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369th Regiment Armory
The 369th Regiment Armory is a historic National Guard Armory building located at 2366 Fifth Avenue, between West 142nd and 143rd Streets, in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It was built for the 369th Regiment, also known as the "Harlem Hellfighters", founded in 1913 as the first National Guard unit in New York State composed solely of African-Americans. It later became home to the 369th Sustainment Brigade.
The 369th Regiment Armory includes two structures. The administration building, built in the Art Deco style between 1930 and 1933, was designed by John S. Van Wart and Sidney Wein. The attached medieval-inspired drill shed, built between 1921 and 1924, was designed by Tachau and Vought and measures 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2). Both sections are constructed of brick. The armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1985.
After the American Civil War ended, the New York state government passed a law, which mandated that armories be erected for volunteer regiments by each of the individual counties. This resulted in the Armory Board of the City of New York being created in April 1884. The board erected many of Manhattan's armories: prior to the board's establishment, only one armory had been built in Manhattan, the Seventh Regiment Armory on the Upper East Side. As such, most volunteer regiments drilled in any available space, such as public markets or rented building lofts.
By the late 19th and early 20th century, the former Dutch colonial settlement of Harlem was being developed into a primarily African-American neighborhood, having become accessible via the newly built New York City Subway. In the 1910s, a hundred members of a community center in Harlem stated their intention to join the military. The 15th Regiment, whose parent unit was constituted in the New York Army National Guard in 1913, was officially organized three years later, in preparation for being deployed to France during World War I. The 15th was the first National Guard regiment constituted based on race, as it was composed primarily of African Americans, but also included servicemembers from Puerto Rico, the West Indies, Canada, and several countries in Europe and Africa. The regiment reached its full strength of 2,000 men by 1917, and trained in New York and South Carolina because they did not yet have their own armory. The 15th Regiment was reorganized as the 369th in 1918. The 369th Regiment had returned from France by February 1919; a parade for the regiment was held on Fifth Avenue.
The 369th Regiment (also known by their nickname, the "Harlem Hell Fighters") was initially housed at Astor Row on West 130th Street. However, as a result of the unit's reorganization, the Armory Board was now obligated to create an armory for the 369th Regiment. The city's acting mayor promised an armory structure to the 369th Regiment in 1919. Funding for the 369th Regiment Armory was approved by the city in July 1921. The initial plans called for building only the drill shed; an administration building was required for the armory to be fully functional.
The city located a site on Fifth Avenue between 142nd and 143rd Streets and demolished the tenements there. Work on the armory's drill shed was begun with a groundbreaking ceremony in November 1921. This was followed by a request for proposals to design the drill shed, for which five firms submitted bids. Tachau and Vought, who had previously designed the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, won the commission and designed the structure in the Romanesque style. Post & McCord were selected as the contractors. The cost of the drill shed was estimated at $700,000, and the administration building, another $500,000. The cornerstone was laid in November 1923, when construction was already progressing. and the drill shed was finished the following November at a cost of $800,000.
The rest of the block was purchased by the city in 1929, in preparation for the administration building's construction. In 1930, the Armory Board submitted plans for the $1 million administration building to the New York City Board of Estimate. The new building would include a shooting range, auditorium, mess hall, and rooftop tennis courts. Twelve firms submitted designs for the drill shed, and the commission was ultimately given to the lowest bidder, John S. Van Wart and Sidney Wein. Work started in 1931 after the C & W Construction Company were named as the contractors. The administration building was completed in 1933. However, the New York Daily News reported in January 1934 that the 369th Regiment had refused to accept title to the administration building, citing various work defects such as a leaky roof. As a result, the Armory Board opened an investigation into the construction of the 369th Administration Building.
In 1934, during the Great Depression, the 369th Regiment Armory and Brooklyn's 14th Regiment Armory were used as temporary homeless shelters. Two years later, the armory exhibited artwork from 40,000 people that had been hired through the Works Progress Administration. The 369th Regiment Armory also hosted sporting events, such as track and field competitions and tennis matches. Other events hosted at the armory included a speech by Black Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad in 1964, and a soccer demonstration from Brazilian soccer player Pelé in 1978.
