AA-359-26 U.S. Naval Academy, Ricketts Hall, Building 566

Architectural Survey File

This is the architectural survey file for this MIHP record. The survey file is organized reverse- chronological (that is, with the latest material on top). It contains all MIHP inventory forms, National Register nomination forms, determinations of eligibility (DOE) forms, and accompanying documentation such as photographs and maps.

Users should be aware that additional undigitized material about this property may be found in on-site architectural reports, copies of HABS/HAER or other documentation, drawings, and the “vertical files” at the MHT Library in Crownsville. The vertical files may include newspaper clippings, field notes, draft versions of forms and architectural reports, photographs, maps, and drawings. Researchers who need a thorough understanding of this property should plan to visit the MHT Library as part of their research project; look at the MHT web site (mht..gov) for details about how to make an appointment.

All material is property of the Maryland Historical Trust.

Last Updated: 09-11-2018 MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST NR Eligible: yes DETERM ATION OF ELIGIBILITY FORM no A A--35'1" c2 Cs- ~- 1:>S'L co "6- c. i½ Property Name: Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Inventory Number: Contrib.Res.

Address: Brownson Road Naval Academy Historic di strict: X yes no

City: Annapolis Zip Code: 21402 County: Anne Arundel USGS Quadrangle(s): ---'------Annapolis Property Owner: Tax Account ID Number: Tax Map Parcel Number(s): Tax Map Number: ------Project: Contract N40080-07-D-03 I I , Delivery Order 40 Agency: NAVFAC Washjngton

Agency Prepared By: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Preparer's Name: Patti Kuhn Date Prepared: 1/28/2011

Documentation is presented in:

Preparer's Eligibility Recommendation: Eligibility recommended X Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G

Complete if the property is a contributing or non-contributing resource to a NR district/property:

Name of the District/Property: United States Naval Academy Inventory Number: AA-359 Eligible: yes Listed: yes

Site visit by MHT Staff yes X no Name: Date:

Description of Property and Justification: (Please attach map and photo) Setting

Ricketts Hall (Building 566) is located on the southern end of the United States Naval Academy campus. The building faces west on Brownson Road across from Lejeune Hall. Northeast of the building is Rip Miller Field. Turner Joy Road lines the east side of the building and follows Spa Creek, wruch is located east of Ricketts Hall and the road.

Description

Built in I 966, Ricketts Hall stands three stories high above a solid poured concrete foundation. The exterior of the building is clad in stretcher-bond brick glazed in shades of blue, gray, and wrute. The building is capped with a flat roof that is ornamented by a concrete frieze with rectangular recessed panels. Segmental arched openings pierce the first story of the building. On the mrun (west) elevation of the building, the openings create a loggia that spans the fac;:ade in its entirety. Behind the loggia the building is lit by six-light metal-sash awning windows. The center segmental arched opening on the fac;:ade leads to the main entry to the building. A double-leaf glass and metal door provides access into the building behjnd the arched opening. Above the arch are the words "Ricketts Hall" in metal lettering that is lighted by five metal can li ghts. A metal plaque is located on the south side of the MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G MHT Comments:

Date

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Contrib.Res. Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Page 2

entrance and states that the hall was dedicated to Admiral Claude Vernon Ricketts, 1906-1964. The first-story arched openings on the other elevations hold six-light metal-sash awning windows. Fenestration on the second and third stories is one-over-one metal­ sash windows with concrete lintels. The windows on the second and third stories are separated by a concrete spandrel.

In 1995 a large addition was constructed on the east elevation of Ricketts Hall. The one-story addition is clad in small square concrete blocks and slate tiles, and has a fl at roof with a center monitor. The addition is pierced by vertical three-light metal-sash awning windows. The main entrance to the addition is located on the canted southern corner. This portion of the building consists of symmetrically spaced poured concrete piers that are covered with a shed roof. In between the piers are one-light metal-sash windows. A double-leaf metal and glass door is located on the southwestern end.

