National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a).

1. Name of Property historic name Arsenal Courts Historic District other names/site number Name of Multiple Property Listing N/A (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing)

2. Location street & number 1400 5th Street n/a not for publication city or town Rock Island n/a vicinity state Illinois county Rock Island zip code 61201

3. State/Federal Agency Certification

As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national statewide local Applicable National Register Criteria: A B C D

Signature of certifying official/Title: Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Date Illinois Department of Natural Resources - SHPO State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government

In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.

Signature of commenting official Date

Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government

4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is:

entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register

determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register

other (explain:)

Signature of the Keeper Date of Action

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

5. Classification

Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.)

Contributing Noncontributing X private building(s) 43 0 buildings public - Local X district site public - State site structure public - Federal structure object object 43 0 Total

Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register

none

6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) DOMESTIC/Multiple Dwelling DOMESTIC/Multiple Dwelling

7. Description

Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) LATE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY REVIVALS/Colonial Revival foundation: not visible

walls: BRICK

roof: ASPHALT

other: Lintels: STONE/Sandstone

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity).

Summary Paragraph

The Arsenal Courts apartment complex is located on the west side of Rock Island, Illinois (Figure 1). It was constructed in 1940-41 by the United States Housing Administration. Its purpose was to provide housing for workers recruited by the federal government to relocate to Rock Island to help address the rapidly expanding workforce needs at the Rock Island Arsenal, one of the nation’s largest military facilities. Constructed on about nineteen acres of land, Arsenal Courts was originally a group of 52 one- and two- story buildings, totaling 305 housing units (Figure 5). The apartment complex was designed with units in a variety of configurations in terms of the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Also constructed in 1940- 41 was an Administration Building and a storage building, making a total of 54 buildings.

The complex was designed by the prominent early 20th century Rock Island firm Cervin & Stuhr. The buildings are a simple, rectangular design, with most having flat roofs and lacking ornamentation. The complex’s mimimal architectural detailing, such as lattice type porch columns, and pedimented porch roofs, was influenced by Colonial Revival design.

During an ownership change in the mid-1990s, selected building demolition occurred to create more open space at specific locations in the complex. Today Arsenal Courts is a group of 41 one- and two-story buildings, totaling 238 housing units (Figure 1). The Administration Building and storage building still exist, making a total of 43 buildings. In addition, a Community Building was constructed in the mid-1990s, which is outside the historic property boundaries.

Through its extant site plan, building configurations, apartment layouts, and original exterior and interior features, Arsenal Courts retains the necessary aspects of integrity of location, setting, materials, design, and workmanship to communicate its function as an apartment complex and original relationship to its surroundings. In addition, Arsenal Courts retains its feeling and association with its apartment complex history and as a direct link to the creation of defense worker housing at the onset of World War II.

______Narrative Description

Setting and Design Arsenal Courts is located about two miles from the Rock Island Arsenal, a large military facility dating to the 19th century situated on a 945-acre island in the Mississippi River. Rock Island Arsenal was designated a National Register Historic District in 1969 because of its cohesive architectural styling and contribution to American ordnance development and manufacture (NR 69000057).

The Arsenal Courts apartment complex, located on the west side of Rock Island, Illinois, was a large housing development compared to the development pattern and scale of the surrounding area, known since the 1990s as the Douglas Park neighborhood. In 1900, Rock Island was only about three-square miles in size, with about 19,500 residents. In order to expand, Rock Island looked southwestward.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Through several annexations, over the next two decades Rock Island successfully expanded south to the Rock River and west to the Mississippi River. This included the area that later became Arsenal Courts, which became part of Rock Island by the mid-1910s.1

The apartment complex is bounded by 5th Street (east), 12th Avenue (north), 3rd Street (west), and 16th Avenue (south). The surrounding neighborhood on the north, east, and south sides is laid out in a grid pattern. Blocks are commonly 300 feet in length, with six or seven single-family houses per block. As a generalization, lots are approximately 40 to 50 feet wide and 145 feet deep. Garages have rear access from alleys. The neighborhood is dominated by small, early 20th century, vernacular or bungalow style single-family houses2 (Figure 2). To the west, an industrial area that originally bordered Arsenal Courts has been replaced by a freeway, the Centennial Expressway (Illinois Route 92).

