Great Lakes Naval Training Station

Mainside, the oldest part of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, sits on a bluff above Lake Michigan about thirty-five miles north of Chicago. The 193.2-acre district contains the original Naval Training Station, built in 1906-1911 to designs by Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt. Its red brick buildings with dark terra cotta trim are arranged formally and axially across three plateaus separated by a wooded ravine along Pettibone Creek. Groups include the Administration Building and Drill Hall around the Parade Ground, the main and receiving dormitories, the hospital, the lakeshore boathouse and power house, and Brick Row, a line of officers' residences. Later additions from World War I and one from World War II followed Hunt's scale and plan. Of 124 buildings, structures and sites, 44 are major contributing components. Most buildings remain in use and keep much of their original exterior appearance, which gives the district a consistent architectural character tied to the Station's founding in 1904 and dedication in 1911.