The Erie Armory was originally built for four units of the 112th
Infantry of the PA National Guard. They were stationed at this
building beginning in the 1920s and remained there until July 2007—at
which time the 112th was relocated to a newly constructed Pennsylvania
National Guard Readiness Center near Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.
The 112th infantry regiment is part of the 28th Division, the oldest
continuously serving infantry division in the United States Army. When
the 112th infantry was first established during the American Civil War,
it was known as the Pennsylvania 16th. Besides the Civil War, the unit
that became the 112th also served in the Spanish-American War, World
War I, and Iraq. During both World War II and the Korean War, the 112th
earned Presidential Unit Citations.
The Erie Armory’s original structure was constructed in 1920 by
Pittsburgh architect, Joseph F. Kuntz, of the W.G. Wilkins Company.
Kuntz and the Wilkins Company designed multiple armories across
Pennsylvania beginning in 1905. Eventually the Erie Armory was expanded
in 1929, almost doubling the square footage of the property. The armory
originally included spaces such as a drill hall, a kitchen and dining
room, a locker room, classrooms, and offices. The Erie Armory was
placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
In 2013, Erie Insurance purchased the Erie Armory building with plans
to renovate the structure to use as office space. In Fall 2015, the
renovation was complete with historic preservation practices at the
forefront of the project. The exterior of the structure has been
maintained and preserved, and although the interior has been
modernized, original features such as ammunition locker doors and
fireplaces have been restored. The building now houses office and
conference space for 150 Erie Insurance employees.
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