Hill Field, Barracks & Post Exchange, 5887 D Avenue, Layton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,6-LAY.V,2G-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building 120 housed the Barracks & Post Exchange and provides vivid insight into the daily lives of workers at the Hill Field/Air Force Base, and it leads to a fuller understanding of the inherent hierarchy among military workers. In addition, this building contributes to a deeper understanding of the early development of the U.S. Army Air Corps, a branch of the Army which eventually became the U.S. Air Force. History: Building 120 originally contained retail shopping and housing facilities for workers at Hill Field. The Post Exchange and Company Stores filled the ground floor, which featured a tailor shop, barber shop, and soda bar.

Living areas for single men occupied the second and third floors of Building which contained various dormitory-style quarters arranged along a double-loaded corridor. Residents with higher military rankings acquired greater privacy and more living space. First Sergeants lived in private rooms, and Non- commissioned Officers and cooks were boarded two people per room. Lower level enlisted soldiers shared one room among 10 men. On the second floor, nineteen residents shared one bathroom with two toilets and two showers. The south end of the second floor contained a "Day Room," which was used as a common social and recreational area by all residents. A shared mess hall and kitchen were located on the north end of the second floor. HILL FIELD, BARRACKS & POST EXCHANGE HAER No.

UT-85-G Page 2 The Commanding Officer used a private office in the center of the second floor of the building. This office adjoined a clerks' office and opened onto a private balcony. Additional rooms were located in the attic, but their functions remain undetermined. After the building was designated an Administration Office Building. Since then, Building 120 has continuously housed key administrative functions for Hill Air Force Base. It currently serves as the Fighter Wing Headquarters. General Description: Building 120 x is a three-story brick office building with understated neoclassical stylistic elements. The east front elevation is arranged on a formal symmetrical organization with the main entrance located in the center.

The main entrance is celebrated with a small, gently curving balcony above the door. The beige bricks are laid in six-course American bond. The hipped roof features a pitch with five small circular dormers on both the east and west facades. Precast concrete bands wrap continuously around the building above and below the windows on each floor. The double-hung wooden sash windows contain six- over-six panes. Fire escapes with metal grate stairs are located on both the north and south sides of the building. Even through the interior functions have changed, the building has undergone very little interior or exterior modifications since its completion in