Watervliet Arsenal

	Watervliet Arsenal
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Historic Iron Building
	Interactive map showing the location for Watervliet Arsenal
Location	Broadway; Watervliet, New York
Coordinates	42°43′06″N 73°42′31″W / 42.71833°N 73.70861°W
Area	142 acres (57 ha)
NRHP reference No.	66000503
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 13, 1966
Designated NHL	November 13, 1966

Watervliet Arsenal (WVA)
Watervliet Arsenal (WVA)
Active	July 14, 1813 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Type	Arsenal
Role	Manufacturer of large caliber cannon, howitzer and mortar systems
Part of	U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command
Website	https://www.wva.army.mil
Commanders
Current; commander	Col. Alain Fisher

The Watervliet Arsenal (WVA) /ˈwɔːtərvliːt/ is an arsenal of the United States Army located in Watervliet, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States, and today produces much of the artillery for the army, as well as gun tubes for cannons, mortars, and tanks. It has been a National Historic Landmark (NHL) since 1966.^[1]^[2]

Watervliet Arsenal falls under its headquarters, the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command under the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

The arsenal was founded on July 14, 1813, to support the War of 1812. It was designated as the Watervliet Arsenal in 1817. It occupies 142 acres (57 ha) of land, approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Albany, New York. The location is adjacent to the Hudson River. The site contains manufacturing, administrative offices and storage areas. It houses the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command Benét Laboratories, which does product development, improvement, research, and testing for all artillery related engineering.

Introduction

WVA supports the U.S. Army’s fighting force with direct fire tank guns, indirect fire artillery cannons, mortars and components, sustainment parts, and spares for all weapon systems produced at WVA.

Tenant activities

The Arsenal has the historic Iron Building, which served as the home of the Watervliet Arsenal Museum. The museum was closed in October 2013 for security reasons.^[3]

Recruiting Station Albany, the headquarters of a United States Marine Corps recruiting station, is located on the Arsenal.

In February 2009, the headquarters of the United States Army Recruiting Battalion Albany relocated to Watervliet Arsenal from its old location on Wolf Road.

History

1813–1823

The arsenal was chosen to be built at the edge of the village of Gibbonsville, directly opposite Troy, New York. It was chosen to be built there due to its key location on the Hudson River, only 60 miles (97 km) from Lake Champlain, 140 miles (230 km) from New York City, and a short distance via the Mohawk River to Lake Ontario. During the early stages of the War of 1812, attacks could be expected from many key ports and other locations.

At the time, the Colonel of Ordnance was Decius Wadsworth. He designated the arsenal to produce fixed ammunition and small articles of equipment including gun carriages, drag ropes, ladles, wormers, sponges, and shot. The original plot of land acquired by the Department of Ordnance was 12 acres (49,000 m²). Construction began in the summer of 1813 on fourteen buildings: south and north gun houses, a brick arsenal, two stables, a guard house, commanding officer's quarters, a woodshed, two enlisted men's quarters, a hospital and one office. The cost for the land was US$2,585.

1880s

Nearly 70 years after the arsenal produced its first products, it gained national prominence when it became the Army's first large caliber cannon manufacturer in the late 1880s. During this period, production changed from the manufacturing of saddles and gun carriages to cannons. Remnants of this period are still in operation today, via the continued use of historic Building 110, "The Big Gun Shop," for manufacturing missions. This gun shop once produced 16-inch guns and many other weapons for the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps.

1970s-present

A considerable turning point in the modernization of Watervliet Arsenal was the construction of the radial forge in the 1970s, a $7 million dollar expenditure.^[5]^[6]^[7]

As of 2023 Watervliet Arsenal is manufacturing cannon barrels for the M1 Abrams tank.^[8]

Watervliet Arsenal released plans to replace the iconic rotary forge on June 23, 2023 as part of its modernization plan under the U.S. Army Materiel Command's planned modernization of the U.S. Army's organic industrial base. Additionally, Watervliet Arsenal plans on replacing its paint booth with an automated booth that will expand capacity and capabilities.

