what was the pentagon originally built for

The military was supposed to use the Pentagon as an office during expected upcoming war, and then shrink back in size, and the Pentagon was designed to be a secure, fire-resistant storage site. Several libraries serve as research facilities for the military, and these repositories subscribe to more than 1,700 periodicals in a wide variety of languages. Want more? It is in the shape of a pentagon, and has seven floors.. That renovation project? Plans to convert the building to a hospital or some other peacetime facility after the war were abandoned with the rapid onset of the Cold War, which required a high degree of military preparedness. The Washington Metro subway also serves the facility, and a heliport was added in 1956. Aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Asbestos was removed and all office windows sealed. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. A 17-year-long renovation project that finished in 2011 saw 70 passenger elevators installed in the building. Aerial view of the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He eventually supported a five-sided design by George Edwin Bergstrom—though Gilmore Clarke, the chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, whose office was charged with advising the president and Congress on federally funded artistic and public structures, criticized it as “one of the most serious and worst attacks on the plan of Washington.” The site selected was mostly a swampy wasteland whose only structure was the small, obsolete Washington Airport. The Pentagon remains one of the world’s largest office buildings. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Because paper records are so heavy, the Pentagon was built many times stronger than a … Designed by the American architect George Bergstrom (1876–1955), and built by Philadelphia, … Full of towering historical figures debating whether and how the Pentagon was going to be built, making it happen despite (and in part because of) the attack on Pearl Harbor, and -- in a country where it can take 5 years to put together a 2-bedroom house -- getting it all … On January 15, 1943, just 16 months after construction began, the Pentagon … The same guy oversaw construction of the Pentagon and the atomic bomb. Pentagon, large five-sided building in Arlington county, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., that serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, including all three military services—Army, Navy, and Air Force. At its completion at a cost of $83 million in January 1943, the Pentagon was the world’s largest office building, covering 29 acres (12 hectares)—including a 5-acre (2-hectare) central court—and containing roughly 3,700,000 square feet (344,000 square metres) of usable floor space for approximately 25,000 people. And it was reserved for the defense secretary. The annual Defender-Europe 2021 exercise distinguished visitor day was attended by the Albanian president and prime minister, the U.S. ambassador to Albania and three four-star U.S. generals, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said. In the late 1930s, a new War Departme… Col. Leslie Groves, an Army Corps of Engineer officer, took charge of the Pentagon’s construction in August 1941. The builders were frugal with their materials. It’s pretty difficult to understand just how big the Pentagon is. A critical mission of the Defense Department is to dissuade, deter and defeat actors who threaten to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States and its interests. Two cafeterias, a dining room, and seven snack bars are also located on the premises. Before the Pentagon was built, the United States Department of War was headquartered in the Greggory Building, a temporary structure erected during World War I along Constitution Avenue on the National Mall. Corrections? By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. As a symbol of the U.S. military, The Pentagon is often used metonymically to refer to the U.S. Department of Defense.. As originally built, most Pentagon office space consisted of open bays which spanned an entire ring. Even before the Pentagon was fully completed, Groves was assigned with an even more important project - the construction of the first U.S. nuclear bomb. Covering an area of thirty‐four acres, with four stories aboveground, the reinforced concrete building was designed to provide 5 million square feet of floor space for … Author of. Then-president Donald Trump sent a secret memo to the Pentagon after he lost the election pushing them to withdraw US troops stationed around the world, according to a new report.. One of Mr Trump's closest aides, John McEntee, handed a handwritten note to retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor on 9 November 2020, saying: “This is what the president … The ramps are still there, but the rumors of office chair races are greatly exaggerated. Army Capt. As originally built, most Pentagon office space consisted of open bays which spanned an entire ring. It probably saved thousands of lives. Vogel detailed the Pentagon's origins in an excerpt from his book published by The Washington Post in 2007.As Vogel explained in his article, on a Thursday in July 1941, Somervell instructed his design team to come up with a plan for a building that There were objections to that location, however, because (among other reasons) the large building would interfere with the Capitol-to-Arlington vista. Groves later said of his time at the Pentagon that he was “hoping to get to a war theater so I could find a little