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369th Regiment Armory
The 369th Regiment Armory is a historic National Guard Armory building located at 2366 Fifth Avenue, between West 142nd and 143rd Streets, in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It was built for the 369th Regiment, also known as the "Harlem Hellfighters", founded in 1913 as the first National Guard unit in New York State composed solely of African-Americans. It later became home to the 369th Sustainment Brigade.
The 369th Regiment Armory includes two structures. The administration building, built in the Art Deco style between 1930 and 1933, was designed by John S. Van Wart and Sidney Wein. The attached medieval-inspired drill shed, built between 1921 and 1924, was designed by Tachau and Vought and measures 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2). Both sections are constructed of brick. The armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1985.
After the American Civil War ended, the New York state government passed a law, which mandated that armories be erected for volunteer regiments by each of the individual counties. This resulted in the Armory Board of the City of New York being created in April 1884. The board erected many of Manhattan's armories: prior to the board's establishment, only one armory had been built in Manhattan, the Seventh Regiment Armory on the Upper East Side. As such, most volunteer regiments drilled in any available space, such as public markets or rented building lofts.
By the late 19th and early 20th century, the former Dutch colonial settlement of Harlem was being developed into a primarily African-American neighborhood, having become accessible via the newly built New York City Subway. In the 1910s, a hundred members of a community center in Harlem stated their intention to join the military. The 15th Regiment, whose parent unit was constituted in the New York Army National Guard in 1913, was officially organized three years later, in preparation for being deployed to France during World War I. The 15th was the first National Guard regiment constituted based on race, as it was composed primarily of African Americans, but also included servicemembers from Puerto Rico, the West Indies, Canada, and several countries in Europe and Africa. The regiment reached its full strength of 2,000 men by 1917, and trained in New York and South Carolina because they did not yet have their own armory. The 15th Regiment was reorganized as the 369th in 1918. The 369th Regiment had returned from France by February 1919; a parade for the regiment was held on Fifth Avenue.
The 369th Regiment (also known by their nickname, the "Harlem Hell Fighters") was initially housed at Astor Row on West 130th Street. However, as a result of the unit's reorganization, the Armory Board was now obligated to create an armory for the 369th Regiment. The city's acting mayor promised an armory structure to the 369th Regiment in 1919. Funding for the 369th Regiment Armory was approved by the city in July 1921. The initial plans called for building only the drill shed; an administration building was required for the armory to be fully functional.
The city located a site on Fifth Avenue between 142nd and 143rd Streets and demolished the tenements there. Work on the armory's drill shed was begun with a groundbreaking ceremony in November 1921. This was followed by a request for proposals to design the drill shed, for which five firms submitted bids. Tachau and Vought, who had previously designed the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, won the commission and designed the structure in the Romanesque style. Post & McCord were selected as the contractors. The cost of the drill shed was estimated at $700,000, and the administration building, another $500,000. The cornerstone was laid in November 1923, when construction was already progressing. and the drill shed was finished the following November at a cost of $800,000.
The rest of the block was purchased by the city in 1929, in preparation for the administration building's construction. In 1930, the Armory Board submitted plans for the $1 million administration building to the New York City Board of Estimate. The new building would include a shooting range, auditorium, mess hall, and rooftop tennis courts. Twelve firms submitted designs for the drill shed, and the commission was ultimately given to the lowest bidder, John S. Van Wart and Sidney Wein. Work started in 1931 after the C & W Construction Company were named as the contractors. The administration building was completed in 1933. However, the New York Daily News reported in January 1934 that the 369th Regiment had refused to accept title to the administration building, citing various work defects such as a leaky roof. As a result, the Armory Board opened an investigation into the construction of the 369th Administration Building.
In 1934, during the Great Depression, the 369th Regiment Armory and Brooklyn's 14th Regiment Armory were used as temporary homeless shelters. Two years later, the armory exhibited artwork from 40,000 people that had been hired through the Works Progress Administration. The 369th Regiment Armory also hosted sporting events, such as track and field competitions and tennis matches. Other events hosted at the armory included a speech by Black Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad in 1964, and a soccer demonstration from Brazilian soccer player Pelé in 1978.