A Brief History of College Arms Housing 1952-2013
On 23 June 1952, ground was broken for College Arms housing, intended primarily for US Army War College (USAWC) students and their families. The USAWC had moved to Carlisle Barracks in the summer of 1951, but the amount of housing available was nowhere near what was needed. Deputy Commandant Brigadier General Arthur Trudeau, instrumental in getting the USAWC to Carlisle, had a part in setting up student quarters in accordance with the Wherry Housing Act of 1949. Adjustments had to be made to comply with that program. The three bedroom homes, notoriously small, could have been a bit larger except for regulations--two feet had to be trimmed off the length and width to get the construction price below $9,000 each. 1 College Arms housing overall cost $925,700. 2 Ten to twelve of the homes were to be ready for occupancy by 1 September 1952. 3 By the next academic year, one hundred small white houses dotted the northeast section of post. Those College Arms homes, numbering 501 to 600, lined all or parts of today s Wright and Forbes Avenues and Liggett, Davis, Craig, Pershing, Butler, Sumner, and Patton Roads. Around 1960, half of the homes were expanded from three bedroom, 1,265 1 Arthur G. Trudeau Papers, Box 1, Oral History Volume II, 45, 53-54, US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. 2 Army War College Archives, Curriculum Development, Department of Academic Affairs, General Files, Box 1, Folder 12, US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. 3 Edward M. Almond Papers, Box 92, Folder 1, US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. News clipping (where above photo is also from) has no newspaper name or date. It was in a scrapbook with 1952 clippings. 2
square foot homes (left, below) to four bedroom, 1,570 square foot homes (right). Throughout the years, senior enlisted lived in five of the homes. More recently, a few USAWC geographic bachelor students, civilian students, and other officers and enlisted have also lived in College Arms. 4 high. The current and previous USAWC commandants, Major Generals Anthony Cucolo III and Gregg Martin, both remembered living in Smurf Village when they were students. USAWC end-ofyear survey comments have included everything from Bulldoze 'Smurf' houses. I will even volunteer to drive one! (2004) The size of the homes led to the nickname Smurf Village, from a popular 1980s cartoon that originated as a comic strip in Belgium in 1958. Smurfs, tiny blue people who lived in a village in a forest, were described as three apples to We quite enjoyed our smurf home and our return to small-town America (2009). 5 4 Bif Coyle, Chief, Army Housing/Residential Communities, meeting with author, 13 November 2012, and email to author, 6 December 2012. Floor plans printed from Balfour-Beatty s website, www.carlislebarrackshomes.com, 5 November 2012. 3
homes cost between $267,000 and $275,000, depending on size. Phase II, a $22 million project, will replace 69 College Arms homes with 56, and all should be ready for the USAWC Class of 2015. 6 by Jessica J. Sheets USAMHI/USAHEC 25 January 2013 research assistance from Bif Coyle, Michael Lynch, Guy Nasuti, and Melissa Wiford Since 2006, housing at Carlisle Barracks has gone through upgrades, including The Meadows neighborhood being added beside the golf course and new homes replacing the red houses on Marshall Ridge. In the final phase of the housing improvements, College Arms homes are being replaced by Heritage Heights duplex houses. Phase I, completed in 2009, demolished 31 homes and replaced them with 24. The individual 5 Office of Institutional Assessment, Executive Summary, End-of-Year Survey AY 04 and Executive Summary End-of-Year Survey Report: AY09 found at http://cbportal.carlisle.army.mil /sites/daa/directorates/ia/surveys2/shared%20documents/surveys.aspx. Cartoon from Housing Photos for 8 Nov Briefing Rev 11-5-04.ppt, emailed by Bif Coyle, Chief, Army Housing/Residential Communities, to author, 13 November 2012. 6 (1) 2006 date provided by Bif Coyle, Chief, Army Housing/Residential Communities, conversation with author, 8 January 2013. (2) Reynolds, Suzanne, Heritage Heights phase II demolition/construction slated for September start, Army War College Community Banner online, August 2012, http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/archivedisplay.cfm?articlemonth=8&articleyear=2012. The article actually says 71 College Arms homes would torn down in Phase II because it was including the 2 residences within the farmhouse (building 839). College Arms count verified by email from Bif Coyle to author on 6 December 2012. (3) Smurf phase-out begins, Army War College Community Banner online, November 2012, http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/archivedisplay.cfm?articlemonth=11&article Year=2012. (4) Schloesser, Kelly. Carlisle Barracks goes green all year-round, Army War College Community Banner online, May 2009, http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/archivedisplay.cfm?article Month=5&articleYear=2009. (5) BBC Housing Costs by Unit.xlsx, emailed by Bif Coyle, Chief, Army Housing/Residential Communities, to author, 24 January 2013. 4
Pre-demolition photos US Army War College Photo Lab, November 2012 larger kitchen (smaller kitchen pictured on page 3) 5
living room and dining room second floor 6
attic/storage area older living room 7
Title page credits College Arms then and now (photographs taken from Young Hall) From informational board on College Arms in possession of Bif Coyle, Chief, Army Housing/Residential Communities. Left image: Wherry Housing Project, Reisinger Bros. Inc., May 27, 1953. Right image: circa 2004. Aerial view Carlisle Barracks Collection Photographs, Box 76, Folder 8, US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Circa mid-1990s. 8