WWII-Era Building Safe at Fort Knox
By Margaret Foster | From Preservation | Oct. 30, 2007
A unique building at Kentucky's Fort Knox is off the U.S. Army's demolition list, thanks to letters and phone calls from World War II veterans.
In preparation for the invasion of Europe during World War II, engineers built the wood structure in 1942 as they struggled to design the "landing ship, tank," a well ventilated ship that could carry and land 29 tanks. The so-called LST building is on a land that is slated for new construction.
Last week, army officials told the National Trust for Historic Preservation that it the fort's garrison director had removed the LST Building from the list of doomed buildings.
"It is great news. It's encouraging that [army officials] recgonize the importance of this building," says Joanna Hinton, executive director of Preservation Kentucky.
Yet the building is in poor condition, visitors say. Its paint is peeling, and birds have damaged the wood structure. "The fact that it's off a demolition list does not get it out of the hospital," says Paul Urbahns, a local historian who leads veterans on tours of the building. "They have been using planned neglect as a way to get rid of that building, by not maintaining it."
Urbahns and others contacted the army with their concerns. "The reason we're not in the 106 [pre-demolition] process now is because of retired military personnel being very concerned about its fate," says Janie-Rice Brother, environmental review coordinator at Kentucky Heritage, the state historic preservation office. "Its preservation future is far from ensured. We remain concerned but hopeful."
A museum currently uses the LST Building to store vehicles, but when the museum relocates, the Army will have to find another use for it.
"Today the building is an annex of the Cavalry and Armor Museum. Several historical tanks are on display there and can be seen by making arrangements with the museum," says Criss Helmkamp, cultural resources manager at Fort Knox, which has more than 180 buildings that are eligible for the National Register.
The army has agreed to allow to volunteers to paint the LST building. "We hope to have a painting party next spring," Brother says.
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