Last updated: July 31, 2021
Place
Building 19
NPS Photo/Springfield Armory NHS Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Springfield, Massachusetts
Significance:
Springfield Armory was established as the Nation’s First Federal Arsenal. The Armory was a leader in the development of interchangeability, technological innovations of firearms, mechanization and specialization in precision manufacturing, and the production of small arms. Springfield Armory had numerous cultural, geographic and economic impacts on the City of Springfield and surrounding communities. Building 19 served primarily as a storehouse for the Armory.
Designation:
Building 19 is a contributing building to the Springfield Armory National Historic Site which is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
3 listed
Cellular Signal, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Scenic View/Photo Spot
Tucked away on the Armory grounds, Building 19 was constructed, beginning under Major James W. Ripley, between 1847-1864. With a gabled slate roof, segmental arched openings, and louver blinds, the building is considered one of the best surviving examples of the American Cavalry Caserne Style.
Building 19 had multiple purposes including stabling horses and housing an x-ray lab and cryptography unit for sending and receiving coded messages, but its main purpose was storage of lumber.
Making gunstocks was a tedious process that required the wood be air dry for 2-8 years, until it reached the proper moisture level, to ensure that when they were carved or worked on the lathes the wood wouldn’t crack or warp. At the Armory the primary wood used to make gunstock blanks was Black Walnut as it is a hard, dense wood that is resilient and when it is seasoned (dried) it doesn’t shrink much and isn’t prone to splitting. Because of the length of time necessary to season the wood, thousands of blanks needed to be properly stored for drying at a single time. At full capacity Building 19 could hold up to six hundred thousand gunstocks.
As warfare and the manufacturing of arms changed, research labs, workshops, garages, machine shops, engineer branch, and housing for mechanical systems were added.
Built in four separate phases, the Long Storehouse I, Long Storehouse II, Stables, and West Addition were added as the need for storage increased. After each addition the name of the building changed to represent the new purpose and design. Names included “Brick Timber Store House,” “New Store House,” and “Gun Stock House.” By early winter of 1863 construction was completed bringing Building 19 to its current length of 764 feet.
When the Armory closed in 1968, the building remained vacant until Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) took over the building and used it for storage. Between 1981-1983 the Springfield Police stabled their mounted unit in the building. In 2018 the building was renovated into a student center in 2018 the STCC.
Today while the building serves a different purpose, one can still hear the individuals milling about and experience the beauty of a building that was essential to the operation of Springfield Armory.