(Old) Portsmouth Armory (1914 - 1958)
J.F.K. Recreation Center (1963 - 2001)
The old Portsmouth Armory, located at 175 Parrott Avenue, adjacent to Portsmouth Middle School facing the South Mill Pond, was built in two stages; the front Head House in 1914, and the rear Drill Hall in 1916. It was designed by then N.H. State Architect Chase Whitcher, and it was the fourth such armory constructed in the state. From 1922 until Federalized in 1940 and sent to Texas, this was the headquarters and drill hall of D Battery, 197th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft), New Hampshire National Guard. The unit served with distinction during WWII in the Southwest Pacific and Australia. (Please see The 197th Coast Artillery in Australia during WWII for info and photos, and also see Unit Histories of the NHNG.)
The armory was taken over by the City of Portsmouth for use as an adult recreation center in 1958 (the National Guard moved into their new complex on the west-side of town at 803 McGee Drive in 1958). During 1962 - 63 the building was given a face-lift and the interior was remodeled, and was formally renamed the John F. Kennedy Adult Recreation Center. It served the public well in this new capacity for many years. It finally closed its doors in 2001 after the city moved the rec center to the Spinnaker Point Condominium complex, and the site was then chosen to be the new location for an expanded and greatly improved Portsmouth Public Library. The planning and site selection process had been hotly debated between the City Council and Library supporters, and the neighboring property owners, for several years. The end came in January 2005 as the last legal challenge was withdrawn and the city proceeded with demolition of the historic structure. It has been proposed to recycle many of the bricks for the new library building. The following photographs were taken during a site visit on October 4, 2003.
click thumbnail image for larger view
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The front of the Armory as seen from Parrott Ave. |
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An oblique view of the front. The crenalations and battlements atop the front of the building were removed in the 1962 - 63 remodel. |
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A side-view of the Armory, with the Drill Hall located behind the Administrative Office (Head House) section. The decorative brickwork below the roofline was once matched along the front of the building, also removed in the 1963 remodel. |
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The rear vehicular access door, which was first added in 1920 to allow for the storage of mobile guns and other motorized equipment in the basement. |
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The rear door to the Armory, with a recently added wooden porch. |
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The distinctive unit insignia for the 197th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft), New Hampshire National Guard, as approved in 1927.
The blue shield indicates the longer service of the unit as Infantry, the gold lion represents service in the War of 1812, the white lozenge is the corps badge of the 2nd Division, 3rd Corps, representing service during the Civil War, the fleur-de-lis represents service during World War One. The red chief indicates service as Artillery, with the winged projectile indicating that this is an anti-aircraft unit. The motto "A Bas l'Avion" translates to "Down with the Plane". |
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