Navy Park Historic District

Navy Addition now contains 236 of the original housing units: 75 single-family, 2 bedroom units with 725 square feet in each: 12 one-bedroom duplexes, with each duplex having 1,305 square feet; 120 two-bedroom duplexes, with each duplex having 1,425 square feet; 18 one-bedroom quadraplexes, with each quadraplex having 2,523 square feet; and 11 two-bedroom quadraplexes, with each quadraplex having 2,800 square feet.

The housing units were built with a steel frame and joists on a concrete base, and with “cellotex” reinforced with steel wire and covered by stucco. The wire was put around the house causing a balloon effect and the stucco then sprayed over it, to get the desired finish. The houses were painted white, light gray, pale blue, pink, and other pastel colors. The window, and window screen, frames were made of steel. The interiors of the housing units were built of uniform pattern and size with all of them having a living room, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and either one or two bedrooms. All were equipped with gas cooking ranges, electric refrigerators, built-in cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and hot water heaters. Families had to provide their own furniture, and telephones were available. Garbage was collected by the city three times a week, and the city took care of the streets. Navy Addition had special sewage equipment which lifted the sewage to the level of the city sewage when it entered the city line.

Materials for the housing units were brought by truck, train, and steamship from various sections of the country as follows: steel from Detroit, Michigan; inside board wall from Lockport, New York; lumber from Deweyville, Texas; linoleum from Oakland, California; oak floors from Memphis, Tennessee; plumbing materials from Wisconsin manufacturers; hardware from New Briton, Connecticut; refrigerators from Bridgeport, Connecticut; gas stoves from Tennessee Points; hot water heaters from Houston, Texas; outside board walls from New Orleans, Louisiana; and sashes from Baltimore, Maryland.

More than 15,000 yards of concrete, approximately 500 tons of steel, and 50,000 yards of dirt were used in the construction of Navy Addition.

On May 24, 1941, the contractors turned Navy Addition over to the U.S. Navy. The housing units were rented to military and civilian families involved in the war effort. The naval officers lived in one small area of Navy Addition, in a circle called Park Place, which was at Sixth and Decatur Streets. There were ten housing units in this circle. Navy Addition was an all-white neighborhood, with enlisted and civilians living throughout the rest of the addition.

The homes were eventually turned over to the Federal Public Housing Authority and were rented to the public. In 1945, plans were made, and a $2 million naval base was put in Orange.