Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse, 6058 Aspen Avenue, Layton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,6-LAY.V,1V-. 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 bulk 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 second wave of warehouse construction in Storage methods in these warehouses included bins, shelving, and handling equipment that maximized efficient use of available space for both retail and wholesale circulation of General Supplies. In building was designated as one of 31 bulk/reserve stock storage buildings at Ogden Arsenal. Ogden Arsenal, Warehouse HAER No. UT-84-V Page 2 Railroad tracks were prevalent in this 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. Although similar in design and construction to the other warehouses in the area, Building is the only warehouse that measures 500 feet in length. 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 connected to each other by a 100-foot warehouse to form a very long, narrow structure; two fire wall separations that penetrate the roof line articulate where the ends of these structures would have been. Significant modifications to the interior of the building were made after when the building was converted into a clinic and conference center. Numerous interior walls were added to convert large storage spaces into smaller sections. The overhead doors have been removed and replaced with windows, but the outline of these original garage doors is still visible. The west elevation contains three shed-roof additions.

Ramps and loading platforms were added in as part of a comprehensive loading dock improvement program in the "Warehouse Area". The original mineral surface asphalt roofing material was replaced with a 3-tab, thick butt asphalt roof in 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-V Page 3 I 6a'