Between 1867 and 1879, troops and civilian craftsmen, many of them German stonemasons from Fredericksburg, Texas, erected six barracks, ten officers' quarters, several storehouses, six stables and corrals, a headquarters, hospital, schoolhouse and chapel, and other support structures. Limestone quarried near Ben Ficklin a few miles south provided durable building material, and mortar was made from kiln-produced lime extracted from the stone and local sand. Timber was scarce, and local pecan wood proved unsuitable because of its hardness and tendency to warp. Construction moved slowly because materials had to be hauled overland by wagon, commanding officers changed rapidly, and overall planning was lacking. Construction of Officers' Quarters 5 began in 1868, and the building was occupied by 1869. Its design matched Officers' Quarters 2, 4, and 6, and after the military abandoned the post in 1889 it became a private residence. Its weak second story, which had structural problems, was removed in 1917. The City of San Angelo and the Fort Concho Museum purchased the property in 1971, and by 1980 its condition was dangerous enough that it was reduced to a stabilized ruin. While commanding Fort Concho in June 1870, Major John P. Hatch experimented with adobe construction, but the effort was abandoned after August rains washed away the bricks, earning him the nickname "Dobe" Hatch throughout his military career.