The Arsenal Courts architects, Cervin & Stuhr, utilized several solutions to address the difference in scale between a neighborhood of small houses on small lots compared to a 305-unit apartment complex on sixteen acres.

First, the architects incorporated vehicle and pedestrian circulation networks into Arsenal Courts, dividing the site into smaller blocks, which still exist today. A series of public streets with driveways on 5th Street relates the site to the grid street pattern of the surrounding neighborhood. This relationship to the neighborhood is reinforced with multiple walkways that also meet the public sidewalk on 5th Street (Figure 2). Internal to the site, the architects designed parking areas, sidewalks, and pedestrian circulation paths to provide order to a location accommodating about 1,300 residents. Overall, the design enables the large-scale development to have the walkable feel of a less densely populated neighborhood.

Second, the architects purposely reinforced the impression of a less dense development and more walkable area through the layout of the 54 buildings. One- and two-story buildings are distributed throughout the complex, building alignments change (north-south and east-west), and varying the number of units per building resulted in buildings of different lengths (Figure 1). In addition, Architectural Record noted that the "smaller buildings were distributed along the perimeter so as to be the first seen by visitors, or used at the end of vistas."3 All of these design decisions were to purposely create the impression of a less dense development than the actual density of nineteen units per acre.

To provide consistent design throughout the complex, Cervin & Stuhr designed the buildings to share basic exterior features, but used a variety of different details throughout the buildings. All of the exterior walls are red brick laid in a stretcher bond pattern, the square or rectangular shaped window openings have stone sills, and front entrances are sheltered by small roof features (Photos 1 through 7). The buildings do not have basements.

1 James E. Jacobsen, Rock Island's Historic Residential Neighborhoods, 1835-1955: A Summary Report (Rock Island: Rock Island Preservation Commission, March 11, 1999), pp. 11-12. Accessed August 15, 2019, https://www.rigov.org/DocumentCenter/View/1109/Historic- Residential-Neighborhoods-1835-1955?bidId=. 2 City of Rock Island, Douglas Park Neighborhood Plan (City of Rock Island, October 1994), pp. 20-21. 3 "Defense Claims A Housing Project," Architectural Record 90, no. 5 (November 1941): 80.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Two-Story Building Types Cervin & Stuhr designed all of the two-story buildings with a rectangular plan and a row house configuration, meaning they contain two-story units, built with shared side walls. Today there are 29 two- story buildings in the complex.

The two-story units created a more home-like feeling, with a traditional layout familiar to the residents: a living room and kitchen downstairs, with bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. In larger units, a bedroom and bathroom were also incorporated into the first floor. Each unit also has first-floor entrances in the front and rear, creating direct access to the outdoors and adding to the home-like feeling.

Twenty-two of the two-story buildings have flat roofs, while seven have gable roofs with asphalt shingles (Photos 8 and 9). Front entrances are marked by either a pedimented gable roof supported by two columns or a shed roof supported by metal brackets. These small roofs also have asphalt shingles (Photos 8 and 9). Groupings of contrasting color standing soldier bricks are located above each entrance feature (Photo 10). Short brick chimneys with stone caps extend above the roofline, (Photo 9) which vent the boiler and hot water tank located in a utility closet adjacent to the kitchen in each unit.

Arsenal Courts was designed with four types of two-story buildings, with each type representing a specific total number of units per building. Within a building, two or three different unit configurations existed, representing different combinations of bedrooms and bathrooms. Overall in the two-story buildings, the number of bedrooms ranges from one to four in each unit, while the number of bathrooms is one or two. The various bedroom and bathroom layouts remain intact today.

Building Number of Units Number of Unit Number of Type Number of Type Type in Building Configurations Originally Constructed Existing in 2019 A 10 2 12 10 B 8 3 11 9 C 6 3 8 8 D 3 2 7 2

One-Story Building Type Cervin & Stuhr designed only one type of one-story building – identified as Type E. Today there are 12 one-story buildings in the complex. All of these one-story buildings are rectangular in plan. Eight of the buildings have hipped roofs with clipped ridge lines at opposite ends, and four have gable roofs (Photos 11 and 12). Originally, each one-story building contained two units, with each unit having one bedroom and one bathroom. In the late 20th century, each one-story building was converted into one unit having two bathrooms and three bedrooms (the extra kitchen was converted into a third bedroom). The extra front and rear entrance openings were bricked up to match the existing exterior walls.

