Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

State Armory, Main Street, circa 1912

Description

"Called an 'architectural ornament' to the town, the State Armory was built of brick and limestone, with artificial stone and granite trimmings in colonial design. It was built to be different in appearance from other armories in Massachusetts and was planned to be less severe in outward appearance. The armory was dedicated on January 15, 1913. According to printed reports, 'The entire building fronts 77 feet, four inches on Main Street, and is 148 feet deep.' The drill shed at 109 feet long was a full 20 feet longer and 17 feet wider than its predecessor that was destroyed by fire in 1910. It was also noted that 'four handsome columns add to the imposing character of the front of the headhouse, and the approach is by a fine granolithic walk.' Inside the main public entrance, a bronze tablet was placed bearing the date the armory was built, along with the names of the governor, adjutant governor, members of the armory commission and advisory member, Capt. McMahon. The armory was built on the north corner of the Cyrus Wakefield estate, seen at the left of the picture, before Armory Street was graded later that year. In 1922, the knoll and driveway in front of the armory and new high school was cut away, Main Street was widened, anbd the curve on the street was eliminated. In 1923, the retaining wall in front of the armory was moved forward to align the armory lot and wall with the high school lot. This enabled the town to lay a straight sidewalk." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2003

Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Date

ca. 1912

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Armory (Wakefield, Mass.)

Armories

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

17 x 33 cm.