When Rock Island Arsenal was established in 1862, few permanent structures existed on the 946-acre island. By 1866, only the Clocktower Building stood. Colonel Thomas J. Rodman’s master plan included ten stone shops, ten storehouses, and residences labeled Quarters One through Four.

Quarters One, located on the north-central shore of Arsenal Island, served as the residence for 38 senior officers until 2008. At over 20,000 square feet, it is the largest house owned by the U.S. Army and second only to the White House in federal inventory. Originally, the grounds featured a Japanese-style teahouse, a root cellar, and a conservatory.

Built between 1869 and 1871, the three-story Italianate Villa-style home features a hand-carved limestone exterior and cast-iron accents made from recycled ordnance left behind after Fort Armstrong’s closure. The limestone walls are two feet thick, with the tower rising two additional stories using 18-inch-thick stone sourced from Joliet, Illinois and LeClaire, Iowa.

The interior boasts original polychrome oak and walnut floors, nine marble fireplaces, one brick fireplace, decorative cornices, and 16-foot ceilings. Rodman designed the home to host public gatherings, accommodate guests, and provide barracks space on the third floor for Soldiers priced out of local lodging.

The first public event at Quarters One occurred in June 1871 following Rodman’s death, when over 100 wagons of visitors arrived to pay their respects. Over the years, the residence hosted distinguished guests including Charles Lindbergh, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General John “Blackjack” Pershing, as well as foreign attachés and USO events.

Though no longer a residence, Quarters One continues to serve the community, hosting weddings, receptions, meetings, and other events for Rock Island Arsenal and the greater Quad Cities area.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters Two was built under the direction of Colonel Daniel Webster Flagler. Though the architect is unknown, the home resembles Quarters Three, designed by Captain Clifton Comly, and is modeled after Quarters One. It is a fine example of High Victorian Italianate architecture.

A second-floor addition was later built on the south side using Milwaukee brick. The home spans approximately 6,110 square feet and features a limestone foundation with ashlar masonry walls. Ornamental details like the grand foyer and tower-like sewing room reflect late Victorian design.

The front veranda is supported by ten elaborate cast-iron columns with Gothic tracery, all produced at Rock Island Arsenal’s foundry using obsolete Civil War-era ordnance. Walnut-paneled double doors and ornate brass doorknobs also originated from the arsenal’s foundry.

The foyer floor is black-and-white Italian marble, flanked by walnut shutters and baseboards. A large plaster rosette medallion adorns the ceiling, and etched glass double doors lead into the center hallway, which features a striking oak and walnut floor pattern.

A walnut staircase with molded railings, turned balusters, and an octagonal newel post leads to the second floor. Atop the post is a rare cast-metal statue of a Renaissance soldier holding a torch—said to resemble Brigadier General Thomas Rodman. An identical statue exists in Quarters One.

The first floor includes a dining room, living room, den (formerly servant quarters), powder room, modern kitchen with butler’s pantry, and laundry room. The dining room features a brown marble mantelpiece and an ornate chandelier. The living room has a white marble fireplace, while the den includes a tan brick hearth and walnut bookcase.

Upstairs, the curved walnut window marks the original exterior wall before the addition. The second floor includes four bedrooms, a sitting area, sewing room, and three bathrooms. The northeast bedroom has a white marble mantelpiece; the northwest features green marbleized slate with gold detailing; and the southwest has brown marbleized slate with black panels and gold accents.

Flooring varies: oak throughout, with maple in the north bedroom and sewing room, and pine in the rear hall. Though the house was originally plumbed, none of the original fixtures remain. The central bathroom contains an old clawfoot tub.

The only original furniture piece is a walnut curio cabinet with curved glass, Gothic columns, beveled mirrors, and claw-on-ball legs. Quarters Two also retains a functioning servant call box in the kitchen and doorbells throughout the house to summon staff.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters Three was built under Colonel Daniel Webster Flagler’s direction for $35,000. Captain Clifton Comly, who temporarily led the arsenal during Brigadier General Rodman’s illness, designed the plans in 1871. The Italianate-style residence mirrors Quarters One in style but on a smaller scale.

The home spans approximately 7,500 square feet, with a limestone masonry foundation and Joliet limestone exterior walls. The front porch features grillwork and eight cast-iron columns forged at the arsenal, along with decorative fencing made from captured ordnance and horseshoes.

The foyer includes a black-and-white marble floor, solid walnut exterior doors, and frosted glass double doors leading to the entrance hall. Brass doorknobs with Renaissance soldier silhouettes adorn the doors, while upstairs bedrooms retain original white porcelain knobs.