Building Number of Units Number of Unit Number of Type Number of Type Type in Building Configurations Originally Constructed Existing in 2019 E see note 1 14 12 Note: Type E buildings were constructed with two units. In the late 20th century, each Type E building was converted to one unit.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Non-Residential Buildings In addition to the 41 total residential buildings today, there are three non-residential buildings. The original Administration Building is located in the northwest section of the property. It is a one-story, brick, flat-roofed building with a raised basement (Photo 13). First-floor uses for the building originally included community rooms, administrative staff offices, and a banking facility with a still existing walk-in safe. Basement uses included restrooms, maintenance staff office, storage, coal room, and boiler. A small brick addition to the southeast corner of the building in the mid-1960s is compatible with the original design (Photo 13). Today the building houses maintenance staff and storage. The area behind the Administration Building was originally a children's playground and splash pad. This is now a paved parking area.

Adjacent to the northwest corner of the Administration Building is the second non-residential building, the original storage building for the complex (Photo 13). It is a one-story, flat roof, rectangular brick building with several small window openings high on the north and south walls and an overhead door opening on the east end.

The third non-residential building, the current Community Building, was built in the mid-1990s at the mid- point of the 5th Street frontage. It is a one-story brick and vinyl sided building with a hipped roof with asphalt shingles. The building houses administrative offices, a community room, restrooms, and all mailboxes for the complex. The Community Building construction coincided with the 1995 name change of the apartment complex to Century Woods, when ownership changed from public (Rock Island Housing Authority) to private. The Community Building is located outside the boundary of this historic property nomination, as is the abutting open area to the west, where several original two-story buildings were demolished in the mid-1990s.

Renovations Renovations that occurred during the 1980s and 1990s to all existing buildings were non-structural and included replacement of windows, entrance doors, and porch columns; installation of half-view storm doors; addition of non-historic siding on eaves, fascias, and porch elements; remodeling of kitchens and bathrooms; and replacement of floor coverings. In addition, eleven specifically located buildings (nine two-story buildings of various types and two one-story buildings) were removed to strategically add open space within the complex.

Integrity Even with the changes that have occurred since its construction in 1940-41, the Arsenal Courts apartment complex continues to be a visually distinct place within its neighborhood of small, early 20th century, vernacular, single-family houses situated on small lots and short blocks. As a place, Arsenal Courts continues to retain the integrity of its location, expansive setting, and layout. The integrity of this group of 43 buildings is also reflected in the intact design, materials, and workmanship of the shared architectural and construction features, both on the building exteriors and the original interior layouts. Finally, Arsenal Courts retains its feeling and association with its apartment complex history and as a direct link to the creation of defense worker housing at the onset of World War II.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Building Spreadsheet Original Current Resource Building Number of Number of Number of Roof Type Contributing Number Type Stories Units Units

1 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 2 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 3 A 10 10 2 Gable Yes 4 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 5 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 6 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 7 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 8 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes 9 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes 10 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 11 D 3 3 2 Flat Yes 12 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 13 E 2 1 1 Gable Yes 14 E 2 1 1 Gable Yes 15 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 16 E 2 1 1 Gable Yes 17 E 2 1 1 Gable Yes 18 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 19 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 20 C 6 6 2 Flat Yes 21 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 22 C 6 6 2 Flat Yes 23 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 24 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes 25 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 26 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 27 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 28 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 29 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 30 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 31 D 3 3 2 Flat Yes 32 E 2 1 1 Hip Yes 33 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes 34 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Original Current Resource Building Number of Number of Number of Number Type Units Units Stories Roof Type Contributing 35 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 36 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 37 A 10 10 2 Flat Yes 38 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 39 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 40 B 8 8 2 Flat Yes 41 C 6 6 2 Gable Yes 42 Admin. Bldg. N/A N/A 1 plus basement Flat Yes 43 Storage Bldg. N/A N/A 1 Flat Yes Total 238

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions.) for National Register listing.) MILITARY X A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high Period of Significance artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack 1940-1950 individual distinction.

D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Significant Dates

1940

Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Significant Person Property is: (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) n/a A Owned by a religious institution or used for religious

purposes.

B removed from its original location. Cultural Affiliation (if applicable) n/a C a birthplace or grave.

