South Lake Union in Seattle in King County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

U.S. Naval Reserve Armory

— 1942 —

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, August 22, 2024

1. U.S. Naval Reserve Armory Marker

Inscription. MOHAI’s home has a history. This site on the southern shore of Lake Union was a Duwamish settlement before waves of industrialization transformed the lake beginning in the 1880s. The building, now home to the Museum of History & Industry, was originally a Naval Reserve Armory.

Lobbying for a Naval Reserve Armory on Lake Union began in the mid-1930s. The first World War signaled the importance of a strong navy in modern warfare. Officials ultimately dedicated the building on July 4, 1942 when the country was heavily involved in a Second World War.

Thousands of reservists trained in the Armory. They served in active duty in every conflict from World War II to Operation Desert Storm. The Navy left the building to the city in the 1990s. MOHAI has called it home since 2012.

Caption
(Photo #1) The USS Waxbill is berthed alongside the Armory in this 1949 image. Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington D.C., All Hands Collection, NH 96981

Erected by MOHAI (Museum of History & Industry).

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm

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• War, World II. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 47° 37.649′ N, 122° 20.225′ W. Marker is in Seattle, Washington, in King County. It is in South Lake Union. It can be reached from Terry Avenue North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA 98109, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Seattle Fire Department bell (here, next to this marker); Millstone (a few steps from this marker); Camas Mill Millstone (a few steps from this marker); Clock from Carroll’s Fine Jewelry (within shouting distance of this marker); At Work on Lake Union (within shouting distance of this marker); The Steamer Virginia V (within shouting distance of this marker); Arthur Foss (within shouting distance of this marker); Swiftsure (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seattle.

Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. The former Naval Reserve Armory was listed in the National

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, August 22, 2024

2. U.S. Naval Reserve Armory Marker

NRHP Statement of Significance: Built on the eve of World War II, on the southwest shore of Seattle's Lake Union, the Naval Reserve Armory is a historically and architecturally significant structure closely associated with the history of the Navy in the Pacific Northwest, with Depression-era public works programs, with military mobilization during World War II, and with the role of the armed services in Seattle in the 20th century. Completed in 1942 using WPA funding, the Armory was a community based project that the federal government eventually designated as an official National Defense Project at the start of World War II, and which served as an Advanced Naval Training School during the war. It was renovated for use as a Naval Reserve Center during the nation's initial Naval Reserve facilities program following the war and continued to serve as a center of Navy and Marine training and preparedness in Seattle until the last decade of the 20th century. The building meets Criterion A, for its association with the mobilization during World War II and as a signifier of the close relationship between the Seattle community and the armed services in the 20th century; and Criterion C, as an example of an austere Art Deco / PWA Modeme building as designed by William R. Grant and Marcus Priteca. The building's period of significance begins
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, August 22, 2024

3. U.S. Naval Reserve Armory
in 1942, the date of completion for the building, and ends in 1945, representing it service during World War II.

(Submitted on February 8, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 8, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.