On July 31, 2023, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer announced the U.S. Congress and U.S. Army's allocation of $1.7 billion in investment in Watervliet Arsenal. This is the largest investment since REARM in the 1980s and is geared towards improving facilities, equipment and professional development and skills training of employees.

Commanding officers


No.	Portrait	Name (rank shown highest while in command)	Dates of Command
1	No image available	Cpt. Thomas L. Campbell	Interim Commander July 14, 1813 - 1816
2	No image available	Maj. James Daliba	November 14, 1816 - May 1, 1824
3		Lt. Col. George Talcott	September 1, 1824 - January 25, 1835
4		Lt. Col. William J. Worth	January 26, 1835 - April 30, 1838
5		Col. Rufus L. Baker	October 10, 1838 - October 10, 1851
6		Maj. John Symington	October 10, 1851 - June 23, 1857
7		Maj. Alfred Mordechai	June 23, 1857 - May 14, 1861
8		Col. William A. Thornton	May 15, 1861 - December 25, 1863
9		Brig. Gen. Peter V. Hagner	December 25, 1863 - December 3, 1880
10		Lt. Col. A. R. Buffington	December 3, 1880 - November 2, 1881
11		Col. Alfred Mordechai Jr.	November 2, 1881 - May 12, 1886
12		Col. James M. Whittemore	June 5, 1886 - November 11, 1889
13		Lt. Col. Francis H. Parker	November 21, 1889 - December 12, 1892
14		Lt. Col. Isaac Arnold	December 19, 1892 - February 14, 1898
15		Col. Alfred Mordechai Jr.	February 23, 1898 - May 8, 1899
16		Col. Joseph P. Farley	May 26, 1899 - February 17, 1903
17		Lt. Col. Charles Shaler	February 18, 1903 - July 13, 1903
18		Col. Daniel M. Taylor	July 14, 1903 - March 31, 1905
19		Lt. Col. Ira MacNutt	May 1, 1905 - January 7, 1908
20		Col. William W. Gibson	January 20, 1908 - February 17, 1918
21		Col. John E. Munroe	March 1, 1918 - September 3, 1918
22		Col. Charles G. Mettler	September 3, 1918 - March 10, 1919
23		Col. J. Walker Benet	March 11, 1919 - May 28, 1921
24		Lt. Col. William I. Westervelt	May 31, 1921 0 September 1, 1923
25		Col. Edwin D. Bricker	October 1, 1923 - July 30, 1929
26		Col. Herman W. Schull	September 9, 1929 - February 27, 1932
27		Maj. Charles A. Schimelfenig	February 28, 1932 - July 31, 1932
28		Col. Gilbert H. Stewart	August 1, 1932 - September 12, 1938
29		Col. Richard H. Somers	November 14, 1938 - July 17, 1940
30		Brig. Gen. A. G. Gillespie	July 19, 1940 - March 31, 1945
31		Col. Clarence E. Partridge	April 1, 1945 - April 30, 1946
32		Col. John C. Raaen	May 1, 1946 - September 2, 1947
33		Col. Harry N. Rising	September 4, 1947 - August 15, 1952
34		Col. Richard Z. Crane	September 1, 1952 - August 31, 1954
35		Col. Elmo S. Matthews	September 20, 1954 - June 30, 1958
36		Col. Walter M. Tisdale	August 13, 1958 - January 31, 1962
37		Col. Fred Kornet, Jr.	August 1, 1965 - September 14, 1967
38		Col. Arthur H. Sweeny, Jr.	November 1967 - August 19, 1968
39		Col. William Mulheron, Jr.	December 20, 1968 - June 30, 1971
40		Col. Christopher S. Maggio	July 15, 1971 - August 31, 1973
41		Col. Richard H. Sawyer	September 9, 1973 - July 24, 1975
42		Col. Malcolm V. Meekison	July 25, 1975 - August 29, 1976
43		Col. Church M. Matthews, Jr.	September 21, 1976 - September 8, 1978
44		Col. Robert W. Pointer, Jr.	September 8, 1978 - July 14, 1980
45		Col. Gerald R. Wetzel	July 14, 1980 - July 19, 1983
46		Col. Edward V. Karl	July 19, 1983 - January 22, 1986
47		Col. Robert T. Walker	January 22, 1986 - July 14, 1988
48		Col. Joseph H. Mayton, Jr.	July 14, 1988 - July 19, 1990
49		Col. Michael J. Neuman	July 19, 1990 - March 20, 1992
50		Col. Bernard P. Thomas	March 20, 1992 - March 31, 1994
51		Col. John R. Hostettler	March 31, 1994 - May 22, 1996
52		Col. John C. Rickman	May 22, 1996 - July 9, 1998
53		Col. Gene E. King	July 9, 1998 - July 11, 2000
54		Col. John R. Cook	July 11, 2000 - July 11, 2002
55		Col. Donald C. Olson	July 11, 2002 - July 29, 2005
56		Col. Kevin R. Moore	July 29, 2005 - July 11, 2008
57		Col. Scott Fletcher	July 11, 2008 - July 9, 2010
58		Col. Mark F. Migaleddi	July 9, 2010 - July 18, 2013
59		Col. Lee H. Schiller, Jr.	July 18, 2013 - July 28, 2016
60		Col. Joseph R. Morrow	July 28, 2016 - July 24, 2018
61		Col. Milton G. Kelly	August 21, 2018 - July 21, 2020
62		Col. Earl B. Schonberg, Jr.	July 21, 2020 - July 22, 2022
63		Col. Alain G.Fisher	July 22, 2022 - Present