D a cemetery. Architect/Builder E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. Architect: William Stuhr, partner in Cervin &

F a commemorative property. Stuhr, Rock Island, IL Builder: The Lovering Construction Co., St.

G less than 50 years old or achieving significance Paul, MN within the past 50 years.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

______Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any applicable criteria considerations).

Arsenal Courts is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in the category of Military, which is defined as “the system of defending the territory and sovereignty of a people.” Arsenal Courts was one of the earliest housing projects in Illinois funded and built through the Federal Works Agency, United States Housing Authority, for the purpose of creating – on an emergency basis – new housing units at below market rates exclusively for workers employed in support of the United States military and its allies just prior to the start of World War II. In this instance, one or more persons living in each Arsenal Courts unit was employed at the Rock Island Arsenal, located just two miles away from the apartment complex. During World War II, the Rock Island Arsenal was one of the country’s largest arsenals, as well as a manufacturer of munitions and military equipment.

The Period of Significance is 1940 - 1950. It begins in 1940, with the start of construction of the Arsenal Courts apartment complex. After World War II the demand for housing exclusively for defense workers subsided, and the Period of Significance ends in 1950 when federal officials ordered the Rock Island Housing Authority to change Arsenal Courts to low income housing for families in general.

Arsenal Courts is also associated with the Rock Island Arsenal (National Register of Historic Places, September 30, 1969 (#69000057); National Historic Landmark, June 7, 1988), an important United States conventional munitions plant since the late 19th century. It is located on Arsenal Island in the Mississippi River, in proximity to the Quad Cities area that includes Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline in northwestern Illinois, along with Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa.

______Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.)

The town of Rock Island, originally named Stephenson, was founded in 1835. In 1841 the name was changed to Rock Island, using the existing name of the large island in the Mississippi River. By 1860 the population was 5,130, and the town had grown into a commercial center transporting its products by utilizing steamboat shipping and the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, which connected the Mississippi River town to Chicago.

For the 945-acre Rock Island in the Mississippi River, its military role evolved through the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was the location of a U.S. military fort (1816-1836), and remained an ordnance depot until 1845. An Act of Congress in 1862 created the Rock Island Arsenal, and the island was used as a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers (1863-1865). After the Civil War, the Arsenal expanded first as an ordnance depot and then as a manufacturing facility. The facility had an important role in the Spanish American War (1898) and World War I (1914-1918). For the Spanish American War, production included small arms, cavalry equipment, personal equipment for soldiers, and artillery carriages. By World War I, the arsenal produced large quantities of field artillery carriages, repair chests, rifles, loaded shells, and personal equipment items. Employment levels fluctuated widely during periods of conflict or peace. For example, employment surged from 600 to 3,900 during the Spanish American War, declined to 1,975 in 1914 and rose to 14,400 in 1918. Due to the rapid

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State increase in employees and the resulting shortage of private housing, the Arsenal constructed a number of single-family homes throughout the surrounding communities.4

The Arsenal continued its work during the interwar period, and as the next global conflict neared, the Arsenal took on great importance for wartime manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping. The United States' "commitment to aid nations at war with the Axis Powers and the need to replace and build-up its own ordnance stores resulted in an explosion of war production. Of course, government munitions plants like the Rock Island Arsenal experienced the 'boom' in production before most private industries."5 The Arsenal operated in the mid-1930s with about 1,800 workers.6 By July, 1940, employment had risen to nearly 6,000 persons, and peaked on July 7, 1943 at 18,675 workers.7

The housing issue relative to the defense program was a national issue. In July, 1940, the President's Advisory Defense Commission noted that "unless new housing facilities are provided immediately in key manufacturing cities, the entire defense program will bog down. The government has been making plans for the building of munitions plants and airplane factories and placing orders which cannot possibly be carried out without finding dwellings for the new workers." The commission recommended that 1) funds be provided immediately for defense housing projects to be started with the President's approval; 2) defense orders be placed only where housing can be made available; 3) local authorities plan defense housing projects in the quickest manner possible; and 4) housing facilities "be of a permanent character so that the cities will not be cluttered with makeshift slums after a few years." Rock Island was specifically mentioned in the report, with local authorities noting that "prospective arsenal workers now refusing employment in Rock Island, Ill. due to housing shortage."8 The 1940 Census reported that Rock Island had 12,581 total dwelling units, 201 of which were vacant (1.6%).9

