NROTC Naval Armory

In the chronology

1. September 1942 Archie Royal Davis's plans for the Naval Armory are settled and building begins After weeks of argument with consulting architect Arthur C. Nash, Durham architect Archie Royal Davis had his design for a Georgian Revival armory approved in mid-September 1942; R. K. Stewart and Son built it for about $41,000, meant as a temporary building to be replaced after the war. The Weekly had already described Davis's design, in the colonial style of the Carolina Inn, when bids were being opened on August 20, 1942, and on December 11 it reported the armory nearly finished, to be occupied when the University opened for the winter term on January 6, 1943. People: Arthur Cleveland Nash, Archie Royal Davis NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 32 · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, August 21, 1942, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, December 11, 1942, p. 1
2. January 1943 The Naval ROTC moves into its new armory on South Columbia Street The NROTC took over its new armory in January 1943, with classrooms in use by January 7 and a drill hall whose mezzanine served as a ship's bridge for drills. It is the first NROTC unit's building in North Carolina and has housed ROTC training ever since. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 33 · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, August 21, 1942, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, December 11, 1942, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, December 18, 1942, p. 2
3. February 19, 1943 The NROTC holds its annual dance to open the new armory The Naval ROTC dedicated its armory with its annual Navy dance on the drill deck, with the Navy B-1 Band, the Black enlisted musicians stationed with the Pre-Flight School, named as the band. The drill deck stayed a favorite dance floor through the war. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 34
4. November 1945 Navy officers move into the NROTC Armory as the V-12 program ends With the Pre-Flight and V-12 programs closed and remaining V-12 men absorbed into an enlarged NROTC, the Navy officers who had worked in Navy Hall moved their offices to the NROTC Armory. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 36
5. June 1947 A bronze plaque honoring Lt. George Howard Jr. is placed at the Naval Armory A plaque to naval officer Lt. George Howard Jr. was put up under the armory's portico, where it still hangs. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 10
6. early 1950s The Navy installs an "Attack Teacher" submarine-hunting trainer in the armory basement A mock warship interior with sonar room, bridge and plotting room was built into the armory basement to train midshipmen in antisubmarine work; it was still in use around 1970. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 37
7. November 1961 Student Peace Union symbols are painted on UNC's military buildings and the armory gun In one of the first antiwar acts on campus, someone painted the Student Peace Union insignia on several military buildings and on the antiaircraft gun in front of the Naval Armory. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 39
8. 1962-1963 Failing roof trusses at the Naval Armory are replaced with steel In 1962 three of the armory's wooden roof trusses failed from a design flaw and poor 1942 lumber, and scaffolding held up the drill hall roof; Clancy and Theys Construction swapped in steel trusses one at a time, finishing in 1963 at a cost of about $25,500. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 37
9. April 22, 1965 "Get out of Vietnam" is painted on the gun outside the Naval Armory Overnight, someone lettered an antiwar slogan on the antiaircraft gun on the armory lawn; NROTC officers called it a childish prank. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 39
10. May 5, 1970 Antiwar marchers lower the Naval Armory flag for the Kent State dead During a 2,000-student march against the Cambodia invasion, protesters took down the flag at the armory to half staff for the students killed at Kent State; NROTC students pushed back and raised it again before the march moved on to South Building. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 39
11. December 3, 1970 Students march on the Naval Armory and serve an eviction notice on the NROTC Led by two 1969 West Point graduates, student protesters marched to the armory and served a mock eviction notice, arguing the revised ROTC curriculum only made military training easier to accept. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 40
12. 1979 N.C. State students join UNC's Naval ROTC in a joint program NC State University joined UNC's NROTC unit in a shared program in 1979, before starting its own unit in 1988. NC State Historic Preservation Office: Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Naval Armory at UNC-Chapel Hill, National Register nomination (OR1541), p. 27

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