Ricketts Hall currently serves as the athletic center. The main block of the building holds offices for the athletic department, and the addition contains a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Historical Background

The 1965 Master Plan

By the middle of the twentieth century, the Naval Academy was outgrowing its campus. Although the 1898 Ernest Flagg campus design allowed for some future expansion, the existing buildings and facilities had become small and outdated and additional space was greatly needed. In June 1961 a special commission headed by Admiral Ben Moreell was established to produce a new plan for the Academy (Ki land and Howren 2007: 135). Moreell, then the Chairman of the Board of the Naval Academy, was formerly the chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps and was best known as the Father of the Navy's Seabees.

The urgent need for a master pl an was a result of increased enrollment and the need for advanced studies in highly scientific and technological fields. In the early 1900s there were 800 midshipmen at the Academy; in 1971 there were more than 4,200. In addition, the number of classes was increasing: the Academy offered 50 courses in 1947 and by 1971 it offered 400 (Evening Capital 1971 ).

Until World War II the Academy accommodated enrollment and curriculum changes by adding single buildings on available space. After World War II the Academy recognized that its changing scope necessitated better planning efforts. In 1947 the Bureau of Yards and Docks began the planning efforts by preparing several comprehensive site plans that illustrated extensive changes to the campus. In 1948 a special advisory commission known as the Manning Commission prepared a report that outlined the needs of the Academy and proposed solutions. The 1948 plan resulted in the modernization and expansion of the athletic facilities and midshipman housing, in particular the rehabilitation and expansion of in 1961. These studies were the first since Flagg's plan in 1898 (Warnecke 1967: I).

In 1961 the Moreell Commission submitted its report, which featured a plan to expand the campus with new academic buildings and utilities. Renowned American architect Edward Durrell Stone, who was a part of the Moreell Commission, designed three monumental buildings as part of the plan. The Moreell Report included a bold proposal to expand the Academy into three city blocks of Historic Annapolis, directly outside Gate Three (Maryland Avenue between King George and Hanover streets). The report stated that the pl an would only affect two historic buildings, which could easily be moved (Bureau of Navy Personnel 1961: 19, Ki land and Howren 2007: 136). A copy of the plan was leaked to the Sun before it could be property vetted by city officials, prompting outrage from the city since they had not been consulted before the completion of the study. The city felt that the three bl ocks were integral to the history and character of Annapolis. In response, local preservationists created a report that listed more than a half-dozen hi storic buildings within the three-block area. The argument was also played out in the Baltimore MARYLAND IDSTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G MHT Comments:

Reviewer, Office of Preservation Services Date

Reviewer, National Register Program Date NR-ELIGIBILITY REVIEW FORM AA-357-:Jw Contrib.Res. Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Page 3

Sun: "'We are gravely concerned with the implications behind the proposed expansion of the Naval Academy into portions of historic Annapolis,' Robert J. Kerr, executive director of Historic Annapolis Inc., said yesterday. Mr Kerr said that neither he nor the City's Planning and Zoning Commission had been told of the plan and its announcement yesterday caught them off guard" (l(jland and Howren 2007: 136). The plan was subsequently dropped.

After the Moreell Report it was clear that more detailed studies of space requirements and building locations were needed (Warnecke 1967: I). In 1965 the Naval Academy revealed a new Master Plan that call ed fo r the largest building campaign the Academy had seen since the turn of the twentieth century. The Academy chose John Carl Warnecke and Associates to prepare the report. Warnecke is best known for his notable buildings designed in the Bauhaus and Modernist styles, many of which were built in the Washington, D .C. region, including the New Executi ve Office Building and the John F. Kennedy Memorial.

Warnecke's 1965 plan stipulated extensive work on existing buildings, replacement and expansion of the utilities system, and the construction of new buildings. The primary purpose of the 1965 modernization and expansion plan for the Naval Academy was to provide adequate facilities that fulfilled the mission of the Academy. Warnecke noted, however, that these functional requirements would also have a great physical impact on the Academy and its traditional appearance as new construction could either add or detract from the character of the historic campus. Warnecke noted, "One of the great chall enges and opportunities of this Master Plan has been to design and coordinate the many changes in a way that will create a handsome new era of military efficiency and order at the Academy" (Warnecke I 965: 133).