Rock Island Arsenal's capacity needed to increase, but was constrained by a housing and labor shortage in the area. As it became "more difficult in 1940 to obtain applicants for skilled positions, approximately one hundred radio stations in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan were requested to broadcast the urgent need for skilled workers at the arsenal. From time to time various newspapers were requested to publish news items regarding the labor shortage at the Arsenal and a special recruiter was sent by the Employment Office to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas to seek skilled workers."10

The resulting influx of workers and their families created a severe shortage for worker housing and drove prices upward. Business Week reported “in late October 1940 that the increased employment at the Rock Island Arsenal had caused rents [to] soar to Chicago levels, and the housing problem in the Tri-Cities area . . . [accordingly] grows toward crisis proportions.”11

4 Rock Island Arsenal, History, https://home.army.mil/ria/index.php/about/history, accessed June 23, 2019; United States Army Sustainment Command History Office, An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, 2010, pp.157-176, 182-195, http://www.arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/museum/museumhistory.html, accessed June 23, 2019. 5 An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, p. 219. 6 An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, pp. 207-208. 7 "Capacity Operation for Arsenal Assured," The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida), July 24, 1940, p. 3; An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, p. 223. 8 "Home Shortage Imperils U. S. Defense Plans," The Pittsburgh Press, July 7, 1940, p. 24. 9 "Bureau of Census Reports Housing Condition in Illinois," The Times (Streator, Illinois), October 7, 1940, p. 10. 10 Rock Island Arsenal Public Information Office, Rock Island Arsenal Progress Centennial 1862-1962, published circa 1962, p. 34. 11 Steve Urie, Rock Island: An American History, Small Pond Publishing, 2012, p. 237. 11

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

One of the housing solutions was to have federal agencies fund and build apartment complexes exclusively to house defense workers and their families. The dedication plaque on the Administration Building at Arsenal Courts credits two federal entities: the United States Housing Authority (USHA) and the Federal Works Agency (FWA). USHA was established in the Department of the Interior by the Housing Act of 1937 "to administer grants-in-aid and loans to local public housing authorities in accordance with its established standards of construction in that part of the housing field which cannot be reached economically by private enterprise."12 As part of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1939 (effective July 1, 1939), President Roosevelt created the Federal Works Agency, which absorbed USHA and a number of other federal entities. FWA's charge was to administer public works in general, including projects "which administer Federal grants or loans to State and local Governments or other agencies for the purposes of construction."13 For Arsenal Courts, the Federal government's local partner was the Rock Island Housing Authority.

Arsenal Courts, at 305 apartments, was one of the earliest and most needed complexes built in the United States. In August, 1940, USHA announced three projects classified as "urgent need:" 600 dwelling units in Columbus, Georgia to support expansion at Fort Benning; 300 dwelling units in Rock Island, Illinois, and 100 dwelling units in East Moline, Illinois, both to support the Rock Island Arsenal."14 Federal approval for a $1,260,000 USHA loan, repayable from rental income, was approved the same month.15 By late 1940, of the 490 USHA projects for which loan contracts had been signed, only 21 were for defense workers (4%), while the remainder were for low-income families.16

USHA selected a roughly nineteen-acre site on Rock Island's west side, situated just two miles from the Arsenal. The $40,000 transaction in August, 1940 involved fifteen property owners, and most of the eight houses on the land were to be moved to other locations. Most of the acreage was unimproved.17 Construction on the complex started in October, 1940 and opened in phases beginning May 10, 1941 and continuing through August 23, 194118 (Figures 3 through 6). The units were available only to employees of the Rock Island Arsenal who were certified by Arsenal officials as "essential defense employees."19 By the end of July, 1941, 230 of the 305 dwelling units were either occupied or leased, and a total of 271 applications were on file for the remaining 75 units.20 At full occupancy, about 1,300 people lived in Arsenal Courts.21 In 1944, occupants came from eighteen different states, illustrating relocations ranging from "Missouri and other border or southern states, or from industrial cities like Detroit."22 Even as late as November, 1944, a waiting list of 52 families existed.23

The apartments were available at below market rates as a financial incentive to attract defense workers. When the complex opened, average rents were $30 monthly, including all utilities.24 Rent amounts were based on a

