls. Few changes affect the building's historic character. The interior of Building features a central hallway on both the first and second floors. The hallway extends roughly north-south and provides access to the many offices, storage spaces and other rooms within the building. Little of the interior's original or historic finished materials remains visible and has been removed, replaced NAVAL AIR STATION CHASE FIELD, BUILDING (ADMINISTRATION BUILDING) HABS No. TX-3397-A (Page 2) or covered with new materials. The floors, for example, are covered with low-ply carpeting and wood paneling has been applied to the walls.
To accommodate the ductwork for the central heating and cooling system, the dropped ceilings have suspended acoustical tiles and drop-in fluorescent lights with panels. The only significant architectural features in the building are the large metal vaults in the Legal and Administrative Services rooms on both floors of the northwest rear wing. Nameplates identify the vaults' manufacturer as Herrins-Hall-Marvin Safe Co., Hamilton, Ohio, but their date of manufacture is not indicated. History: Building is strongly associated with U.S.
military activity of World War II, due to the increased significance of naval aviation since the Built in as the headquarters for Naval Auxiliary Air Station Chase Field and one of the first structures completed at the base, Building was the center for military administrative, management, and supervisory activities at NAS Chase Field until the base closed in Robert & Company, an Atlanta-based firm with temporary offices in Corpus Christi, designed the building, while the Houston-based consortium of Brown Bellows & Columbia served as general contractors. The Navy has undertaken numerous, but relative minor alterations to the building since its construction. The original plans note that the architect specified lapped wood siding.
Supplemental building information on file at NAS Chase Field reveals the application of the existing galbestos siding took place in Interior alterations include the repositioning of some walls and the installation of cabinets, central air conditioning and other improvements.
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