Fort Snelling in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18
Historic Fort Snelling
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 14, 2014
1. U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18 Marker
Inscription.
U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18. Historic Fort Snelling. Built in 1904-05 by the U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18 were constructed as double barracks to house cavalry troops. By 1911 the cavalry had left Fort Snelling, but the buildings continued to house troops through the early 1940s as the post grew in size. By the mid-1940s, Military Intelligence Service Language School students, most of whom were second-generation Japanese Americans studying to become interpreters and translators, were quartered in the buildings. , After the post was deactivated in 1946, the Veterans Administration (VA) converted Buildings 17 and 18 into an outpatient clinic. The two-story porches were removed and a connecting link between the buildings was added. The facility handled more than 60,000 patients each year. The buildings have been vacant since the VA moved out in the mid-1980s. , Recent work on the structures, using State of Minnesota funds, has included asbestos abatement, exterior brick tuck-pointing, repair of the infill roofs, and total slate roof replacement. The Minnesota Historical Society is currently studying the buildings to determine their best use.
Built in 1904-05 by the U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18 were constructed as double barracks to house cavalry troops. By 1911 the cavalry had left Fort Snelling, but the buildings continued to house troops through the early 1940s as the post grew in size. By the mid-1940s, Military Intelligence Service Language School students, most of whom were second-generation Japanese Americans studying to become interpreters and translators, were quartered in the buildings.
After the post was deactivated in 1946, the Veterans Administration (VA) converted Buildings 17 and 18 into an outpatient clinic. The two-story porches were removed and a connecting link between the buildings was added. The facility handled more than 60,000 patients each year. The buildings have been vacant since the VA moved out in the mid-1980s.
Recent work on the structures, using State of Minnesota funds, has included asbestos abatement, exterior brick tuck-pointing, repair of the infill roofs, and total slate roof replacement. The Minnesota Historical Society is currently studying the buildings to determine their best use.
Erected by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. In
Click or scan to see this page online
addition, it is included in the Minnesota Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed. It was located near 44° 53.585′ N, 93° 11.017′ W. Marker was in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. Marker could be reached from Tower Avenue, 0.3 miles east of Bloomington Road. Marker is at Historic Fort Snelling. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 200 Tower Avenue, Saint Paul MN 55111, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
sectionhead>More about this marker. photo captions:
• Men on snowshoes pulling machine gun, Fort Snelling, 1923. MNHS collections.
• Cavalry barracks, Fort Snelling, 1909. Courtesy Todd Hintz.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 694 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on August 4, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 28, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
