Gettysburg Armory
Why it's listed
Built in 1938 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg Armory is a one-story brick building in the Art Deco style, with flemish bond walls, a concrete foundation and an asphalt-shingled gable roof. Three double-door entrances on the front facade open into the drill hall, which occupies the entire first floor, and the entrances are flanked by fluted pylons. Metal casement windows run along the sides and rear, and the gable ends have vertical strips of glass block. The administration area is in the basement. Architect John B. Hamme of York designed the building for Company E of the 103rd Quartermaster Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is one of 17 Pennsylvania armories built in 1938, most funded by the federal Public Works Administration. During World War II it also provided shower facilities for a nearby prisoner of war camp. The building is regarded as having excellent integrity, and the nomination treats it as significant for military use and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the armory is significant under criteria A and C for its role in military use and as an example of a 1938 Pennsylvania National Guard armory design. It is one of 17 armories built in Pennsylvania in 1938, most funded by the federal Public Works Administration. The building also served as shower facilities for a local prisoner of war camp during World War II.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90000422, listed April 18, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 315 W. Confederate Ave., Gettysburg |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | April 18, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000422 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938-1939 |
| Architect / builder | John B. Hamme (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continued military use; two later buildings added to the site, and a former garage space has been partitioned for a classroom and storage. |
| Acreage | 3.9 |
| Within district | Gettysburg National Military Park |
| Coordinates | 39.82713, -77.24367 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90000422.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5554746
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.