The main staircase is a straight-run walnut stairway with molded railings, turned balusters, and an octagonal newel post. Walnut wainscoting and chair rails line the left side. The hallway and dining room floors alternate ash and walnut; the hallway was replaced in 2021.

The first floor follows a classic Italianate plan with 14-foot ceilings. A central stair hall is flanked by a double parlor and dining room, with a butler’s pantry and breakfast room in the northeast corner. The breakfast room retains tall wood china cabinets, now painted white. A powder room sits beneath the stairs.

The south wing includes a kitchen and laundry room. A large fireplace once served both rooms, with a six-by-eight-foot flue, later enclosed in the 1980s. The dining room features a pressed-metal ceiling and cornice, a large square rosette, and anthemion patterns. Walnut shutters, plate rails, and corner guards add elegance.

The dining room fireplace has a gray Italian marble mantel. A non-original china cabinet with beveled leaded glass and a hunting sideboard with carved animal figures—both possibly made at the arsenal—enhance the room. A Tiffany-style lamp sits atop the sideboard.

The front parlor has a light gray marble fireplace and ceiling medallion. Crystal chandeliers once hung in both parlors but were removed. The back parlor features a brown/gray marble fireplace and a brass bomb-decorated screen forged at the arsenal, symbolizing the Ordnance Corps.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the parlors and dining room open to the porch. A skylight above the stairway, currently filled with debris, is slated for cleaning and light tube installation. A second skylight was replaced by a modern vent.

The attic contains a tin-lined redwood tank used for gravity-fed water, filled by rainwater. A maze of chimneys supports the many fireplaces. Brass hardware throughout the house was cast at the arsenal, with drawer pulls engraved “US.”

The second floor has four large front bedrooms. Two include baths or lavatories; the other two share a closet. Three bedrooms feature white Italian marble fireplaces with unique decorative details. A step down leads to two smaller former servant bedrooms and a bathroom with a clawfoot tub. One bedroom is now a walk-in closet.

A narrow stairway connects this area to the kitchen. The second floor has varnished narrow oak flooring (not original), while the back wing features varnished maple.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters Four is a striking example of High Victorian Italianate architecture, notable for its rare asymmetrical plan. Construction began in June 1871 and was completed in summer 1872 under Colonel Daniel Webster Flagler. Captain Clifton Comly, acting commander during Brigadier General Rodman’s illness, designed the plans.

This residence spans approximately 6,985 square feet and has undergone few alterations. Its exterior walls are 24 inches thick, made of Joliet limestone, and the hipped wood roof is covered with asphalt shingles.

The screened “L”-shaped front porch features grillwork forged at the arsenal, supported by nine cast-iron columns atop limestone piers. Wood lattice painted tan fills the spaces between columns, and the porch ceiling and floor are tongue-and-groove board. The roof is copper.

Massive walnut front doors are adorned with brass hardware forged at the arsenal, including Renaissance soldier silhouettes on the knobs. The entry hall floor is black-and-white marble in a diamond pattern. A brass chandelier was added during the 1918 conversion to electricity. The hall tree with brass-plated umbrella stands was built at the arsenal in the 1890s.

The walnut staircase features molded railings, turned balusters, and an octagonal newel post. Vertical board wainscoting with chair rail lines the stairway walls. The first floor is carpeted but likely features alternating oak and walnut boards beneath.

The second floor has narrow oak flooring (not original). Molded walnut baseboards are found throughout, though most are painted white. Plaster ceiling rosettes decorate the foyer, stair hall, dining room, and parlors.

The first floor’s asymmetrical Italianate layout includes a central foyer leading to the stair hall, with parlors on the west and a dining room in the southeast corner. The east wing contains a service hall, two pantries, a kitchen (once with a fireplace), laundry room, and service stairway. A powder room is tucked beneath the main stairs.

The northwest parlor has 14-foot ceilings and a white Italian marble fireplace. The southwest parlor has a similar marble fireplace and is the only wood-burning fireplace among the six in the house; the others were coal-burning but are no longer operational.

Original tall wood china cabinets remain in the pantries, now painted white. The dining room accommodates 20+ guests and features white-painted walnut shutters, a brass and crystal chandelier, and a brown/gray Italian marble fireplace.

Upstairs, the west wing has three large bedrooms and a master bath overlooking the Mississippi River. A second bath lies between the other two rooms and was updated in 2008. Each bedroom has a white marble fireplace with unique detailing.

