Architectural Styles at Fort Slocum

The buildings and structures of Fort Slocum were designed in a variety of architectural styles. This mix reflected the span of 80 years over which it had developed, from the late 1870s to the mid-1950s.

The most widespread architectural style at Fort Slocum was Colonial Revival, one of the major trends in American architecture from the 1890s to the 1930s. Other common styles on the post included Italianate, Romanesque Revival and Neoclassical Revival. The post also had examples of Queen Anne and Spanish Colonial Mission Revival buildings.

This mix of architectural styles was typical of Army posts that developed in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The mix was a product of the changing stylistic preferences of Army architects, the post’s changing needs, and the availability of funds in different periods.

While many of the post’s buildings reflected a particular architectural style, most expressed this style with restraint. First and foremost, the Army built Fort Slocum to serve military functions on tight budgets. Architectural refinement and ornamentation were secondary to the utility of its buildings.

Some buildings were so plain and utilitarian in their appearance that they do not easily fit into any named American architectural style. These utilitarian buildings often played secondary roles in Fort Slocum’s daily operations, were situated away from the main flow of activities, or were built quickly and expediently.

Architectural Styles

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Italianate: Officers' Quarters (Building 2; built 1878), view west, ca. 1939.

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Italianate, detail: Decorative brackets at eaves and pair of narrow windows framed by moldings. South facade, Officers' Quarters (Building 2), view north, November 2005.

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Queen Anne: Officers' Quarters (Building 5; built 1886), view northwest, ca. 1935.

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Queen Anne, detail: Brick chimneys with decorative terra cotta plaque (center of right chimney). Ruins of Officers' Quarters (Building 5), view southwest, October 2006.

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Romanesque Revival: Barracks (Building 69; built 1888), view northeast, ca. 1893.

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Romanesque Revival, detail: Round arch window openings and two styles of brickwork cornices. Tower and east wing of Barracks (Building 69), view northwest, January 2007.

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Romanesque Revival, detail: Terra cotta engaged dwarf column with foliate capital. Entrance to Barracks (Building 69) tower, view east-northeast, December 2005.

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Romanesque Revival: Commanding Officer's Quarters (Building 1; built 1893), original east facade, view west, ca. 1893.

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Romanesque Revival: Commanding Officer's Quarters (Building 1), east facade with brick porch (added before 1915), view west, ca. 1935.

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Romanesque Revival: Commanding Officer's Quarters (Building 1), east facade with enclosed second-floor sun porch (added about 1938), view west, ca. 1939.

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Romanesque Revival, detail: Cushion capital with foliate decoration. East facade porch, Commanding Officer's Quarters (Building 1), view west-northwest, January 2007.

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Colonial Revival: Early example of the style. Barracks (Building 63), built 1906, west facade with original wood porch, shown in view to northeast, ca. 1914.

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Colonial Revival: Altered examples of the style. Barracks (Buildings 64-61, left-right), built 1906-1909, shown after removal of wood porches in the late 1930s, view southeast, ca. 1941.

14-B015 QMStH c1935 NA-RG111

Colonial Revival: Early example of the style. Quartermaster Storehouse/Commissary (Building 16), built 1904, shown in view to northwest, ca. 1935.

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Colonial Revival: Early example of the style, emphasizing the centered gable and symmetrical facade. Officers' Quarters (Building 35), built 1910, shown in view to east-southeast, April 2006.

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Colonial Revival: Dentil moldings and short cornice returns. Northwest facade, Officers' Quarters (Building 35), view southeast, January 2007.

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Colonial Revival: Elaborate main entrance with one-story porch supported by Doric columns. Officers' Quarters (Building 35), view southeast, January 2007.

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Craftsman-influenced Colonial Revival: Officers' Quarters (Building 12; built 1910), east facade with prominent porch, view west, ca. 1935.

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Craftsman-influenced Colonial Revival, details: Porch with tall brick piers and square wood columns. Officers' Quarters (Building 12), view west, November 2005.

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Neoclassical: Administration Building (Building 13; built 1909), view west, ca. 1955.

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Neoclassical, details: Formal symmetry and projecting center pavilion with full-height porch. Administration Building (Building 13), view northwest, November 2005.

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Neoclassical, details: Doric pediment, entablature, and capitals reflect Classical precedents in the design of the center pavilion of the Administration Building (Building 13). East facade, view northwest, November 2005.

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Neoclassical, details: Doric design elements, plain columns, and elaborated doorway, Administration Building (Building 13), center pavilion, or portico. East facade, view northwest, November 2005.

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Neoclassical: Post Exchange (Building 70; built 1905), west facade with portico, view east-northeast, ca. 1939.

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Neoclassical: Ruins of west facade of Post Exchange (Building 70), view east-northeast, January 2007.

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Colonial Revival: A later example of the style, now greatly simplified. Barracks (Building 59), built 1939, showing the east facade in a view to west-northwest, ca. 1940.

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Colonial Revival: A later example of the style. North facade of Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters (Building 107), built 1930, looking south, ca. 1939.

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Colonial Revival, detail: Strong symmetry and plain facade with elaborated doorways, both characteristic of later expressions of the style. North facade of Non-Commissioned Officers' Quarters (Building 107), view southeast, January 2007.

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Mission: Chapel (Building 108; built 1909), view southwest, ca. 1917.

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Mission, details: Red tile roof and smooth stucco walls. Chapel (Building 108), north and east facades, view southeast, January 2007.

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Mission, details: Bell tower with arched opening, red tile roof, and exposed scrollwork rafter tails. Chapel (Building 108), view northwest, January 2007.

32-B034T TStHse fm1939 NA-RG77

Army Standardized Expedient, 600-series: Temporary Storehouse (Building T-34; built 1917), view northeast, ca. 1939.

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Army Standardized Expedient, 600-series, details: Wood frame with board-and-batten walls. Temporary Storehouse (Building T-34; built 1917, altered in 1950s), view north-northwest, March 2006.

34-B130-1 WAC BrrkAdmin c1943 NRPL_WWII temps

Army Standardized Expedient, 700-series, wood construction: WAC Barracks and WAC Recreation & Administration Building (Buildings 131-130, left-right; built 1943), view north, ca. 1943.

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Army Standardized Expedient, 700-series, concrete block construction: WAC Barracks (Building 134; built 1944), view north, March 2006.

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Army Expedient: Quartermaster Storehouse (Building 15; built ca. 1955), masonry walls with exterior stucco, view southeast, March 2006.