Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-04

trace the owners and secure the shares
of stock not held by the organized body
or the members thereof.
Under the circumstances governing
the building of the armory and the out
standing stock, it is practically impos-
sble for it to be used in any way to
advance the erection of a new struc-
ture by the State. 1t was never owned
nor controlled by the Commonwealth
and the only connection Herewith was
the payment to the association of the
annual allowance for armory rent al
lotted to Companies ID and l. which
was used for maintaining the building
making repairs. etc. This amount was
never sufficient for the purpose and had
to be supplemented by receipts from
balls, socials and entertainments of all
kinds.
The first armorY used by the City
Grays was in the Exchange Building
in Walnut street, opposite the Dauphin
county prison, on the site of the presJ
ent post office. A new armory was built
at Second and Forster streets in 1874
and was first occupied June 20 of that
year. This building proved to be too
small, and was rebuilt, the first drill
in the remodeled building being held
February IS, 1885. This armory, like
the former one, was built by issuing
bonds and required much hard work on
the part of the members.
The building committee for the new
armory erected in 1SS4-5 was as fol-
lows: Captain Thomas f. MaIoney.
Lieutenant Joseph L. Rhoads, Lieuten.
ant George e. Reed, Sergeants L. Laub-
enStein, Harman A. Perkins, William
IL. Lawser, Philip German, Corporals
Frank L. Hutter, Milton S. Sprout Jo.
seph b. Hutchison and Private John
Bell. d. r. Miller was the architect
The building was constructed by ]. A.
Slentz, carpenter; Joseph Strominger.
plasterer; Thornton A. Bell, painter
George q. Reed, mason; Elder and
Nauss, plumbers, and Eager and Maeyer.
timers.
The new armory was presented TO
the stockholders by the armorv build.
ing committee on Friday evening. March
~ 1883. Governor Robert E. Patti
son was present and made an address.
The financial standing at the time
OF dedication was as follows.
Stock subscribed, 1855 shares,
at $50 .."................ $3.50. 90
DohaIlohS ''''.... 975. 90
Total receipts ........... $6,755.OO
expenditures ............ 9,409.S0
Indebtedness ............. $2,654.SO
This armory was used by Co. D.
Eighth Regiment, until the Spanish
American War in 1898, and after the
reorganization of the Pennsylvania Ma.
tional Guard in 1899, the command re.
sumed it's old quarters therein. At the
same time Co. II, of the Eleventh Regi-
ment, Provisional National Guard of
Pennsylvania, became Co. I, Eighth
Regiment, taking the place of Co. I,
of Wrightsville, which did not reor.
ganize after Federal service in the
Spanish War.
From February IS, 1888, to October
IS, 1890, the Governors Troop of cav.
airy, then a new organization in the
National Guard of Pennsylvania, was
quartered in the Armory, under lease
from the Armory Association, paying
as a rental the annual State allowance
of 5000.
Companies d and I, of the Eighth
Regiment, continued to occupy the
building until the regiment was called
into service at the beginning of the
World War in 1917.
The City Grays Armory Association
entirely controls and manages the prop.
erty in every way, attending to rental
of the building and making repairs,
alterations, etc, to keep the structure
up to date. A board of officers looks
after the details of the management.