12 "Message to Congress on the Reorganization Act." April 25, 1939. John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters. The American Presidency Project. Santa Barbara, Calif.: University of California (hosted), Gerhard Peters (database), accessed June 23, 2019. 13 Message to Congress on the Reorganization Act." 14 Gladstone Williams, "Army Housing For Columbus Is Considered," The Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia, August 3, 1940, p. 7 15 "F. D. R. Approves Loans For Defense Housing," The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 29, 1940, p. 2. 16 "Homes for Americans," Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), December 13, 1940, p. 22. 17 "Confirms Choice of Housing Site," The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), August 15, 1940, p. 12. 18 "Arsenal Courts Are Now Fully Occupied," The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), August 23, 1941, p. 9. 19 "Reduce Rent for Arsenal Courts," The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), May 10, 1941, p. 11. 20 "Second Housing Unit is Sought," The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), August 1, 1941, p. 4. 21 Lenore Yarger, "Some residents recall freshly painted 1940s," Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), January 4, 1996, pp. 13, 16. 22 George Wickstrom, "Arsenal Courts Gains Reputation as 'Best Managed' Public Housing," The Rock Island Argus, November 27, 1944, p. 11. 23 Wickstrom, "Arsenal Courts Gains Reputation as 'Best Managed' Public Housing." 24 "Arsenal Courts in Rock Island Are Opened," Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), May 14, 1941, p. 11. 12

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State family's income. For example, in 1944, Arsenal Court residents paid a minimum of $15.75 rent per month, up to a maximum of $49.13 rent per month. The number of bedrooms needed by a family, and thus apartment size, was not a factor in the rent calculation. In addition, once a family's earnings reached $3,000 annually, the rent amount did not exceed $49.13 per month. Overtime pay was not included as part of the annual earnings calculation. More than one-half of Arsenal Court families earned more than $3,000 annually, and many were estimated to have earned more than $5,000 annually.25

The architects of Arsenal Courts were the prominent local firm Cervin & Stuhr. The general contractor was the Lovering Construction Company of St. Paul, Minnesota.26 Olof Z. Cervin, FAIA (1868-1949) was born in Paxton, Illinois and grew up in Rock Island. He graduated with a degree in architecture from Columbia University and began his career in New York City. He opened his own office in Moline, Illinois in 1896. Cervin was later the lead partner in the firms Cervin & Horn, (1918-1924, with Benjamin Horn) and Cervin & Stuhr (1928-1949, with William Stuhr). Cervin designed many types of buildings in the Quad Cities area, Iowa, and Nebraska, including banks, schools, business buildings, hotels, factories, theatres, hospitals, sanatoriums, and private homes. For many years he was the official architect for the Augustana Synod of the Lutheran Church, and he was responsible for the design of many churches in Illinois and Nebraska. He also designed several buildings at Augustana College in Rock Island, including the Seminary Building and Chapel.27

William Stuhr (1894-1968) was born in Rock Island. After graduating from high school, he worked for Cervin as a draftsman (1912-15), served in World War I, and attended the University of Illinois. Stuhr returned to work at Cervin & Horn in 1921, and later in the decade became a partner in the firm. After Cervin's retirement in 1949, Stuhr opened his own practice.28 Cervin publicly credited Stuhr "with the design and drawings of the project."29

The original agreements governing Arsenal Courts outlined that while the complex was originally to be occupied exclusively by employees of the Arsenal and their families, those requirements were to be relaxed after the end of the war, when the complex would serve low-income families in general. Employment levels at the Arsenal repeated their previous patterns, with a rapid decrease immediately after the end of a military conflict. By January 1946 Rock Island Arsenal employment declined to 4,458, and by July 1947 it was 2,469.30 With lowered housing demand in the area, in mid-1949 federal officials ordered the Rock Island Housing Authority to change Arsenal Courts to low-income housing for families in general. The housing authority began eviction proceedings of tenants earning above the annual maximum income limits. Several tenants sued, and a local judge granted a temporary injunction in October, 1949, which was lifted in May, 1950. Evictions began shortly thereafter, and Arsenal Courts ended its role as defense worker housing.31

