1918 Cadillac Type 57, Gardiner, Jefferson County, WA

Significance: The 1918 Cadillac Type 57 with engine number 57A704, also known by its United States military designation U.S. 1257X, is nationally significant. U.S. 1257X was used in the First World War (WWI) as a support vehicle for the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) and Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) efforts. The Cadillac's first owner was Rev. Dr. John Hopkins Denison, Y.M.C.A secretary in France during WWI, clergyman, author and scholar. The vehicle is also associated with Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the daughter-in-law of former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt, who was charged with leading women's official involvement in WWI. The V-8 Cadillac touring car featured engineering prowess that proved itself on the battlefield after passing military testing to serve as an official car of the U.S. Army for WWI. Its engine is representative of the first mass produced V-8 that was initially placed in the Cadillac Type 51 in September 1914. U.S. 1257X is one of the only remaining vehicles used by the United States abroad in WWI and is the only known Cadillac to have participated in the war with a documented service record. It retains many of its original materials, components, craftsmanship, and evidence of its service during the war.
Survey number: HAER WA-225
Building/structure dates: 1917 Initial Construction