Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse, 6053 Elm Lane, Layton

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

This warehouse provides particularly vivid images of the processes involved in the general supply and depot operations at Ogden Arsenal during World War II. Building served as a bin storage warehouse, contributing to Ogden Arsenal's task of handling both retail and wholesale issue of general supplies to the United States Army. This building, along with other structures at the base, renders a unique picture of the U.S. Army build-up which occurred on the eve of and during World War II. History: The "40-Warehouse" area of Ogden Arsenal was constructed on the western side of the base in the early years of World War II. This area was renamed the "Warehouse Area" as it grew to include many new warehouses, and it served as the Arsenal's General Supply Depot throughout WWII.

After the War, Utah General Depot in Ogden assumed most of the supply operations that had previously been held at Ogden Arsenal. Building was part of the first wave of warehouse construction in and Initially, these warehouses were filled with inert ammunition components and empty practice bombs. In some cases, material was placed in these warehouses before completion of all roofs and electrical outlets. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, twenty- eight of these original warehouses stored approximately 1 million empty practice bombs; the others stored inert ammunition components. Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-Q Page 2 As World War II progressed, general supply demands increased dramatically.

On March 1, 15 men were employed in the Warehouse Area; by August 1, this number had increased to 125 men and women. Storage methods in these older warehouses were modified in to maximize efficient use of available space. They became equipped with bins,shelving, and handling equipment for both retail and wholesale circulation of General Supplies. In Building was designated as one of 17 bin storage warehouses, which required significant alterations to the interior. The ceilings of all bin warehouses were insulated, and heating equipment, adequate lighting, and toilet facilities were installed.

Prefabricated bin tiers were erected into sections, and mezzanine decks were built on top of the sections in each warehouse to be used as reserve location areas for storage and reserve stocks for replenishing bins. Rod racks were built on the mezzanine floor for storage of bulky and odd sized items such as exhaust pipes, fenders, etc. All stacking in these modified warehouses was done with mechanical fork lift trucks and wooden pallets. Railroad tracks were prevalent in the Warehouse Area, since most goods were shipped into and out of Ogden Arsenal by rail. Each warehouse was accessible by rail from one side and by truck on the other. Large overhead doors on both long sides of the building facilitated the circulation of goods on either side.

Concrete loading docks line the entire east and west facades. These loading docks provided temporary additional storage space square feet per warehouse) when needed. General Description: Building x is a long, one-story rectangular brick building with a gable roof. The building is constructed over a concrete foundation and floor, with common bond brick walls and contemporary windows. The ridge of the roof is parallel to the long side of the building. The steel-trussed roof structure is covered with corrugated asbestos roofing. The building is articulated by 20' bays that each contain one window or door on each facade. Significant modifications to the interior of the building were made after when the building was converted to offices.

Numerous interior walls were added to convert large storage spaces into small offices. On the exterior, overhead garage doors were removed and replaced with windows, but the outline of these original garage doors is still visible. A small shed-roofed room was added after on the north side. Ramps and loading platforms were added in for Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-Q Page 3 Five major types of warehouses occupied this area, all of which were approximately 60' wide and varied between 200 and 700 feet in length. All are of similar design and construction (concrete or brick walls) with the different lengths accomplished by the addition of identical 20-foot bays.

Warehouses like Building were further categorized into "Type A" (with two offices at one end) and "Type B" (completely open storage plan). Due to the interior modifications that accompanied the buildings' conversion into offices after it is impossible to tell whether Building was a "Type A" or "Type B" warehouse. Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-Q Page 4 67'-O"