Jefferson Barracks was established in 1826 as the country's first Infantry School of Practice and served as a major military installation until being decommissioned in 1946. At one time it was the largest military reservation in the United States, covering more than 1,700 acres and stretching 2 miles along the Mississippi River. The North Entrance stands at the intersection of Grant and Greg Road, where two stone guard shacks and the building between them were used by the Military Police during World War II. Above the door is the Coat of Arms of the 6th Infantry: a white shield for the infantry uniform facing color in 1812, when the regiment was organized; a silver cross on a red field from the Coat of Arms of the ancient Lords of Dun, near the city of Dun where the 6th Infantry crossed the Meuse River in World War I; a wavy base line symbolizing that river crossing; a green alligator for the regiment's service in the Seminole War of 1837; a green scaling ladder commemorating the storming of the Citadel of Chapultepec in 1847 during the war with Mexico; the motto "Unity is strength" in green letters on a silver scroll; and a red lion's face on a silver and red wreath representing the 6th Infantry's service in the campaigns in Canada during the War of 1812. The area of the former post now includes Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, the Veterans Administration Center - Jefferson Barracks Division, the Missouri National Guard Base, Jefferson Barracks County Park and Historic Site, Sylvan Springs County Park, and private development. Jefferson Barracks County Park comprises 426 acres and was dedicated on October 1 1950. The water tank, now the maintenance building, was completed in 1931, could hold 350,000 gallons of water, and had pumps in the house that distributed water throughout the post.