Fort Coombs WWII Roll of Honor - Apalachicola, Florida, USA.
N 29° 43.587 W 084° 59.079
16R E 694927 N 3290174
A bronze plaque honoring the Volunteers of Franklin County who served & those who lost their lives in WWII. Displayed on the front of Fort Coombs Armory, located in the heart of the coastal town of Apalachicola, Northern Florida.
Waymark Code: WMXD9B
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2017
Views: 1
Units stationed at Fort Coombs have been mobilized for service in World Wars I and II, the Gulf War and the War with Iraq. Bronze plaques located on the exterior front wall memorialize the names of generations of Apalachicola and Franklin County citizens who have served their State and Nation.
The armory was originally built by the Franklin Guards in 1898 but burned to the ground in 1900 during a fire. The building was rebuilt in 1901 with noted features such as slit windows, and a corner tower that resembles a medieval watchtower. This is a contributing building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS #80000951) forming part of the Apalachicola Historic District.
Fort Coombs Armory is now home to a Convention Center.
A nearby historical marker (erected 2004) reads.
"The Franklin Guards, a company of Infantry organized in Apalachicola in 1884 by J.H. Coombs and Fred Betterfield, erected the first building in the city to be used solely as an armory in 1898. Made of simulated brick, it was located at the corner of High Street and Center Avenue. On May 25, 1900, fire destroyed it and much of the downtown. On July 3, 1900, a committee was formed to build a new armory. The facility was designed by Frank and Thomas Lockwood of Columbus, Georgia and constructed by John H. Hecker. It was completed in 1901 at a cost of $12,000. The replacement armory features real brick walls and a gable roof with a gable parapet. Solid massing of the walls, slit windows, and a corner tower that resembles a medieval watchtower make this an imposing military structure. Fort Coombs is a unique example of fortress architecture in Florida, and has served as the military and social nexus of Apalachicola for more than a century. Units stationed here have been mobilized for service in World Wars I and II, the Gulf War and the War with Iraq. Bronze plaques located on the exterior front wall memorialize the names of generations of Apalachicola and Franklin County citizens who have served their State and Nation."
FORT COOMBS ARMORY:
"At the urging of the local militia company, the Franklin Guards, Franklin County built an armory at the corner of 4th Street and Avenue D. This two-story building with a four-story clock tower was completed in 1898 and destroyed by fire two years later. The building was insured against fire and these insurance funds were used to build a new armory building at the same location.
The new building measured 60 by 100 feet, filling an entire city lot. It was designed by Lockwood Brothers of Columbus, Georgia and built by J. H. Hecker. The brick structure contains a large drill hall that could accommodate the entire company for drilling. There is also a vault to store the weapons, dressing rooms and offices. The exterior of the structure is dominated by a four-story tower. During the Second World War this tower was the lookout station for volunteers scanning the sky for enemy planes.
The building was owned by Franklin County. In 1911 the county sold the structure to the State of Florida who added a 30 by 100 feet single-story addition to the northwest side of the building. This addition contains a kitchen, offices, restrooms, and a company room. The company room features a large fireplace containing shells set into the masonry and the crest of Company E, 106th Engineers, which was the local National Guard unit at that time.
The building is named for James Percy Coombs who was active in the local National Guard unit in the early 1900s. He served as commander of the local company, Lieutenant Colonel in the First World War and Mayor of Apalachicola."
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