The Naval ROTC Armory at UNC, which has been a hub for cadets since 1942 , was added to the National Register of Historic Places this month.
Stephenson Distinguished Professor of History Joseph Glatthaar said the addition of UNC’s naval armory to the National Register of Historic Places introduces new regulations for the building and its administration. The external structure of the building cannot be altered, but the interior can be renovated, he said.
Sandy Henkel, historian and associate member of the UNC NROTC Alumni Association, said in a statement that she hopes that the University and the state will find funding to make necessary repairs and upgrades to the armory.
"When you've let a building sit dormant for 30 years, it's like your own house, right?" she said. "Things need to be taken care of."
Glatthaar said the University was considering the demolition and relocation of the armory in 2007-2008 to build a psychology building, but the nationwide recession prevented UNC from altering the site. A plan released in 2019 suggested the University would replace the building with a new Institute for Convergent Science building. The plan faced significant pushback.
Rob Rivers, a retired U.S. naval commander and board member of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a statement that the decision to apply for the registry was directly tied to the efforts of the Naval Armory Preservation Committee to oppose the 2019 plan to demolish the armory. He said recognition from the registry would make it more difficult for the University to demolish the building.
The armory played a large role in deployment efforts during World War II, according to the department chair of military science for UNC’s army ROTC program, Lt. Col. Dan Hurd. During World War II, around 25,000 students were trained for military and naval service at UNC, and the armory’s pre-flight school trained over 18,000 naval aviation cadets. Beyond World War II, many officers trained at UNC have also provided humanitarian aid to victims of natural disasters and global conflict.
The U.S. Navy has invested the equivalent of $75 million into campus and community infrastructure, building and renovating numerous facilities. Today, the armory is home to faculty offices and student classrooms, and Hurd said the space engages ROTC students in labs and classes where they learn military tactics and leadership skills.
“Those who train in the Naval Armory today realize they are standing on the shoulders of thousands of former Tar Heels who served in the armory before them," Rivers said.
