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Fortresses on the Avenues: The New York City Armory in the Early 1900s

In the New York City of the early 1900s, massive, castle-like buildings stood on prominent avenues, looking more like medieval fortresses than modern structures. These were the city’s armories, the headquarters and training centers for the volunteer soldiers of the New York National Guard. Each armory was a symbol of civic power, a private clubhouse for its regiment, and a versatile public venue, all encased in thick walls of brick and stone.

These buildings were designed to be imposing. Their architecture featured crenelated towers, slit windows, and massive arched entrances, all intended to project an image of military strength and impenetrable security. They were built to be defensible, a lesson learned from the Draft Riots of the Civil War. Famous examples dotted the city. The Seventh Regiment Armory on Park Avenue was a socially exclusive institution, its membership filled with the sons of New York’s wealthiest families. The Ninth Regiment Armory on 14th Street and the Eighth Regiment Armory on Park Avenue, known for its gray stone facade, were other major Manhattan landmarks. Brooklyn also had its share of grand armories, including the large 23rd Regiment Armory on Bedford Avenue.

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The heart of every armory was the vast, open drill hall. These enormous spaces, often measuring hundreds of feet in length, were engineering marvels of the time. Their arched roofs were supported by massive iron or steel trusses, creating an unobstructed interior large enough for a whole regiment to practice military formations and drills, safe from the weather. The floors were typically made of durable wood, strong enough to withstand the marching of a thousand men.

These drill halls also made the armories ideal venues for large-scale public events. When not being used for military training, their immense open spaces hosted track and field competitions, boxing matches, horse shows, and industrial exhibitions. The most famous event of the era took place in 1913 at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. This was the International Exhibition of Modern Art, now known as the Armory Show. For the first time, a wide American audience was exposed to the shocking new works of European artists like Marcel Duchamp, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso, making the armory the unlikely epicenter of a cultural revolution.

Beyond the public drill hall, the armories had a more private, club-like function. Each company within a regiment had its own dedicated room within the building. These company rooms were often lavishly decorated, funded by the members themselves. They featured wood-paneled walls, ornate furniture, libraries, and trophy cases displaying the regiment’s honors. For the guardsmen, the armory was not just a place to train; it was a social club, a second home where they could foster camaraderie and preserve the unique identity of their regiment.

#1 Seventh Regiment Armory, Park Avenue from 66th Street to 67th Street, 1894.

Seventh Regiment Armory, Park Avenue From 66Th Street To 67Th Street, 1894.

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#2 7th and 69th Regiment Armory, Cooper Square, 1908.

7Th And 69Th Regiment Armory, Cooper Square, 1908.

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#3 Eighth Regiment Armory, Park Avenue from 94th Street to 95th Street, circa 1893.

Eighth Regiment Armory, Park Avenue From 94Th Street To 95Th Street, Circa 1893.

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#4 The 71st Regiment Armory before the fire that destroyed it, Park Avenue between E. 33rd Street and E. 34th Street, 1902.

The 71St Regiment Armory Before The Fire That Destroyed It, Park Avenue Between E. 33Rd Street And E. 34Th Street, 1902.

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#5 The 22nd Regiment leaving the old armory at 1988 Broadway, 1913.

The 22Nd Regiment Leaving The Old Armory At 1988 Broadway, 1913.

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#6 Twenty-second Regiment Armory on Broadway and W. 67th Street, ca. 1889.

Twenty-Second Regiment Armory On Broadway And W. 67Th Street, Ca. 1889.

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#7 Seventy-first Regiment Armory, Park Avenue and E. 34th Street, 1898.

Seventy-First Regiment Armory, Park Avenue And E. 34Th Street, 1898.

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#8 Manhattan: 8th Regiment Armory, New York National Guard, Fourth Avenue between 94th Street and 95th Street.

Manhattan: 8Th Regiment Armory, New York National Guard, Fourth Avenue Between 94Th Street And 95Th Street.

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#10 New York City: 69th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue at E. 25th Street, ca. 1910.

New York City: 69Th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue At E. 25Th Street, Ca. 1910.

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#11 New York City: Interior of the 69th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue at E. 25th Street, ca. 1910.

New York City: Interior Of The 69Th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue At E. 25Th Street, Ca. 1910.

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#12 Twenty-second Regiment Armory on Broadway and W. 67th Street, ca. 1889.

Twenty-Second Regiment Armory On Broadway And W. 67Th Street, Ca. 1889.

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#13 Brooklyn: 23rd Regiment Armory on the southwest corner of Bedford and Atlantic Avenues.

Brooklyn: 23Rd Regiment Armory On The Southwest Corner Of Bedford And Atlantic Avenues.

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#14 Brooklyn: 14th Regiment Armory, Eighth Avenue between 14th Street and 15th Street.

Brooklyn: 14Th Regiment Armory, Eighth Avenue Between 14Th Street And 15Th Street.

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#15 Brooklyn: 47th Regiment Armory, corner of North Portland Avenue and Auburn Place.

Brooklyn: 47Th Regiment Armory, Corner Of North Portland Avenue And Auburn Place.

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#16 Brooklyn: 2nd Naval Battalion Armory, First Avenue between 52nd Street and 51st Street.

Brooklyn: 2Nd Naval Battalion Armory, First Avenue Between 52Nd Street And 51St Street.

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#17 Brooklyn: 23rd Regiment Armory, Bedford Avenue and Pacific Street, northwest corner.

Brooklyn: 23Rd Regiment Armory, Bedford Avenue And Pacific Street, Northwest Corner.

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#18 Manhattan: 8th Regiment Armory on Park Avenue between E. 94th Street and E. 95th Street.

Manhattan: 8Th Regiment Armory On Park Avenue Between E. 94Th Street And E. 95Th Street.

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#22 Manhattan: 7th Regiment Armory, Park Avenue at E. 66th Street.

Manhattan: 7Th Regiment Armory, Park Avenue At E. 66Th Street.

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#23 Manhattan: 9th Regiment Armory, W. 14th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.

Manhattan: 9Th Regiment Armory, W. 14Th Street Between Sixth Avenue And Seventh Avenue.

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#24 Manhattan: 12th Regiment Armory, Columbus Avenue between W. 61st Street and E. 62nd Street.

Manhattan: 12Th Regiment Armory, Columbus Avenue Between W. 61St Street And E. 62Nd Street.

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#25 Manhattan: 69th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue at E. 25th Street.

Manhattan: 69Th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue At E. 25Th Street.

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#26 New York City: The 14th Street Theatre, West 14th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue, with the 9th Regiment Armory also visible.

New York City: The 14Th Street Theatre, West 14Th Street Between Sixth And Seventh Avenue, With The 9Th Regiment Armory Also Visible.

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#27 Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Blunt Thurston of the 22nd Regiment N.G.N.Y. on horseback during the parade to the new armory, Bronx, 1902.

Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Blunt Thurston Of The 22Nd Regiment N.g.n.y. On Horseback During The Parade To The New Armory, Bronx, 1902.

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#28 Temporary quarters of the Second Battery, N.G.N.Y., Bronx, ca. 1902.

Temporary Quarters Of The Second Battery, N.g.n.y., Bronx, Ca. 1902.

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Written by Henry Parker

Content writer, SEO analyst and Marketer. You cannot find me playing any outdoor sports, but I waste my precious time playing Video Games..

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