Mountain View Officers' Club

Mountain View Officers' Club, built in 1942, is a historic structure that originally served as an officers' club for African American soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. It was long vacant, but was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017 and there have been plans for its renovation.

Mountain View Officers' Club
Mountain View Officers' Club is located in Arizona
Mountain View Officers' Club
Mountain View Officers' Club is located in the United States
Mountain View Officers' Club
LocationKilbourn Ave., Fort Huachuca, Arizona
Coordinates31.54584°N 110.33669°W / 31.54584; -110.33669
Arealess than one acre[1]
Built1942
Built byDel E. Webb Construction Company
ArchitectWhite and Miller, Inc.
NRHP reference No.100000549[2]
Added to NRHPJanuary 24, 2017[2]

History

Fort Huachuca had the highest number of African American soldiers at any military installation in the United States between the years of 1892 and 1946.[3]

In 1942, the Mountain View Officers' Club was one of 1,400 buildings built to accommodate Fort Huachuca's Black infantry divisions. The club is the fort's only surviving recreational facility from this time.[3][4]

The club was vacated in 1998 and has since faced multiple threats of demolition.[3]

Restoration efforts

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017 as a result of two years of discussions between the U.S. Army authorities at Fort Huachuca, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, and the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation.[1]

The listing included one contributing building and four contributing structures.[1]

In 2018, Arizona State Parks and Trails received $500,000 from the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Fund for the purpose of restoring the club. The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has also supported restoration efforts with a 2018 grant.[5][6] Additional financial supporters have included the Pascua Yaqui tribe and Buffalo Soldier organizations.[7]

As of 2022, the club still stands and is undergoing an extensive restoration project.[7]


References
  1. William Collins; Jennifer Levstik (June 12, 2015). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Mountain View Officers' Club / Building 66050 / Colored Officers' Club". National Park Service. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Includes historic photos and nine photos from 2012.
  2. "National Register of Historic Places Weekly Lists 2017" (PDF). National Park Service.
  3. "Mountain View Officers' Club at Fort Huachuca | National Trust for Historic Preservation". savingplaces.org. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  4. Hernandez, Nicole; Watts Cronkite, Alexandra (July 19, 2019). "New life on horizon for former Fort Huachuca black officers' club". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  5. "Arizona State Parks & Trails Receives Grant Funding To Restore The Mountain View Officers' Club". Office of the Arizona Governor. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  6. "$1.1M awarded to preserve African-American historic sites". The Holland Sentinel. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  7. dana.chiueh@myheraldreview.com, Dana Chiueh. "Progress made on Mountain View Officers Club restoration". Herald/Review Media. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
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