Main Navy and Munitions Buildings - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were constructed in 1918 along Constitution Avenue

Constitution Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

(then known as B Street) on Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

's National Mall

National Mall

The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...

(Potomac Park), to provide temporary quarters for the United States Military. Both buildings were constructed by the Navy's

United States Department of the Navy

The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...

Bureau of Yards and Docks

The Bureau of Yards and Docks was the branch of the United States Navy responsible from 1842 to 1966 for building and maintaining navy yards, drydocks, and other facilities relating to ship construction, maintenance, and repair....

, with the United States Department of War

United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...

occupying the Munitions Building. To make the buildings more resistant to fire, the buildings were constructed using concrete. With solid construction, the temporary buildings remained in use long after the end of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

In August 1939, the Secretary of War relocated his offices from the overcrowded State-War-Navy Building

Old Executive Office Building

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building , formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building and as the State, War, and Navy Building, is an office building in Washington, D.C., just west of the White House...

(Old Executive Office Building) to the Munitions Building. The Department of War headquarters remained in the Munitions Building, through the early years of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, until 1942, when some space became available in the Pentagon

The Pentagon

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...

, which was under construction. The Munitions Building was turned over to the Navy in 1943, when the Department of War completely vacated the Munitions Building once construction of the Pentagon was completed.

Both buildings suffered serious structural problems in the 1960s. In December 1969, President Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

announced that both buildings would be demolished, a plan which was carried out in 1970. The land was then reclaimed and turned into Constitution Gardens

Constitution Gardens

Constitution Gardens is a park area in Washington, D.C., United States, located within the boundaries of the National Mall. The park is bounded on the west by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, on the east by 17th St NW, on the north by Constitution Avenue, and on the south by the Reflecting Pool...

, with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...

built near the former Munitions Building site in the early 1980s.

Construction

Constructing the Munitions and Main Navy Buildings was an idea conceived by Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

, then the Assistant Secretary of the Navy

Assistant Secretary of the Navy

Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy....

, who put forth the idea to President Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...

. Roosevelt originally suggested a temporary building be placed on the Ellipse, but President Wilson disliked the idea of a building on the White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

's front lawn. Thus, Roosevelt suggested placing the buildings on the National Mall

National Mall

(Potomac Park) along B Street (renamed Constitution Avenue in 1931), near the Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...

. Roosevelt wanted them to be ugly wooden buildings, so that people would want to tear them down right away after World War I

World War I

. However, to make the buildings more fire resistant, concrete and steel materials were recommended. Roosevelt later expressed regret for allowing these building to be constructed, saying in 1941, "I didn't think I would ever be let into the Gates of Heaven, because I had been responsible for desecrating the parks of Washington."

The project was originally intended for just the Navy, but the Department of War also wanted in on the project, thus two buildings were proposed. With concrete construction not unreasonably more expensive than a wood frame building, Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

accepted the proposal for concrete buildings, and approved the funds for the project in March 1918. The task of design and construction of the buildings was given to the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks

Bureau of Yards and Docks

, and the buildings were completed in 5 1/2 months.

Munitions Building

The Munitions Building, constructed in 1918, contained 841000 square feet (78,131.5 m²) of space across three stories, and was designed to provide temporary accommodations for 9,000 Department of War employees. During World War I, the War Department had greatly expanded, and by the end of the war, the Main Navy and Munitions Building together housed 14,000 military personnel, including the Secretary of the Navy. A large parking lot 100 feet (30.5 m) wide and 1/2 mi long, was located at the rear of the Munitions Building, with space to accommodate approximately 1,000 cars. Various small exhibits were on display in the corridors of the Munitions Buildings, showing military uniforms, types of gas masks, military daily rations, and Army photographs. The Munitions Building was separated from the Main Navy Building by a vehicle entryway at 19th Street, and the main entrance of the Munitions Building was located at 20th Street. The Munitions Building had a total of eight wings.

At the end of World War I, the Munitions Building housed technical branches, including the Quartermaster General

Quartermaster general (USA)

The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily focused on training, doctrine and professional...

, United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

, Ordnance Corps,
Chemical Warfare Service

Chemical Corps (United States Army)

The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear weapons...

, Signal Corps

United States Army Signal Corps

The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...

, and Army Air Service

United States Army Air Service

The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...

. In March 1923, the Army's Finance Office also moved into the Munitions Building. In February 1924, plans were put forth to build an oil steam plant for the Main Navy and Munitions Building. In November 1933, the Army Inspector General's office

Inspector General

An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...

, along with the Organized Reserves, the welfare section of the Secretary's office, and the Office of Chief of Chaplains moved into the Munitions Building. The National Guard Bureau also was housed in the Munitions Building, as was the Army Industrial College.

Headquarters

At the time when the Munitions Building was constructed, the War Department was headquartered in the State-War-Navy Building, which was completed in 1888 and located on 17th Street NW, next to the White House

White House

. By the 1930s, the War Department was being squeezed out by the Department of State

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

, and the White House was also in need of additional office space. In August 1939, Secretary of War Harry H. Woodring, along with Acting Chief of Staff of the Army George C. Marshall, moved his office into the Munitions Building. In the late 1930s, a new War Department Building

Harry S Truman Building

The Harry S. Truman Building is the headquarters of the United States Department of State. It is located in the national capital of Washington, D.C.....

was constructed at 21st and C Streets in Foggy Bottom

Foggy Bottom

Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The area is thought to have received the name because its riverside location made it susceptible to concentrations of fog and industrial smoke, an atmospheric trait that did not prevent the neighborhood...

