Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center |
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Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center Los Angeles,
now The Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center |
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| Location | 1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
| Built | 1938 |
| Designated | Sept. 19, 1989. |
| Reference no. | 972 |
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The Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center was a very important building in Los Angeles. It was built between 1938 and 1941. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program during the "New Deal" era, helped build it. The building has a cool design called Art Deco.
This center was made a California Historical Landmark (No. 972) on September 19, 1989. Today, it is known as the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center. It is now used to train firefighters for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The center is located just north of Downtown Los Angeles in an area called Chavez Ravine. It's right next to Dodger Stadium at 1700 Stadium Way.
This was the second Navy Reserve Center ever built in the United States. It became the largest Reserve Center, training over 250,000 sailors and Marines. The main building is two stories tall and has a huge amount of space inside, about 90,000 square feet.
The U.S. Armed Forces stopped using the building in 1995. The center had special features like a swimming pool, a room to practice damage control, a rifle range, and even a fake ship deck. This "ship deck" had World War II antiaircraft guns and cannons. During World War II, 20,000 sailors trained here. Architects Robert Clements and Associates said the building was "Designed as the largest enclosed structure without walls."
The 1st Civil Affairs Group, a special Marine unit, was based here from 1987 to 1988. They trained Marines to help active forces in different missions. In 1988, this group moved to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
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Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center
The old Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center is now the training center for the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was named after a brave LAFD firefighter named Frank Hotchkin. He was born on July 17, 1956, and sadly died on September 27, 1980.
The Fire and Its Impact
Frank Hotchkin died during a fire at this very building. He and other firefighters were on the roof, cutting holes to let out smoke and stop the fire from spreading. The roof had been weakened by the fire and collapsed. Four other firefighters were hurt in the fire.
Frank Hotchkin's funeral was held at St. David's Episcopal Church in North Hollywood. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Hollywood Hills. Over 700 firefighters in uniform came to his service. Frank Hotchkin worked at Fire Station 1 on Pasadena Avenue.
The fire had been burning for two hours before firefighters arrived. It took about 160 firefighters two hours to put out the fire at the Reserve Center. The fire caused about $500,000 in damage. The banquet hall, admiral's quarters, rifle range, indoor pool, and 40 years of important documents were destroyed or damaged.
Rebuilding and Reopening
After the fire, temporary trailers were set up to house up to 500 reservists for training. The repairs to the building took six years and cost $4.5 million. The main center building finally reopened in August of 1986.
Memorials and Filming
Today, the training facility has a special pylon on display. It came from the World Trade Center in New York. This pylon is a memorial to the firefighters who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11, 2001.
The site has also been used for many movies and TV shows.
Historical Marker
There is a special marker at the site that tells its history. It says:
- NO. 972 NAVY AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER – Designed as the largest enclosed structure without columns in the world by noted California architects Robert Clements and Associates, this Art Deco building, constructed between 1938 and 1941 by the WPA, is the largest and second-oldest Navy Reserve Center in the United Stages. It has served as the induction, separation, and training center for more than 100,000 sailors since World War II well as the filming site for countless motion pictures and television shows."