The east wing includes two more bedrooms, a family room (or sixth bedroom), and another full bath with a clawfoot tub and white wainscoting. The original plumbing remains, though fixtures have changed.

A wooden rainwater tank survives in the attic but is no longer in use. A rear stairwell connects the east wing to the kitchen and laundry areas below.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters Six, located on Terrace Drive, reflects the gracious lifestyle of the “Old Army.” Built in 1905 by Colonel Stanhope E. Blunt for $13,500, it was designed to accommodate officers overseeing small arms production, including the 1903 Springfield rifle. Though stylistically distinct from the Rodman-era Italianate quarters, it complements their scale and elegance.

This eclectic residence features a complex skyline of hipped roofs, gables, and mansard dormers. Its light tan Milwaukee brick walls contrast with dark eaves, and its design incorporates elements from various architectural styles. It was the first officer’s residence at the arsenal designed with electricity.

A large wraparound porch on the north and east sides offers river views and summer breezes. Ionic columns support the porch, with tan-painted wood railings and banisters softening the structure’s strong lines. The entrance features double doors topped by a Palladian window with beveled leaded glass in a broken circle motif repeated throughout the home.

The main foyer showcases dark oak wainscoting, beamed ceilings, and original oak leaf-decorated light sconces. Built-in coat closets flank the entrance, adding charm and functionality. A dark oak staircase rises to a rear landing, illuminated by fanlike windows that cast dancing prisms of light across the space.

The living room (front parlor) is bright and airy, with white-painted woodwork and eastern exposure. A bay window includes a center pane that lifts to form a door to the porch. The angled fireplace, shared with the library, features tile facing, a white wooden mantel with Corinthian columns, and a metal lining forged at the arsenal. Pocket doors separate the room from the foyer and library.

The library (back parlor) includes oak bookcases and wainscoting made at the arsenal, a picture molding, and a fireplace with tile facing and a dark oak mantel. Sliding pocket doors divide it from the living room.

The dining room is the most ornate, dominated by a Palladian window overlooking the Mississippi River. Its beveled leaded glass fan design matches other windows in the house. Opposite the window is a fireplace with “Rose and Lemon” tile and an oak mantel, flanked by built-in oak china cabinets with diamond-patterned leaded glass and carved lion’s heads.

The breakfast nook was once a serving pantry. The modern kitchen features oak cabinetry and a hidden full-length window behind a false wall. A former chimney vent for a wood stove remains in the west wall. The rear hall leads to a small study and the original powder room beneath the stairs.

The second and third floors have large center halls with dark oak wainscoting. The second floor includes four bedrooms (two with fireplaces), two full baths, and servant quarters with a bath. The third floor has three bedrooms, one bath, and a recreation room.

Quarters Six contains two original furniture pieces built at the arsenal: a walnut chest with a white marble top and a long bench.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters Seven, located at the east end of the main row of quarters, was built under Colonel Stanhope E. Blunt and reflects late 19th-century architectural eclecticism. Alongside Quarters Six, it leans toward Colonial Revival style, featuring gabled roofs and Doric columns popular in 1895.

The home’s irregular plan includes two-story bay windows and a wide veranda with sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the old golf course. It has a concrete basement with limestone walls and is the only wood-frame construction among the quarters. Exterior walls feature bevel-clapboard siding below a flared belt course and wood shingles above. The roof combines gable and mansard sections with a detailed cornice; shingles were updated in spring 2021.

Built in 1903 to house officers overseeing small-arms production, Quarters Seven offers 4,300 square feet of living space and a relaxed charm. A wide porch wraps the front and left sides, supported by Doric columns. The double entryway includes white-painted glass doors and intricately carved walnut interior doors.

The spacious foyer features a U-shaped window seat over a firewood box and delicate scrollwork crafted at the arsenal. Oak paneling, molding, and banisters have been painted white. Beveled glass above the front door and throughout the house brightens the interior.

The living room includes bay windows and a blue-tiled fireplace with a double mantel supported by carved Gothic columns. Brass andirons, fender, and a detailed insert were made at the arsenal. The den has a corner fireplace of terra-cotta brick with Egyptian-style detailing, similar to one in Quarters One’s library.

The dining room features three large windows, one of which was originally a door to the porch. Above it is a beveled glass window with river views. The room retains an oval table and buffet sideboard. It connects to a laundry room and large butler’s pantry with built-in cabinets, a storage area, and a half-bath. The kitchen leads to a small porch and includes a rear servant’s staircase.

The grand staircase has three landings, light oak stairs, and painted white balusters and newel posts. Six oak newel posts with denticulate caps and two glass windows line the stairwell. A large window with diamond-pattern woodwork sits at the top.

