Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Rock Island County, IL

Significance: Rock Island Arsenal is one of only two "old-line," nineteenth-century arsenals still in operation for munitions production. Established in 1862 as a military storage and repair depot, the arsenal was designated an ordnance manufacturing facility two years later. For the next thirty years, it produced very little ordnance, concentrating instead on completing its own construction program. In 1895, the arsenal began the manufacture of artillery carriages, which has remained its chief area of specialization to the present time. Since the Korean War, the arsenal has also become a production center for a variety of high-priority, small-lot ordnance items that private industry cannot economically manufacture. Because of its cohesive architectural styling and tremendous contribution to American ordnance development and manufacture, Rock Island Arsenal was designated a National Register Historic District in 1969.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-6
Survey number: HAER IL-20
Building/structure dates: 1862 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1874 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 69000057