, but upon completion, the new building did not solve the department's space problem, and ended up being used by the Department of State. To help deal with the space shortage, a fourth story was added to the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings during World War II

World War II

.

Coming into office, with World War II breaking out in Europe, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson

Henry L. Stimson

Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican Party politician and spokesman on foreign policy. He twice served as Secretary of War 1911–1913 under Republican William Howard Taft and 1940–1945, under Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the latter role he was a leading hawk...

was faced with the situation of the War Department spread out in numerous buildings across Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

, as well as Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, and the Munitions Building was overcrowded. On July 28, 1941, Congress

United States Congress

authorized funding for a new Department of War building in Arlington, Virginia, which would house the entire department under one roof. When office space became available in 1942 at the Pentagon

The Pentagon

in the first completed wing, the Secretary of War vacated the Munitions Building and moved to the Pentagon. The Department of War vacated the Munitions Building in 1943, once construction of the Pentagon was completed. The Department of Navy took over the Munitions Building once the Department of War relocated out of the building, and placed the Navy's Material Systems Command offices in the Munitions Building.

World War II

The Signal Intelligence Service was located in the Munitions Building during the early years of World War II

World War II

. In September 1939, the Signal Intelligence Service was able to break Japan's cipher, Purple. The Department of War continued to receive intercepted messages, codenamed Magic

Magic (cryptography)

Magic was an Allied cryptanalysis project during World War II. It involved the United States Army's Signals Intelligence Section and the United States Navy's Communication Special Unit. -Codebreaking:...

, including final messages to the Japanese Embassy in Washington before the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

Main Navy

The Main Navy building was used by the Navy from the time it was built, until it was demolished in 1970. The building contained 940000 square feet (87,328.9 m²) of space, nine wings, and was connected to the Munitions Building by an elevated covered walkway.

Navy offices housed in the Main Navy building soon after it opened included the Bureau of Navigation

Bureau of Navigation (United States Navy)

The U.S. Navy's Bureau of Navigation was established in 1862 as part of the reorganization of the Navy Department. Principal responsibilities were to provide nautical charts and instruments and to oversee several activities involved navigation research, including the Naval Observatory...

, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts

Bureau of Supplies and Accounts

The Bureau of Supplies and Accounts was the United States Navy's supply organization between 1892 and 1966. Established in 1842 as the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, the bureau was responsible for the procurement, receipt, storage, shipment, and issuance of food, fuel, clothing, general...

, Bureau of Steam Engineering

Bureau of Steam Engineering

Bureau of Steam Engineering was set up by act of 5 July 1862, receiving some of the duties of the former Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repair. It became, by the Naval Appropriation Act of 4 June 1920, the Bureau of Engineering...

, Bureau of Construction and Repair

Bureau of Construction and Repair

The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...

, the Bureau of Yards and Docks

Bureau of Yards and Docks

, Bureau of Ordnance

Bureau of Ordnance

The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...

, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Secretary of Navy's offices, along with Naval Operations, and the Compensation Board. Later on, other Navy Offices moved into Main Navy, including the Dispensary

Dispensary

A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital or other organization that dispenses medications and medical supplies. In a traditional dispensary set-up a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form....

, the Navy Red Cross, Examining Board, and Retiring Board, which were previously housed in Corcoran Courts, an apartment building converted into offices. The Hydrographic Office

Hydrographic office

A hydrographic office is an organization which is devoted to acquiring and publishing hydrographic information.Historically, the main tasks of hydrographic offices were the conduction of hydrographic surveys and the publication of nautical charts...

and United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

moved to Main Navy from a Navy Annex building, located at New York Avenue and 18th Street, and the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

relocated from the Munsey Building. The Navy Department Library was relocated to the Main Navy building in 1923. From 1926 to 1941, a small reinforced concrete roof penthouse on the Main Navy building was used for radio and communication intercepts training.

Criticism

The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were disliked by many, as going against the intentions of Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant of making the National Mall

National Mall

into an open space surrounded by aesthetically-pleasing government buildings. The Munitions and Navy buildings were described as "unsightly shacks, of which many scores sprung up like mushrooms during the war." Despite their dislike, due to their solid construction, many were concerned that the buildings would remain for a long period.

Demolition

By 1960, the Munitions Building housed approximately 7,000 employees of not only the Navy, but also the Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

, Veterans Administration

United States Department of Veterans Affairs

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...

, and the Department of State. After decades of use, the building experienced structural problems in the late 1950s and 1960s, including cracked concrete piers, numerous interior cracked and bent walls, and settling floors. The buildings, constructed on marshy parkland, were damp and the foundations settling.

The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings remained on the Mall until 1970, when they were demolished. Portions of the buildings were declared unsafe in 1969, resulting in approximately 3,000 employees relocating to other facilities. In December 1969, President Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

announced a plan for demolishing the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings. The plan involved moving Navy employees to new buildings in the Crystal City

Crystal City, Virginia

Crystal City is an urban neighborhood in the southeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia, south of downtown Washington, D.C.. Its residents can live, shop, and work without going outside, due to its extensive integration of office buildings and residential high-rise buildings using...

and Ballston areas in Arlington, Virginia.

In the 1970s, Constitution Gardens

Constitution Gardens

was built on the former site of the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

was built nearby in the early 1980s.

External links

Main Navy Building: Its Construction and Original Occupants Naval Historical Foundation publication
Naval Historical Center photographs

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