Warnecke empha ized the historic character of the Academy in the M aster Plan and noted the findings of the Moreell Commission: "While the educational and training function of the Academy is necessarily paramount, there are certain collateral functions which should be given serious consideration" (Warnecke 1965: 133). These considerations included the frequent use of the Academy for important ceremonies, such as the reception of foreign dignitaries, its status as a National Historic Landmark (NHL), and the one million annual visitors whose impression of the Navy comes from the Academy's campus. The Moreell Commission stated, "For these reasons, it is essential that the physical facilities and the entire complement of the Academy personnel convey in appearance, character and deportment, an appropriate image as the educational fountainhead of the world's foremost Naval Power (Warnecke 1965: 133). Warnecke added to the considerations the impact of the Academy on the midshipmen since "Orderly and dignified surroundings create a sense of pride in the midshipman's first duty station that lasts throughout hi s Navy career. The appearance of the Yard is also an important part of the sense of loyalty and affection that the Academy instills in its graduates" (Bureau of Navy Personnel 1961 :2, Warnecke 1965: 134 ).

In the Master Plan Warnecke emphasized the historic character of the campus as designed by Flagg, in particular its relationship to the water and the arrangement of the buildings around a central square. Warnecke noted that the visual balance of the campus had been disrupted recently because of the expansion of Barcroft Hall and the athl eti c facilities, but also stressed that the "current modernization and expansion program creates the opportuni ty to restore the visual balance of the Yard" (Warnecke 1965: 137). Emphasizing historic preservation, Warnecke believed that although the Academy would grow and evolve, it was sti ll possible to preserve the essential historic characteristics of the campus. He li sted the character-defi ning features of the Academy as its consistency in "colors and materials, maintained by the gray granite, green copper, and gray brick", its axial plan reinforced by the mature trees that line the roads and walks, and a continuity of scale and roof lines, "preserved by the three or four-story structures and the Mansard roofs on the major buildings. The architecture of the individual buildings provides an appropriate masculine image of the Navy through its massiveness and choice of rugged materials (Warnecke 1965: 137).

Warnecke's plan dramatically changed the Academy's main campus while preserving the historic buildings and plan of Ernest Flagg. The plan did not require acquiring city blocks as suggested by the Moreell Report; however, it did require the demolition of a few of Flagg's buildings, including the power plant. The 1965 plan included the construction of Michelson and Chauvenet halls, MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G

MHT Comments:

Reviewer, Office of Preservation Services Date

Reviewer, National Register Program Date NR-ELIGIBILITY REVIEW FORM AA -3$7 -,}_(g Contrib.Res. Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Page4 which were originally designed as one building until it was criticized for obstructing the view of the water. Thus, the b~ilding was divided into two, with a connecting plaza that allowed views of the Severn River. The plan also called for the construction of a public works building, a central heating plant, a laundry and dry cleaning facility, the construction of an auditorium, and the rehabilitation of many existing buildings. The need for a new library and science building generated the need for an update to the master plan in 1967. Warnecke was hired to complete the update and designed the library, Nimitz Hall , and the science building, Rickover Hall, as part of the plan (Warnecke 1967).

Chauvenet Hall and Michelson Hall were completed in 1968. By 1971 eight large projects costing a total of $9 million had been or were almost complete. These included the construction of the Enlisted Men's Barracks (Ricketts Hall), a heating plant, a laundry and dry cleaning facility, a water treatment plant, a major addition to the sewage treatment plant, the rehabilitation of Sampson Hall, and conversion of the public works garage into a printing and publications facility (Evening Capital 1971 ). Nimitz Library was completed in 1973 and Rickover Hall opened in 1975. The changes made to the Naval Academy under Warnecke's plan not only marked progress and growth to the Academy that were necessary to educate and train future naval leaders, but they also signaled the biggest physical change to the campus since Flagg's design of the campus in the early twentieth century (Ki land and Howren 2007:137-141).

