Coraopolis Armory
Why it's listed
Built in 1938 in the Moderne style, the Coraopolis Armory sits near the southeast corner of its lot facing Fifth Avenue in the Borough of Coraopolis. It was designed by Thomas Roy Hinckley of Pittsburgh and constructed as Public Works Administration Project 1850-D, one of seventeen Pennsylvania armories built that year with federal funds. The brick T-plan building combines a two-story administrative section with a one-story drill hall. Its concrete foundation, stone-coped parapets, and paired multi-light casement windows set between stone panels mark its design. Inside, the drill hall has a wood floor and Warren-type space frames, and the basement held a kitchen, mess hall, pistol range and cryptography room. The building is significant for its association with the Pennsylvania National Guard, which used it for storage, meetings and training, and as a representative of the state's armory building type. The original windows remain, though exterior doors were replaced.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the armory is significant under criteria A and C for its role in Pennsylvania's military history as a place serving the Pennsylvania National Guard for storage, meetings and training. It is also presented as a distinctive example of the armory building type, one of seventeen Pennsylvania armories built in 1938 with federal funds and one of thirty-seven in the state with a T plan.
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 91001695, listed November 14, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 835 Fifth Ave., Coraopolis |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | November 14, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001695 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Roy Hinckley (architect), of Pittsburgh |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.51957, -80.16873 (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 91001695.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5169651
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.