{"nrhp_refnum":"06000512","name":"Bay City USO Building","other_names":["Bay City Service Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2105 Ave. M","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bay City","county":"Matagorda County","state":"TX","lat":28.98484718000003,"lon":-95.96238169999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-06-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Social History","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-to-two-story buff brick veneer building at 2105 Avenue M in Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas, built in 1941 as a World War II U.S.O. recreation center. Houston contractor Thomas Bate and Son erected it from a modified standardized military design.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for its role in the social and recreational life of Bay City and the surrounding area during World War II and the following decade. It is the only survivor of five similar U.S.O. buildings erected on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1941. It retains a high degree of integrity.","narrative":"Built in 1941 at 2105 Avenue M in Bay City, Texas, this U.S.O. building was one of 16 recreation buildings erected for servicemen that year in Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona. Houston contractor Thomas Bate and Son constructed it from a modified standardized military plan, using Federal and community funding. The buff brick veneer structure combines a flat-roofed one-story section, with ribbon-like banks of windows recalling International Style design, and a front-gabled two-story auditorium. It contains a reception room, kitchen, meeting rooms, offices and a stage. It opened in February 1942 and served military personnel, many from nearby Camp Hulen, until 1946, when the landowning Pierce Estate deeded it to American Legion Post #11, which has run it as a community center since. Original oak furniture stamped with Federal markings remains. It is the only survivor of five U.S.O. buildings built on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1941, and it is listed for its role in local social history and recreation.","period_of_significance":"1942-1956","architect_builder":"Architect: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Builder: Thomas Bate and Son","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: International Style","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Described as in good condition and still serving as a community center, operated by a local American Legion post.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.584023-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/66/9729/40972966/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/06000512.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000512/31eccffb57-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000512/31eccffb57-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bay_City_Texas_USO_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bay_City_Texas_USO_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972966","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002637"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/matagorda-county/bay-city-uso-building-06000512/"}