Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse, 6057 Boxelder Lane, Layton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,6-LAY.V,1T-. 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. In addition to storing and shipping items, Ogden Arsenal was a major post for reclamation of damaged but serviceable ordnance components and metal products. Building was a repair shop for small mechanical and optical components and served a crucial role in these reclamation activities at Ogden Arsenal during World War II. 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. Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-T Page 2 Building was part of the second wave of warehouse construction in Building served as a repair shop for guns, watches, and optical equipment during World War II. These items were unloaded, repaired on site whenever possible, reloaded into rail cars, and transferred to other storage warehouses at the Arsenal. Building contained open shop space, supply and tool rooms, and offices.

It is unique because it features a two-story section that was added to its north end in This section housed a mezzanine level observation room for monitoring optical equipment that was housed on the lower level. A wood frame observation platform set on concrete columns stood to the north side of this two-story portion. This platform is now enclosed. General Description: Building x is a long, one-story rectangular concrete block building with a gable roof. The building is constructed over a concrete foundation and floor, with common bond 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. Building appears to be composed of two 200-foot long warehouses attached end to end, with a two-bay, two-story section at its northern end. A partition wall is visible above the roof line, at the midpoint of the 20-bay structure, that seems to indicate the connection of the two 10-bay sections. The two-story section contains double-hung windows; the one-story warehouse section contains industrial three-part hoppers. Two overhead loading doors are present on the east elevation. Building is a unique structure in the warehouse area. Its dimensions are identical to other concrete 60' x warehouses except for the second story addition on the northern end.

A 20' x 26' room, elevated on concrete columns, is attached to the north end of this two-story section. This elevated room is constructed of wood frame and was originally sided with rustic wood siding. Originally, the north elevation (now blank) contained a wood loading door which was flanked by two double-hung windows. 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. The overhead doors on the east side that originally serviced railroad delivery have been removed and Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-T Page 3 replaced with windows, but the outline of these original garage doors is still visible.

A small shed-roofed room was added after on the east side. Ramps and loading platforms were added in for 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-T Page 4 s