Upstairs are four large bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a small sewing room. The master bedroom and second large bedroom have bay windows with decorative wood designs and diamond-patterned upper panes. The second bedroom shares a bath with a third, and a fourth bedroom with its own bath was originally the servant’s room. A large unfinished attic includes a ladder to a rooftop lookout.

Doorknobs throughout are oval copper or brass with ornate backplates. Window handles share the same decorative pattern.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters 32 and 33, now known as Building 360, were originally constructed as the Old Post Headquarters. These homes represent the final phase of General Thomas Jackson Rodman’s original plan for Rock Island Arsenal, which envisioned ten large stone manufacturing shops supported by administrative and residential buildings in a unified Greek Revival style.

Completed in 1888 with Congressional funding, Building 360 was the first permanent structure at the Arsenal designed exclusively for administrative use. Built of Joliet limestone, it sits west of the north row of shops along Rodman Avenue. While primarily Greek Revival in style, the building also features Richardsonian Romanesque influences, including asymmetrical massing and round-arched window openings for three pairs of windows.

From 1889 to 1922, Building 360 served as the headquarters for Rock Island Arsenal. It housed the offices of the post commander, his staff, and departments such as mail and finance. Eight commanding officers led the Arsenal from this location during its tenure as headquarters.

Following World War I, military activity at the Arsenal declined sharply. Headquarters operations moved to a building adjacent to Building 220, and Building 360 was largely unused or repurposed for storage throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

In 1934, the building was converted into family housing, likely by RIA Public Works Administration employees. These quarters remained in residential use until 2004, when they were returned to administrative functions as part of a broader reorganization of Arsenal buildings.

This description of a home located on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is part of a series on the unique housing found on the installation. Information was provided by a joint effort between the History Office of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and the Welcome Club at Rock Island Arsenal.

Quarters 34, formerly Building 81, replaced a wooden structure that once served as the Union Army hospital. The original facility included a dispensary, emergency treatment room, surgeon’s office, and living quarters for the hospital steward.

The first floor housed the surgical room, two offices, and the pharmacy. It featured 10-foot ceilings and hardwood floors, though today only the dining room and a small kitchen dining area retain wood flooring; other rooms are tiled or carpeted.

The second floor originally contained the medical ward, dental room, squad room, and veterinarian’s laboratory and offices. It has since been converted into four bedrooms, each measuring 15 feet square with 9-foot-6-inch ceilings.

The basement once held diet kitchens, supply and stock rooms, a drug room, and served as the morgue. It has eight-foot ceilings. A Dutch door in the supply room and the framework of a large cabinet from the drug room still remain.

Unlike other quarters, Quarters 34 has no fireplaces. It was built with a central heating system originally powered by the main boiler plant that heated all the stone shop buildings on the Arsenal.

Following World War II, the building was converted into residential use and designated Quarters 34.

Many people at Rock Island Arsenal are familiar with the Confederate Prison Barracks from the Civil War, but fewer know about the Italian prisoners of war who lived and worked on the Arsenal during World War II.

By June 1943, over 14,500 Italian POWs were held across the United States. After Italy joined the Allied Powers in October 1943, the U.S. created a program allowing captured Italians to assist with the war effort through non-combat labor.

On July 16, 1944, the 38th and 40th Italian Quartermaster Services Companies arrived at Rock Island Arsenal from Pine Camp, New York. These volunteers, known as “signees,” pledged to perform any non-combat duty for the U.S. against Nazi Germany, though they remained in military custody.

Upon arrival, the Italian Service Units were housed in the stone barracks (Building 90) and two other quarters. After demonstrating good behavior, Col. Norman Ramsey, the Arsenal commander, eased restrictions and introduced a limited pass policy. Groups of five signees, escorted by American soldiers, were allowed to visit local communities and attend Sunday Mass.

During their time at Rock Island Arsenal, the Italians contributed significantly to operations. They packed and shipped tank parts, salvaged mechanized components, painted vehicles, and handled freight railcars. A report from Col. C.A. Waldmann noted that 25 Italian workers saved over $14,000 in taxpayer money by salvaging lumber alone.

Of the 426 signees assigned to the Arsenal, only 15 were returned to POW status for disciplinary reasons. Despite some local opposition from veterans groups, public opinion remained largely positive due to the signees’ contributions and minimal incidents.

On September 22, 1945, the Italian signees departed Rock Island Arsenal by troop train, marking the end of a unique chapter in the installation’s history.