Navy Park Historic District

Navy Park is a 100-acre housing development in northeast Orange, Texas, built by the U.S. Navy in 1941 as shipyard work along the Sabine River drew thousands of workers and Navy personnel and caused a severe housing shortage. Construction began in February 1941, and the project was finished that May at a cost of $1.5 million. Its one-story, gable-roofed houses have steel frames and stucco over fiberboard and metal lath, and come as singles, duplexes and quadruplexes in nine plan variations. The streets combine a straight grid with a U-shaped curve and include grassy boulevard medians, along with a creek tract used as a park and two small bridges. The plans were shared with Navy defense housing projects in Norfolk, Long Beach and Jacksonville. About 80 percent of the original buildings survive, and most still serve as homes. It was recognized for its role in wartime community planning and for its standardized, utilitarian architecture.