Construction of Ricketts Hall

Ricketts Hall was built in 1966 to serve enlisted personnel assigned to the Naval Academy. Prior to the construction of Ricketts Hall, a large number of enlisted men lived on the USS Reina Mercedes, a Spanish Navy ship that was captured during the Spanish­ American War in 1898. The ship was later retrofitted as barracks for the Naval Academy and was docked on the north side of the Severn River near the former Seaplane Hangar (Building 234NS) from I 912 until I 957, when the ship was scrapped. After 1957 the men were housed in temporary barracks and on a World War II-era vessel known as the APL 32 (Washington Post 1966). In 1961 Moreell Report recommended that "These accommodations are far below the minimum standards of the Navy with regard to living space, messing and sanitary facilities. They should be replaced with a permanent enlisted men's barracks and mess hall ashore at the earliest practicable date" (Bureau of Naval Personnel 1961 :8).

The Moreell Report included the new enlisted men 's barracks in its recommendations for new construction. The estimated cost for the I 05,000-square-foot building was approximately $3.5 million. Edward Durrell Stone, who was a member of the Moreell Commission, initially produced designs for the new barracks that were published in the Moreell Report. The design of the two­ story building, along with designs for the proposed science building and auditorium, were emblematic of Stone's design aesthetic with tall , thin columns supporting an arcade that encircled the building (Moreell 1961 ). Stone's design was never realized, however, perhaps because of cost.

Although the barracks were included in Warnecke's subsequent 1965 Master Plan, Warnecke did not de ign the barracks. Warnecke did note the importance of the barracks' location, which was on the southeast side of Thompson Field on a section of Farragut Field. Warnecke noted that the barracks would "close the axis of Porter Road and make Thompson Field another court in the sequence of enclosed spaces that relate to the main square" (Warnecke 1965: 147). He also stated that the building was to be constructed of gray brick and would be similar in height and scale to the rest of the buildings on campus. In particular, Warnecke said, "Because of its prominent location in relation to the City Harbor, the rear of this building will be very important. Great care must be exercised to insure adequate landscape and maintenance of the area so that it always presents an orderly view of the campus (Warnecke 1965: 14 7).

The $1.6 million three-story Ricketts Hall housed 400 enlisted men when it was completed in April 1966. Clark, Nexsen, and Owen, architects from Lynchburg, , designed the building. On April 29, 1966, the Naval Academy dedicated the building MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G

MHT Comments:

Reviewer, Office of Preservation Services Date

Reviewer, National Register Program Date NR-ELIGIBILITY REVIEW FORM AA -?J;c; - ;;.tc, Contrib.Res. Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Page 5

to the late Admiral Claude Vernon Ricketts. Ricketts enlisted in the Navy in 1924 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929. Ricketts's distinguished career included service in World War II and Korea. He advanced to Rear Admiral in 1956 and Admiral in 1961 (Naval Academy Archives 1966).

In 1982 Lejeune Hall was built on the entirety of Thompson Field, northwest of Ricketts Hall, diminishing the role of Ricketts Hall in closing the axis of Porter Road. In October 1993 the U.S. Senate approved a $6.5 million spending bill for the Naval Academy to renovate and expand Ricketts Hall. Groundbreaking for the new facility took place in September 1994. The new facility replaced two fitness centers and gave the midshipmen and -women a training center equal Lo other service academies. The facility, designed by Baltimore architects Cochran, Stephenson & Donkervoet, was completed in December 1995 (The Capital 1993; Shipmate 1995; The Trident 1995).

