Hamburg Armory
Why it's listed
Built in 1938 as a federal public works project, the Hamburg Armory is a brick Art Deco building on a large corner lot in the Borough of Hamburg. Its administrative section, three and one-half stories tall, fronts the street with a limestone-framed central entrance inscribed "ARMORY," and it steps down to three stories at each end. Behind it, a two-and-one-half story rear section houses a drill hall measuring 59 by 78 feet with a wood floor. The building was designed by Elmer H. Adams of Esterly and John M. Kostecky Jr. of Camp Hill for Company D, 103rd Quartermaster Regiment, 28th Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Its interior includes a rifle range, kitchen, boiler room, class room, locker rooms, offices and a vault. The armory is important as a typical example of the state's armory building type, and it has kept its original windows and interior doors. A one-story brick addition from 1972 is the main later change.
Significance in brief: The armory is significant under criteria A and C as a member of the State Armory Building property type within the Pennsylvania National Guard Armories multiple property nomination. It was built as a federal public works project for Company D, 103rd Quartermaster Regiment, 28th Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The building retains good integrity, with only a 1972 one-story addition and a drop ceiling in the drill hall as major alterations.
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 91000511, listed May 9, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N. Fifth St., S of I-78, Hamburg |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | May 9, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000511 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Elmer H. Adams (architect); John M. Kostecky Jr. (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.56149, -75.98005 (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 91000511.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5644289
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.