25 Wickstrom, "Arsenal Courts Gains Reputation as 'Best Managed' Public Housing." 26 "Speed Rock Island's Housing Project After Contract Goes To Lovering Construction Co.," The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), October 14, 1940, p. 20. 27 "Olof Zacharia Cervin," Nebraska State Historical Society, http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Olof_Zacharia_Cervin_(1868- 1949),_Architect, accessed June 23, 2019. See also Fred Klann, "Work, Worries and Happiness of Architect 53 Years," Daily Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), May 7, 1949, p. 8. 28 "William Stuhr," American Institute of Architects Historical Directory of American Architects, https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/pages/38915909/ahd4005248, accessed June 23, 2019; "Services Are Scheduled For Architect Stuhr," Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), June 26, 1968, p. 13. 29 Wickstrom, "Arsenal Courts Gains Reputation as 'Best Managed' Public Housing." 30 An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, p. 234. 31 "100 High Income Tenants At Arsenal Court Face Eviction," The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), May 19, 1950, p. 30. 13

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Summary New Deal programs marked the first direct participation of the Federal government in the housing market, providing funding for land acquisition and construction to build new housing for low-income families, with rent payments based on income. The regulations of these programs were creatively expanded to meet the sudden need for housing due to rapid defense industry expansion. Arsenal Courts illustrates this very small and unusual segment of housing production in the United States: the need for the Federal government to create - on an emergency basis - new housing units made available at below market rental rates exclusively for workers employed in support of the United States military and its allies just at the start of, and during, World War II.

The United States Housing Authority identified the need for the Arsenal Court housing units as "urgent," because the Rock Island Arsenal was one of the country’s largest arsenals, as well as a manufacturer of munitions and military equipment. Capacity building and efficiency were essential to the successful operation of the Arsenal. USHA achieved its goal of completed housing construction in just nine months from project announcement to tenant occupancy.

Arsenal Court’s associations with the significant historic contexts of the Federal Works Agency, World War II defense worker housing, and the Rock Island Arsenal confirm its National Register eligibility.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)

Cervin & Stuhr, architects. Blueprints. In possession of property owner.

"Defense Claims a Housing Project." Architectural Record 90, no. 5 (Nov. 1941). 80.

Jacobsen, James E. Rock Island's Historic Residential Neighborhoods, 1835-1955: A Summary Report. Rock Island: Rock Island Preservation Commission, March 11, 1999. https://www.rigov.org/DocumentCenter/View/1109/Historic- Residential-Neighborhoods-1835-1955?bidId=. Accessed August 15, 2019.

"Message to Congress on the Reorganization Act." April 25, 1939. John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters. The American Presidency Project. Santa Barbara, Calif.: University of California (hosted), Gerhard Peters (database). Accessed June 23, 2019.

Newspapers.com. Various publications. Accessed various dates April 2019, June 2019. Refer to footnotes.

"Olof Zacharia Cervin." Nebraska State Historical Society. http://www.e- nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Olof_Zacharia_Cervin_(1868-1949),_Architect. Accessed June 23, 2019.

Rock Island Arsenal, History, https://home.army.mil/ria/index.php/about/history. Accessed June 23, 2019.

Rock Island Arsenal Public Information Office. Rock Island Arsenal Progress Centennial 1862-1962. Published circa 1962.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Library of Congress Digital Collection. https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn- maps/?fa=location%3Arock+island+county%7Clocation%3Aillinois%7Caccess-restricted%3Afalse&all=true&dates=1950- 1959&st=gallery. Accessed April 2019.

United States Army Sustainment Command History Office. An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, 2010. http://www.arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/museum/museumhistory.html. Accessed June 23, 2019.

Urie, Steve. Rock Island, an American History. Small Pond Publishing, 2012.

"William Stuhr." American Institute of Architects Historical Directory of American Architects. https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/pages/38915909/ahd4005248. Accessed June 23, 2019.

Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67 has been State Historic Preservation Office requested) Other State agency previously listed in the National Register Federal agency previously determined eligible by the National Register Local government designated a National Historic Landmark University recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #______Other Name of repository: recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # ______Rock Island County Historical Society, Moline Public Library recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ______

Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): n/a

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

10. Geographical Data

Acreage of Property F 16 acres (Do not include previously listed resource acreage; enter “Less than one” if the acreage is .99 or less)

Latitude/Longitude Coordinates Datum if other than WGS84: F (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)

Beginning at southwest corner of the property and proceeding clockwise: 1 = SW; 2 = NW; 3 = NE; 4 = SE. Note: Property is not a perfect rectangle. 1 41.496221 -90.592876 3 41.499609 -90.590475 Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude

2 41.499621 -90.592732 4 41.496188 -90.590617 Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude

______Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The Arsenal Courts Historic District is bounded by 5th Street (east), 12th Avenue (north), 3rd Street (west) and 16th Avenue (south) in Rock Island, Illinois. It is known in Rock Island County records as parcel 1603200009. The boundary includes the entire parcel, except an excluded rectangle on the east side of the property bounded by the east curb line of 5th Street (east boundary), the north curb line of 14 1/2 Avenue (south boundary), the east curb line of 4th Street (west boundary), and the south curb line of 14th Avenue (north boundary).

______Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The boundary includes the area historically associated with the apartment complex, excluding the rectangle on the east side of the property, described above, which is occupied by a Community Building constructed in the mid-1990s plus abutting open space to the west.

11. Form Prepared By Marcia E. Moll and Richard J. Sicha, PlaceMark Collaborative LLC, for name/title Peter Ketter, Sandvick Architects, Inc. date August 21, 2019 organization Sandvick Architects, Inc. telephone 216-621-8055 street & number 1265 West 6th Street, Suite 201 email [email protected] city or town Cleveland state Ohio zip code 44113

Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: • GIS Location Map (Google Earth or BING)

• Local Location Map

• Site Plan

• Floor Plans (As Applicable)

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

• Photo Location Map (Include for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map and insert immediately after the photo log and before the list of figures).

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Photographs: Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 3000x2000 pixels, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph.

Photo Log

Name of Property: Arsenal Courts Historic District

City or Vicinity: Rock Island

County: Rock Island State: Illinois

Photographers: Richard J. Sicha and Marcia E. Moll

Date Photographed: March 2019

Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera:

Number of photographs: 13

Photograph 1 of 13 Description: Open space through complex Camera Direction: North

Photograph 2 of 13 Description: Two-story buildings - Type B Camera Direction: Northwest

Photograph 3 of 13 Description: One- and two-story buildings - Left: Type A; Center: Type E; Right: Type C Camera Direction: Northwest

Photograph 4 of 13 Description: Two-story buildings - Type C Camera Direction: Northwest

Photograph 5 of 13 Description: Two-story buildings - Foreground: Type B Camera Direction: West

Photograph 6 of 13 Description: One- and two-story buildings - Foreground: Type E; Background: Type C Camera Direction: East

Photograph 7 of 13 Description: Two-story buildings - Various Types Camera Direction: South

Photograph 8 of 13 Description: Entrance detail, two-story building, Type B, flat roof Camera Direction: Northeast

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018

Arsenal Courts Historic District Rock Island, Illinois Name of Property County and State

Photograph 9 of 13 Description: Entrance detail and chimney detail, two-story building, Type A, gable roof Camera Direction: Northeast

Photograph 10 of 13 Description: Brickwork detail, two-story building, Type D Camera Direction: Northeast

Photograph 11 of 13 Description: One-story building, Type E, hipped roof Camera Direction: Northwest

Photograph 12 of 13 Description: One-story buildings, Type E, gable roof Camera Direction: Northwest

Photograph 13 of 13 Description: Left: Administration Building; Right: Storage Building Camera Direction: Southwest

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC .

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

United States Department of the Interior Arsenal Put Courts Here Historic District National Park Service Name of Property Rock Island County, Illinois National Register of Historic Places County and State n/a Continuation Sheet Name of multiple listing (if applicable)

Section number Additional Documentation Page 20

List of Figures

Figure 1: Arsenal Courts, boundary map and photo key. Source: Hooker De Jong Architects, Muskegon Michigan (Site Plan Background)

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

Section number Additional Documentation Page 21

Figure 2: Douglas Park Neighborhood Plan, current land use map, 1994. Source: City of Rock Island.

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

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Figure 3: Arsenal Courts, architect's rendering, 1940. Source: The Rock Island Argus, September 4, 1940.

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

Section number Additional Documentation Page 23

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

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Figure 4: Arsenal Courts, construction photo, 1940. Source: Davenport Democrat and Leader, December 31, 1940.

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

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Figure 5: Arsenal Courts, aerial photo, 1941. Source: Davenport Democrat and Leader, December 31,1941.

NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No. 1024-0018

Section number Additional Documentation Page 26

Figure 6: Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Rock Island, Illinois, Sheet 66, 1950. Source: Library of Congress Digital Collections.