Big Chuck’s Monday Morning Time Capsule: Oneonta Buys Its Armory For $1.00!
The National Guard Armory in Oneonta is a historic and iconic city landmark. After 100-years of service to the community and the state, the armory was closed and sold to the city for a dollar in 2003. At the time, New York State was closing and selling many of the armories that dotted the region.
The Oneonta Armory is a brick and stone structure built in 1905. It was designed by State architect George L. Heins and evokes a medieval castle. Heins was the architect of more than a half dozen NYS armories including those in upstate Medina, Gloversville, Rochester and Geneva.
Oneonta's structure consists of a two-story administration building with an attached drill shed. The building features a 5-story octagonal tower at the southwest corner and a 2 1⁄2-story square tower at the northwest corner. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The armory is today used for community events, most notably hosting the annual Oneonta High School Alumni banquet which more than 500 guests back to the old building for a night of fun and memories.
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