Bradford Armory, is a historic National Guard armory located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in McKean County. It was built in 1912 for Company C, 16th Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. In 1992 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and deemed worthy of preservation by the US Dept. Its architectural design, "T-Shape", is un
ique. Only 37 armories in the United States are built in this style. The Pennsylvania National Guard was organized in Bradford on Sept. 4, 1880, and originally kept their guns, uniforms, and equipment in the rear of the Producer's Petroleum Exchange building (currently the site of the Seneca building). Later, the Guard shared a meeting hall on Corydon Street (now Sehman's Tires) with the GAR veterans of the Civil War (Grand Army of the Republic). It was not until 1905, when the State Armory Board was created by the General Assembly, that the idea of building a new building for troop use was initiated. Property was purchased, and construction begun. On November 26, 1912, the official dedication of Bradford's Armory was held. The Governor of Pennsylvania, John K. Tener and his staff were invited and arrived by train in Olean, NY. They were met by Captain Lester Simons of Bradford (who had served in the Spanish American War) and traveled to Bradford by a special trolley car. The state armory board members accompanied the governor, and included Samuel P. Todd, executive controller; Adjutant General Thomas Stewart; Major General C.B. Dougherty; Brigadier General William G. Price; Colonel L.A. Watres; and Col. Demming, secretary of the armory board.
*History from the Bradford Landmark Society