References

^ ^a ^b "Watervliet Arsenal". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2007-09-11.
^ Robert W. Craig and Lauren Archibald (October 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Watervliet Arsenal" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 23 photos, exterior and interior, from 1984-1985, 1870, and 1875. (4.77 MiB)
^ Crowe, Kenneth (8 August 2014). "Plans dropped for revamped Watervliet Arsenal Museum". Albany Times Union. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ "Watervliet Arsenal: What just happened?". www.army.mil. 7 June 2012.
^ "FINAL RCRA FACILITY INVESTIGATION REPORT MAIN MANUFACTURING AREA WATERVLIET ARSENAL, Watervliet, New York" (PDF). New York Department of Environmental Conservation. US Army Corps of Engineers.
^ Defense, United States Congress Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of (1973). Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1974: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, First Session, on H.R. 11575, an Act Making Appropriations for the Departartment of Defense for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1974, and for Other Purposes. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. RA1-942.
^ Michaels, Daniel. "At a Steam-Age Arsenal, U.S. Army Forges Cannons for a Digital Era, War in Ukraine". WSJ.

External links

Official website
Watervliet Arsenal on Facebook
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NY-1-A, "Watervliet Arsenal, South Broadway, Watervliet, Albany County, NY", 5 photos, 7 measured drawings, 25 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-B, "Building No. 110", 78 photos, 24 data pages, 8 photo caption pages
HAER No. NY-1-C, "Building No. 40", 20 photos, 20 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
HAER No. NY-1-D, "Building No. 119", 3 photos, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-E, "Building No. 129", 6 photos, 7 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-F, "Building No. 17", 5 photos, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-G, "Building No. 41", 4 photos, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-H, "Building No. 22", 8 photos, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-I, "Building No. 15", 5 photos, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-1-J, "Building No. 135", 20 photos, 9 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
HAER No. NY-218, "Building 14", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-219, "Building 26", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-220, "Building 27", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-221, "Building 28", 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-222, "Building 30", 4 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-223, "Building 31", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-224, "Building 33", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-225, "Building 34", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-226, "Building 101", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-227, "Building 103", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-228, "Building 104", 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-229, "Building 105", 18 photos, 1 data page, 2 photo caption pages
HAER No. NY-230, "Building 106", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-231, "Building 108", 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-232, "Building 112", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-233, "Building 116", 4 photos, 1 photo caption page
HAER No. NY-234, "Building 32", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page