Civic Purpose

Civic Purpose. Exploring the History of Block No. 148 - The Site of Anniston's Federal Courthouse. In the early 1940s, all of the buildings on Block 148 were demolished to make way for two new buildings, the USO Recreation Center and a public health building. Paul W. Hofferbert designed the USO building for the Army. Hofferbert was a local architect based in Gadsden, Alabama, who designed many buildings in the area., Following World War 11, the USO Budding was used as Anniston City Hall and Auditorium. In 1963, racial tensions prompted the City to form the biracial Human Relations Council, which met in City Hall. Its formation was lauded by President John F. Kennedy, who said it should “serve as a model” for other American cities., The USO Building on Block 148 was built to serve the white soldiers and officers stationed at Fort McClellan during World War II. At the time, the Army was segregated and a separate USO for Black soldiers was erected at the corner of West 14th Street and Cooper Avenue. After the War, this building was used as the Carver Community Center (replaced in 1969)., [Captions (top to bottom)] , . The USO Building under construction, circa 1942, at the northeast corner of Block 148. After world war two, the building became the City Auditorium, and in 1951, Anniston City Hall. , . A crowd gathers at the soda fountain in the USO Building, circa 1943. , . The Public Health Building at the southeast corner of Block 148 was built in 1946 and was used continuously until it was demolished to make way for the new Federal Courthouse. , . The Carver Community Center, shown in this circa 1947 photograph with Director C.M. Mitchell, was constructed in 1941 as a USO building to serve Black soldiers stationed at Fort McClellan. Its doors opened January 31, 1942. , Circa 1950 aerial photograph of Downtown Anniston, Alabama; Images courtesy of the Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County and the Russell Brothers Collection.