Ashland Armory

National Register Plaque - "This property has been place on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 

One of the first military units to ever be stationed in Ashland was the Quartermaster Wagon Company, which was a supply group (specific dates unknown). The first National Guard unit was organized in Ashland right before World War II and was Company G/2nd battalion of the 149th Infantry. Later the headquarters unit of the 149th was moved to Ashland. Soon after, an armor division replaced the infantry, and the headquarters of the 242nd Tanks moved to Ashland. In 1959, the headquarters unit and Company A of the 201st Engineers battalion moved to Ashland from Owensboro. The engineers have been in Ashland ever since. A detachment of B Company used to be in Ashland, but it left in 1980-82. Besides the current National Guard units, several other military units have called the Ashland armory their home base.

A United States Naval Reserve unit was located in Ashland; it moved to the armory sometime between 1955-58. The Reserve unit was located in the northwest portion of the basement; there is still a tile in the floor with the letters USNR on it as you step in the door. A ROTC unit was also located in the basement for a time; it was at the armory for about twelve years. A Naval Reserve electronics facility as well as a high school ROTC unit were also located at the armory - the high school group moved to Paul G. Blazer High School after it was built. In addition to military organizations, the armory also served as an office for the State Forestry division.

The armory has been a very important building for the community, due to the fact that it has served a variety of functions over the years. The armory has served as the FEMA regional office for floods, the home of district volleyball and basketball games, championship wrestling, Boy Scout/Girl Scout sleep overs, and Father-Daughter dances.

Community events such as the Easter Seals Bucket Brigade have been hosted out of the armory for the past 12-15 years, Wal-Mart has used the armory for recruitment, and the telephone company utilized the building as a distribution center for phone books. A variety of different groups have used the armory as a meeting place through the years. These include: veterans groups, unions, the Chamber of Commerce, and political and professional groups.

The armory at Ashland is one of the oldest and largest armories in the state. Although changes have been made to the building over the years, such as updating and modernizing offices and classrooms, the basic layout of the building is still intact. The National Guard Armory has played a significant role in the military and community life of Ashland, Kentucky.

The current armory was completed in 1948, with construction taking two years. The armory is a two-story red brick building on a raised concrete basement with a sub-basement below that. The building has muted neo-classical elements on the facade, such as its severe horizontal lines and vertical ornamentation around the front entryway. The building has two round towers (battlements) flanking either side of the entryway, giving the building a "fortress" feeling; a feeling of strength and solidity. Dentil molding at the cornice line tops the front entry facade.

The drill hall sits midway between the first and second floors, behind the main block of the armory. All told, the armory has five floors. The current armory is the first one to be constructed in Ashland. Prior to this, the National Guard was housed in the old Banana Warehouse on Front Street (now demolished). The armory continues to serve as both a military and community center for the city of Ashland.

Photos and information courtesy Kentucky Heritage Council -- Report No. 25" Inventory and Evaluation of National Guard Armories in the State of Kentucky" - 1999 by Kate Carothers.