Erected in 1941 on land loaned by the Pierce Estate to serve both local citizens and World War II military personnel at Camp Hulen in nearby Palacios, the Bay City U.S.O. Building was one of 16 United Service Organization facilities built that year in Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma. A coordinating council was formed in 1941 to create a community center, and Bay City citizens and businesses generously contributed to the project. Dedicated in 1942, the center hosted groups such as the Women's Auxiliary and Girls Service Organization. Records showed 11,289 civilians served as leaders and program assistants, and programs were attended by 150,230 service personnel and 222,509 civilians. Operated by the Y.M.C.A. and a local committee under the auspices of the U.S.O., the facility continued until the U.S.O. ended its operations in 1945. That year, the property on the north side of the block and the building were deeded to Bay City Post No. 11 of the American Legion, which initiated long-term leases with the city of Bay City to maintain the building and continue its operation as a community center. Of the five Gulf Coast U.S.O. buildings constructed early in the war, it is the only one left standing. A meeting place and city center, it continues to be an active and vital part of the community. Constructed according to standardized plans and finished in a brick veneer through the generosity of the Bay City Gas Company, the buff brick building features a U-plan wing housing meeting rooms, offices, a refreshment area, locker room, darkroom and a large auditorium. The building reflects the influences of the international style with banded windows, industrial sash, cantilevered overhangs and a flat roof of articulated massing.