The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-04-15
THE COLUMBIA ARSENAL.
Magnificent Buildings and Beautiful
- FUNDS, Costing $500, 900.
$50 900 More to Be Expended.-A
COunty's Pride.

$50 900 More to BE Expended.-A
COunty's Pride.
The first place to attract the eye of
q visitor coming into Columbia on
the SouLh-bound train, is the Co
lumbia Arsenal, which includes nine
buildings scattered over all area OF
sixtv-seven acres, and which are so
situated as to command the immedl-
ate attention OF the stranger in our
midst. To the indomitable energy
and perseverance, of the late Hon. w.
&. Whitthorne, who so ably ana talth-
fully represented our district III Con
gress many years, and Il short time IN
the United States Senate, is Column
bia indebted for the location OF the
United States Arsenal, which in its
extensiveness aud the magnificence OF
it's buildings is not only an ornament
to the town, the County and the state,
but would grace any city in the
country. And while serving as a
place for the storage of Uncle sam 8
arms and munitions of war in these
times of peace, ii yet assists in attract
ing at ention~tO Columbia, adVertls-
ing and benfitting the city in various
ways. Its construction gave Work TO
incidental location of body OF troops
will necessitate the purchase OF sup
plies for them by the governments
agents aud thus gOOdly amount OF
money put in circulation in Maury
County.
While 5000, 900 have been expended
in the erection of the buildings, all OF
? which have been completed, further
appropriation of about $4,000 has
ID - GfnnHrnQa for the RFPR-
tion of one more building, the fencing
of the entire grounds, and for minor
though important improvements.
A representative of THE HERALD
was shown over the grounds and
through the various buildings last
Saturday by Maj. Isaac Arnold and
his assistants, to whose courtesy IS
due the following facts and figures In
reference to the arsenal.
For few years previous to 1888 the
question of the location of an arsenal
at some point in Tennessee had been
agitated. The attention of Column
bians was fret called to it hy Col. L.
II. Wright, now OF Nashville, who
brought the matter before the Board
of Mayor aud Aldermen. At first 1t
was thought to be much too big a
thing for Columbia to even ask for,
much less to expect, and not rev
of our citizens mentioned Col.
WrighJ's name with that OF one Col.
Sellers you have rran about tol.
Wright WIS not dauu'e ed by thI-, how
ever, and a second time brUugh' the
matter before the Board and asked
that committee be appolH'e'l ana
sent to DE Fuuiak, Fla, To attend a
convention there, where delegates
fIom different cities were 10 meet 10
further the prospect OF the Govern
ment building the Arsenal some
where in the South.
Finally the Board reluctantly APP
pointed the committee and they went
to De Funiak, and much to the sup
prise of all Columbia, this city vas
named as the place, and Congress 'as
memorialized. This favor was due to
the personal influence and active
interest taken in favor Of Columbia
by Col. Wright, to whom the citI-
zens here are always ready to render
their grateful acknowledgements.
Our then able representative in
Congress, the Hon. w. Whit
thorne,, then took the bus ness in
hand and introduced n bill in Con-
Gress apprOpriating 5000, 900 for q
United States Arsenal at Columbia,
Tenn. The bill was passed in 1855
and approved by President Cleveland
May /, of the same Year. To induce
the location OF the proposed arsenal
here, the citizens of Columbia and
Maury County agreed to donate the
ground necessary, and when the bill
was passed, $l5, $50 was subscribed
and the ground known as the Latta
DIace was purchased and decided to
the Unit, d States. OF this amount
$500 was given by Mr.. Sims Latta,
aud 81 600 by the Hon. w. J. Whit
thorne, who wss also instrumental in
pushing the work in other ways. Ii
il one OF The most valuable pieces oil
property around Columbia, being To-
Gated one and a quarter miles from
Public Square, fronting on the Louis
vile & Nashville Railroad, Hamp-
shire pike aud the Mt. Pleasant pike,
and embracing siXty-seven acres.
Col. d. w. Flagler, now Brigadier
General and Chief Of Ordinance, was
. detailed by the War Department to
' .,repare plans for the buildings, and
Immediately came on to Columbia
for that purpose.
ON Oct. "a, 1889, bids were adver-
tised for the construction OF nine
buildings. The bids were opened
Nov. 26, 1889, and the contract
awarded to Frank Goodwin, OF At
Ianta, as the lowest bidder, his being
$I7l 800.
Mai. Clifton Comfy was detailed by
the Secretary of War to report at Co
Iumbia and superintend the work
but he was succeeded by Maj. Isaa'
Arnold, and under him work com
menced on Jan. p, 1890. Work OF
the buildings was completed Dec. ~
1891.
BEFORE work commenced on the
buildings Mai. Arnold made an eX
animation OF stone quarries in thu
vicinity of Columbia, with a view t.
using it in building. But the ston
was not found suitable and Bowling
Green, XIV, stone was selected. I'M
stone was used in the construction o
the main building or stOre-hOuse, II
the Commanding officers quarters
and in the office in the guaTdIhouse
Phe other buildings, including tn
machine shops, barracks, married
mems quarters, stable aud magazine
are of brick, with stone trimmings
The, main building or store-hous
fronts on the railroad, and is fou
storIes high, including basement
mo foundation is OF stOne Obtaine
from local uuarries. The floor of tn
hosament is OF artificial stone of 81
or eight inches thickness, as smoot
ass plank floor, Massive pillars Q
oi.rs of stone run IN two rows tn
length OF the building. TAese pier
ara 81 stone from Iron City, Tenn
"a gives that part of the building a
annesrauce of substanti TALLY which
III deoeptlve. The basement wi
he used for the storage OF AFtlller