Ogden Arsenal, Family Quarters, Intersection of Aspen Avenue & Georgia Street, Layton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,6-LAY.V,1E-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building renders a unique picture of residential life for non-commissioned officers' families at Ogden Arsenal during the U.S. Army build-up which occurred on the eve of and during World War II. The building is additionally significant because it establishes a crucial link in understanding the hierarchy present among military workers. History: Ogden Arsenal, which had been laid out to store left-over and obsolete ammunition from World War I, grew dramatically during the as a response to increasing world political tensions. As World War II approached, the Arsenal served as an ammunition storage base for the Air Corps and distributed items of ordnance supply and equipment to all areas and stations in the western United States.

During this period, storage facilities multiplied more than tenfold, and the Arsenal manufactured ammunition. Building an elegant duplex, was designed for the families of upper level non-commissioned officers, who were needed at Ogden Arsenal to supervise the manufacture and storage of munitions necessary to support the Pacific and European theaters of military operation. This building contributes to an understanding of the inherent hierarchy among military workers, since officers Ogden Arsenal, Family Quarters HAER No. UT-84-E Page 2 lived in more spacious and elegant quarters than enlisted men. It is located in a neighborhood that embraces a distinctly suburban ambiance because of its lush landscaping, private patios, spacious yards, and curving drives.

This area is fully detached from the industrial munitions storage area to the northeast. General Description: Building a two-story Colonial Revival house, is located adjacent to the prestigious General's Loop area. Like the other houses in the neighborhood, it is constructed of red brick and shows Georgian stylistic influences. Its walls are laid in five-course American bond, with brick quoins at the corners. The building's massing is broken down into three distinct parts: the main two- story block containing the main entrances to both units, and two flanking flat- roofed, one-story solarium wings to the east and west. The central block is covered with a hip roof. The slight overhang of the roof, with its wood trim, eases the transition from roof to wall.

The front entrances are located in a projecting bay in the center of the south elevation. On either side of the entrance piece are two rectangular Palladian windows without the half-round fanlights above. These windows are composed of a center six-over-six double-hung window with flanking two-over-two double hungs on either side. Each first floor unit also has a fixed sixteen-light window on the projecting entry piece. The remaining windows are wooden sash, double- hung, with six-over-six panes. Brick lintels are configured in a flat arch arrangement. Two brick chimneys with concrete caps rises from the juncture of the main block and projecting wings. The north (rear) elevation has a divided porch and two entries.

Located to the north is a private patio area that is enclosed with a wooden fence. Ogden Arsenal, Family Quarters HAER No. UT-84-E Page 3