Property Record
VOLK FIELD CRTC
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Former Buildings 403 and 404 |
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| Other Name: | Building 404 |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 142044 |
| Location (Address): | VOLK FIELD CRTC |
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| County: | Juneau |
| City: | Camp Douglas |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 17 |
| Range: | 2 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 21 |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1940 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2006 |
| Historic Use: | dining hall |
| Architectural Style: | Front Gabled |
| Structural System: | Masonry |
| Wall Material: | Tile |
| Architect: | Hengels, Henry C. |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | This building originally was two separate mess halls, former Buildings 404 and 403. Former Building 404 was constructed in 1940 as one of nine mess halls built in the Cavalry Regiment area. Former Building 403 was constructed in 1941. The two mess halls were designed by Lt. Colonel Henry C. Hengels, State of Wisconsin Military Architect and Engineer. Each mess hall was divided into two spaces: a kitchen and a dining area. The building was oriented so that the dining area faced the troop encampment. Former Building 404 featured an interior brick chimney and an exterior icebox door located near a corner of the kitchen (now removed). When constructed, both buildings had screened porches on the front (west) elevations. The screened porch was a characteristic of the wood-frame officers mess halls constructed during the 1920s and the Camp Headquarters mess hall (Building 301) completed by 1932. Between 1942 and 1944, the two mess halls (former Buildings 403 and 404) were joined by a connecting hyphen. The building was identified on a 1944 map as a double enlisted personnel mess hall. The building currently serves as an all-ranks club. Each former mess hall originally measured 25 x 65 feet. The connecting addition measured 25 x 30 feet and originally had a large exterior chimney on the center of the east elevation. The building rests on a stuccoed concrete wall foundation. The exterior walls are constructed of tan clay tile with red brick corner quoins. The intersecting gable roof is sheathed with composition shingles. The eave is sheathed in metal. The windows are metal-frame, one-over-one-light, double-hung sash units that replaced the original wood-frame, six-over-six-light, double-hung sash units. The windows have wood lintels and concrete sills. The original doorways in each end of the former mess halls have been replaced with windows. The current entry is through paired metal doors in the west elevation of the connecting addition. In 1978, the wood-frame walk-in cooler was added to the southeast corner of the building. The cooler subsequently was resided in pre-finished hardboard in 1984. In 1988, the connecting addition between the two former mess halls was rebuilt substantially to match the depth of the wings, and a mezzanine was added. The main entry was moved to the center of the west elevation. The screened porches on the west ends of the former mess halls were removed and enclosed with tan clay tile; the brick quoining from the original building ends was reinstalled on the corners of the additions. The upper gable ends of the west gable ends were finished with wood boards. The windows on the front gable ends were installed at this time. Window and door openings in the former mess halls were reconfigured. A wood deck was constructed on the south side of the building during the 1990s. In ca. 2003, the entire building was reroofed and the roof profile was changed to its current appearance. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Volk Field CRTC, real property records, drawings files. maps. Wisconsin National Guard Review, May 1940:5; December 1940:12; June 1941; July 1941:15. Wisconsin Veterans Museum Archives, Madison, blueprint drawings, Camp Williams. Wisconsin National Guard Museum, Volk Field CRTC, 1955 Conditions Survey. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |