Ogden Arsenal, Dispensary, 6278 Hickory Avenue, Layton

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

Building the dispensary for both the East and West Fuze Loading Plants, provides particularly vivid images of the accommodations made for worker safety and welfare at Ogden Arsenal during World War II. Workers in these plants handled poisonous and highly explosive materials; injuries were common. 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: Building housed medical facilities for people who worked in both the East and West Fuze Plants. Since workers in these plants handled Tetryl, a poisonous and highly explosive material, injuries due to explosions or toxin exposure were common, even when the utmost precautions were taken.

In order to respond immediately to worker injuries, the dispensary was placed on site and staffed with nurses who were trained to give emergency care to workers of these areas. The main dispensary (Building was located in the Generals* Loop area, too far away from the Fuze Plants to provide adequate emergency care to workers. Ogden Arsenal, Dispensary HAER No. UT-84-AL Page 2 General Description: Building x is a one-story, concrete hollow tile structure located in the original Fuze Plant Area. The original floor plan is still largely intact with spaces now dedicated to offices, a reception area, restrooms, and storage. The interior walls are constructed of 6" concrete block.

The walls are articulated by exposed concrete columns (reinforced with steel "W" flange members) which form four structural bays. The two end bays have a pair of aluminum frame double-hung windows, with the two center bays each containing double entrance doors and a single window. The windows sit on a plain slip sill with plain concrete lintels. Each of the north and south gable ends of the building have two windows with a rectangular metal roof vent. All of the original steel frame windows have been replaced. The building has a concrete foundation and floor system and is entered at grade level. There are no stairs or porches; the east entrance is marked by a small metal canopy.

The roof has the typical arsenal pitch and is supported by light steel-frame trusses that are surfaced with corrugated asbestos siding. The building has four 12-inch diameter copper ventilators with dampers spaced approximately evenly along the roof ridge, with two lightning aerials located at each end of the ridge line. Ogden Arsenal, Dispensary HAER No. UT-84-AL Page 3