Carlisle Armory

Carlisle has a long history in the lineage of the National Guard. The 37th Kentucky Rifles were stationed here during the Civil War, and the soldiers were given the choice of fighting for the North or the South. Since 1995, Company B of the 206th Engineers Battalion has been stationed in Carlisle. Before 1995, Company C of the 201st Engineers was stationed at Carlisle from 1968 until 1995.

The Headquarters of the 103rd Coast Artillery Battalion from Carlisle served in World War II and was later re-commissioned as the 103rd Anti-aircraft Battalion. The Battalion saw action at several locations, including Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Central Europe, and Ardennes-Alsace. Company C was one of the few Kentucky units to serve in Europe. Most units saw action in the Pacific Theater. Some members of the Battalion were killed at the Battle of the Bulge. After World War II, the Anti-aircraft Battalion became a howitzer Battalion, and remained so until the 1960s, when the artillery unit became a company of the 201st Engineers Battalion, headquartered in Ashland.

The unit in Carlisle was called up for active service during the Cuban missile crisis, but the order was rescinded just as the men were heading off to camp. The National Guard unit from Carlisle was not called to active duty in Korea or Vietnam. However, ten Guardsmen from Carlisle did volunteer for active duty in the Gulf War conflict of 1990-1991.

The current armory has served as the home of the National Guard since 1977. The new armory replaced the former one-story poured concrete armory that served as the home for the Guard. The concrete armory was built in 1941 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Before the 1941 armory was completed, the National Guard met in what is now the American Legion building. Although the WPA building was completed during World War II, it was not actually occupied by the National Guard until 1945, when the war ended. The Home Guard used the armory until the National Guard returned. The WPA armory was supported by pillars in the basement 2-3 feet thick with iron rods running through them. The basement of the armory was used for storing Army vehicles, and the Guardsmen also used it as a makeshift rifle range. The 1941 WPA armory was built on the site of an old tobacco warehouse that was acquired by the state and torn down to make way for the armory.

Besides their federal duties, the Carlisle National Guard has participated in many state active duties and community functions. In the mid-1950s, the Guard was activated for two weeks to help with the Prestonsburg bus crash. The Guard was called up for flood duty in Pineville and Hazard in 1977 and they were activated during the 1974 truckers strike. More recently, the Guard helped clean up after a tornado hit Bullitt County in 1995, and they helped with the floods in Falmouth and Owensboro in March, 1997. The Engineers from Carlisle have been called out for snow removal, creek clean-up, and to work on playgrounds and parks around town. Company C has also worked on projects in Morehead, Paris, Frankfort, and Walton.

In their community, the Guard helped to clean up the Old Jailer's Home in town, including the dungeon, by removing old plaster, cleaning out debris, and readying the building for restoration. As a result of their work, the Guard was recognized as "Honorary Jailers" at the opening of the building. The Guard helped to move an old caboose to Carlisle by using some of their equipment, and they participate in parades for Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The armory is used by the community for classes, meetings and parties, and it is the largest place in town to hold functions.

The current National Guard facility was completed in 1977 and replaced an earlier armory at 318 Main Street. The first armory was built in 1942 by the Works Progress Administration with funds from the Armory Corporation of Kentucky. The new armory has been in use since 1977 and functions as both a military and community center.

Carlisle Works Progress Administration Armory

The old armory in Carlisle was constructed circa 1941 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The armory was completed with funds from the Armory Corporation of Kentucky. The building is located in downtown Carlisle on Main Street, and is a grey one-story poured concrete building with an attached, barrel-vaulted drill hall and a basement. The walls are reputed to be 12 inches thick and the underlying support pillars are reputed to be 2-3 feet thick with iron rods running through them. The facade of the armory has elements of the Art Deco style with its vertical lines and front door surround. In a videotaped 1992 interview with Robert Womack, a lawyer and former National Guardsman from Carlisle, he stated that "...the armory was about the strongest building in town."

The armory was used in years past as both a military and community center. The Guard did not actually occupy the building until 1945, but from then on it was widely used until 1977, when a new armory was built and the old one was deeded to the city of Carlisle. In the History of Nicholas County, a description of a long-running community activity centered around the armory was described:

"After the Second World War, in 1948, a group of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity boys, home for the holdiays, began an institution that was to last for 25 years. The Briar and Rabbit Dance was a biannual affair, which was held in the armory, and which gave the community as well as those in the surrounding counties a chance to gather and enjoy the music of the name bands of the day such as The Glen Miller Band and the Blue Baron."

Today the armory is owned by Nicholas County, and it houses a University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension office in the front of the building. The drill hall area in the back is vacant, and used for storage. The basement area now houses an ambulance service. Overall, the building is in good shape. The exterior of the building has remained intact, and looks much as it would have when built in the early 1940s. The original wooden drill hall floor is still intact.

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.