Blockhouse

This hexagonal building, made of native limestone quarried three miles west of here, was the first building constructed at Fort Hays. It was intended as a barracks for soldiers, but by the time it was finished wooden barracks had been built, so it became the commanding officer's headquarters and the post adjutant's living quarters. Although not intended to be a defensive building, it had defensive features such as gun slots and possibly a second floor catwalk. The fort was never attacked, so those defensive features were never put to the test. From 1931 until 1955, golfers used it as a clubhouse.

Kansas · United States