Army officers assigned to the garrison at Fort Union lived with their families in a row of nine houses along one side of the parade ground. Each building contained two apartments and shared a common kitchen and dining room at the rear. Quarters on the post were assigned by rank, with senior officers taking first choice and junior officers using what remained. As new officers arrived, families frequently shifted from duplex to duplex when those of higher grade displaced those below them to avoid leaky roofs, falling ceiling plaster, or smoking chimneys. Except for the post commander and the chaplain, most military families did not stay in one place long. According to Francis Boyd, an officer's wife, the quarters had a wide hall that was superb for dancing, and when a hop was given, the quartermaster could quickly turn the barren hallway into a ballroom with canvas stretched over the floor and flags decorating the sides. This row of officers’ quarters cost the Army $127,000 to build.