Officers Row - Vancouver, Washington
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 45° 37.606 W 122° 39.290
10T E 526906 N 5052638
Marker giving history of Officers' Row at Vancouver Barracks.
Waymark Code: WMJ8EJ
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2013
Views: 8
Text of marker:
Officers Row
Officers Row, a procession of homes for officers and their families, began during the early frontier years when Vancouver barracks was considered by many to be a remote and lonely assignment. The first officer's quarters on the Row were log cabins built in 1850 -- the only surviving example is now called the Grant House.
By the time the department Commander's quarters, (now known as the Marshall House) was constructed in 1886, Vancouver Barracks was the headquarters for the Department of the Columbia and considered a prestige post.
Set apart from the rest of the post, Officers Row commanded a view of the entire garrison from the Parade Ground down to the Columbia River. Both in placement and style, the Row highlighted the separation between officers and enlisted men.
Some of the residences were later converted to clubs, where officers spent much of their free time.
The Row was carefully maintained through World War II until the U.S. Army shifted its focus away from Vancouver Barracks. The 21 structures were transferred to the City of Vancouver in the 1980s, and the homes rehabilitated in order to preserve the national significance of this site.