A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the

Nissen hut A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure for military use, especially as barracks, made from a half-cylindrical skin of Corrugated galvanised iron, corrugated iron. Designed during the First World War by the American-born, Canadian-British ...

introduced by the British during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Hundreds of thousands were produced during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and military surplus was sold to the public. The name comes from the site of their first deployment at Quonset Point at the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island.

Design and history

The first Quonset huts were manufactured in 1941 when the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled without skilled labor. The George A. Fuller construction company manufactured them, and the first was produced within 60 days of signing the contract. In 1946, the Great Lakes Steel Corporation claimed "the term 'Quonset,' as applied to builders and building materials, is a trade mark owned by the Great Lakes Steel Corporation." But the word is often used generically. Today similar structures are made by many contractors in countries around the world. The original design was a structure framed with steel members with an radius. The most common design created a standard size of with a radius, allowing of usable floor space with optional overhangs at each end for protection of entrances from the weather. Other sizes were developed, including and warehouse models.Michael Lamm (Winter 1998)
"The Instant Building"
''Invention & Technology'', Volume 13, Issue 3, pp. 68–72. Retrieved 28 May 2020. The sides were corrugated steel sheets, and the two ends were covered with plywood which had doors and windows. The interior was insulated and had pressed wood lining and a wood floor. The building could be placed on concrete, on

pilings A deep foundation is a type of foundation (architecture), foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from the surface than a shallow foundation does to a subsurface layer or a range of depths. A pile or piling is a ...

, or directly on the ground with a wood floor. The original design used low-grade steel, which was later replaced by a more rust-resistant version. The flexible interior space was open, allowing use as barracks,

latrine A latrine is a toilet or an even simpler facility that is used as a toilet within a sanitation system. For example, it can be a communal trench in the earth in a camp to be used as emergency sanitation, a hole in the ground ( pit latrine), or ...

s, medical and dental offices, isolation wards, housing, and bakeries. Nankin Value Battery Quonset hut Westland Michigan

Between 150,000 and 170,000 Quonset huts were manufactured during World War II, and the military sold its surplus huts to the public after the war. Many remain standing throughout the United States as outbuildings, businesses, or even homes, and they are often seen at military museums and other places featuring World War II memorabilia. Many were also used around the United States for temporary postwar housing, such as Rodger Young Village for veterans and their families in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and the Quonset Park complex of married student housing at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

.https://spectator.uiowa.edu/2010/january/oldgold.html "Temporary Housing: Not Much, But It's Home", ''University of Iowa Spectator'' Some are still in active use at United States military bases. The U.S. Department of Energy continues to utilize Quonset huts as supporting structures (fabrication and machine shops, warehouses, etc.) at the Nevada National Security Site.

References

External links

Feature article on the design and origin of the Quonset Hut
from the Varnum Continentals historical organization in East Greenwich, RI.

from the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command website.
Quonset Hut History in Washington State
. Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation.
Quonset Huts
at Guampedia, Guam's Online Encyclopedia
Quonset Huts, At National Airport, Arlington, Arlington County, VA
at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
Quonset and Pacific Huts
at the Kodiak Military History Museum
Pacific Huts
at the online encyclopedia of Washington State History
Quonset Hut (search Pacific Hut Company)
at the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park {{Authority control Huts Iron and steel buildings Portable buildings and shelters Barracks Prefabricated houses Military equipment of World War II Architecture in the United States

Design and history

See also

References

External links