The entire facility consists of 75,000 square feet of space, 30,000 square feet of which is the physical training center addition. The former barracks was renovated to house upgraded meeting rooms for the football team, the business and ticket offices, and offices for the football coaches, the Naval Academy Athletic Association administrators, and Sports Information and Sports Promotions. The physical training center, named for the Naval Academy's longtime athletic trainer, Leon (Red) Romo, features a state-of-the­ art rehabilitation therapy pool, a computerized injury management system, a larger football locker room, modern physical training facilities, and a 12,000-square-foot weight training area. A theater located in the complex is named for 1960 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Bellino, and the locker room is named for 1963 Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach (The Trident 1995).

Evaluation

Ricketts Hall lacks integrity of design, materials, and workmanship owing to the large addition on its east elevation. The addition detracts from the original design, massing, and materials of the building and dominates the southeast fac;:ade of the building that faces the water. All of the e aspects of the building were emphasized in Warnecke's 1965 Master Plan. The building's integrity of feeling and association has also been compromised since the building is no longer used as barracks.

The main campus of the United States Naval Academy was listed as a NHL in 1961 and was li sted in the National Register of Hi storic Places in 1977 under Criterion A and C for its central role in the development of military education and for its architecture and plan. As part of the l 965 Master Plan, Ricketts Hall played a role in the evolution of military education at the Naval Academy (Criterion A) and in significant physical changes to the architecture and design of the campus (Criterion C). However, Ricketts Hall no longer conveys thi s significance because it lacks integrity. Therefore Ricketts Hall is recommended as non-contributing to the Naval Academy Historic District.

In addition, Ricketts Hall is recommended as not individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places because it lacks significance and integrity. The building is not associated with important events (Criterion A) or people (Criterion B). It is not eligible under Criterion C as it does not embody distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values. The building was not evaluated under Criterion D.

Works Cited

Bureau of Naval Personnel 1961 Report of the Special Advisory Commission on Future Development of Academic Facilieis for The United States Naval Adademy. Annapolis, Maryland.

The Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) MARYLAND IDSTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G MHT Comments:

Reviewer, Office of Preservation Services Date

Reviewer, National Register Program Date NR-ELIGIBILITY REVIEW FORM Aft -3S'i-J.~ Contrib.Res. Ricketts Hall (Building 566)

Page 6

1993 Academy Gets $6.5M for Expansion. October 23.

Evening Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) 197 I Institutions Plan Expansion. January 20.

Ki land, Taylor Baldwin and Jamie Howren 2007 A Self-Guided Tour of the U.S. Naval Academy. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland.

Moreell, Ben, Chairman 1961 Report of the Special Advisory Commission on Future Development of Academic Facilities for the United States Naval Academy. In Claude Vernon Ricketts: The Man, The Building by John Chewning, 1984. Naval Academy Archives.

Naval Academy Archives 1966 Dedication Ceremony. Rickets Hall. United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Buildings and Grounds, Ricketts Hall. On file, Naval Academy Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

Shipmate (U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Magazine, Annapolis, Maryland) 1995 Ricketts Hall Ribbon-Cutting Honors Three Athletic Greats. December.

The Trident (U.S. Naval Academy Newspaper, Annapolis, Maryland) I 995 NAAA Ready to Move Into Newly Renovated Ricketts Hall. July 21.

Warnecke, John Carl and Associates 1965 United States Naval Academy master plan; a program for modernization and expansion of academic and support facilities. Prepared for Area Public Works Office, Chesapeake. Washington, D.C.

I 967 United States Naval Academy Master Plan- I 967. Washington, D.C.

Washington Post 1966 Academy Retires Last Station Ship. April 30.

MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST REVIEW Eligibility recommended Eligibility not recommended

Criteria: A B C D Considerations: A B C D E F G

MHT Comments:

Reviewer, Office of Preservation Services Date

Reviewer, National Register Program Date i " ;jU' UU .UU" W U/0- <'.::I UU.UU VY

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Name: ANNAPOLIS Location : 038 ° 59' 05.90" N 076 ° 28' 26.73" W NAD27 Date : 1/14/2011 Caption : Ricketts Hall (Building 566) Scale: 1 inch equals 2000 feet AA ¾'1- 0O'l:O>- UZ.$ USNA Jq lt-'5 s-1-Jt@