peace.” Instead, he was assigned to direct the Manhattan Project – America’s effort to build an atomic bomb. The Pentagon was built in "stripped classical" style, a variation of Greek and Roman classicism popular in the middle of the 20th century and often used for government buildings. Constructed during 1941–43, the Pentagon was intended to consolidate the offices of the War Department, which had occupied 17 separate facilities throughout Washington. Construction began on September 11, 1941. The War Department, which was a civilian agency created to administer the U.S. Army, was spread out in additional temporary buildings on the National Mall, as well as dozens of other buildings in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Slim Pickens had a variety of talents, from rodeo clown and bullfighter to acting in feature films and television. Construction finished on Jan. 15, 1943, just 16 months after it started. And the 689,000 tons of sand and gravel used to make the building’s reinforced concrete – including 41,000 concrete pilings – came from the nearby Potomac River. Originally, the Pentagon was to be built a bit north of its current location, next to the Arlington Cemetery. Historian and humanities teacher. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pentagon, Encyclopedia Virginia - The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, United States, Historical Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense - Pentagon History. Ethical hackers now have many more targets within the Defense Department as the department expands its Vulnerability Disclosure Program. The Pentagon's unusual five-sided configuration was dictated by the site originally proposed (adjacent to Memorial Drive, about three-fourths … He worked six days a week in his office in Washington. Omissions? The Defense Department is canceling all contracts for wall construction on the US-Mexico border that used funds originally intended for military. U.S. Space Command supports the geographic combatant commanders by defending the space assets used by all commands that are vital to missile warnings and tracking. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. LiveScience - How Did the Pentagon Building Get Its Shape? Over the past year, National Guardsmen were called on time and again to help out their fellow U.S. citizens, and they deployed to operations around the world, National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson said. Updates? Pete Hegseth: Meet Bishop Garrison, the Pentagon’s 'newly minted MAGA purge man' A purge of the Defense Department led by a "new and now powerful radical leftist" is underway, Hegseth says The Pentagon was designed when segregation was the law in Virginia. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia.As a symbol of the U.S. military, “the Pentagon” is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.. To protect the vista of neighbouring Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon’s height was strictly limited to 77 feet 3.5 inches (24 metres). For a while, there was a secret crash pad in the Pentagon. In fact, the U.S. Capitol could … During construction, the builders were able to conserve enough steel to build a battleship. Why is the Pentagon, you know, a pentagon? Rapid COVID-19 test kits and N95 masks are among initial supplies from the Defense Logistics Agency being provided to India as part of the U.S. government's effort to help meet urgent health needs there. In 2001, on the 60th anniversary of the Pentagon’s groundbreaking, five terrorists hijacked a commercial airliner and piloted it into the building during the September 11 attacks. In order to stabilize the area, some 5.5 million cubic yards (4.2 million cubic metres) of dirt were trucked in, and 41,492 concrete piles were set to support the building’s foundation. Gradually, bays were subdivided into private offices with many using window air conditioning units. From 1998 to 2011, the Pentagon was completely gutted and reconstructed in phases to bring it up to modern standards and improve security and efficiency. Constructed of steel and reinforced concrete with some limestone facing, the structure has five floors, excluding its mezzanine and basement. The most amazing feature of the Pentagon is not its design but, rather, the speed in which it was built. Sept. 11 has a double significance for the Pentagon. The Pentagon is the home of the United States Department of Defense located in Arlington County, Virginia and gets its name from the shape of the building. Day-to-day oversight of … For a book about a really big building project, this was incredibly gripping, even suspenseful. Pentagon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The Defense Department's Manufacturing Innovation Institutes leveraged their partnerships to enable manufacturers to quickly ramp up production to respond to personal protective equipment needs and protect Americans against COVID-19 exposure. The institutional status of the Pentagon derives from its role as nerve center of the country’s armed forces—the largest of U.S. government institutions. Because segregation was state law, the Pentagon was built with twice as many bathrooms as needed for a desegregated building of its size. More than 15,000 workers were on site around the clock, and wartime office space shortages meant that workers moved in before the Pentagon was fully finished. More than 13,000 workers laboured day and night, and within just eight months of groundbreaking, Secretary of War Henry Stimson relocated his offices to the new facility. The Pentagon was the first desegregated building in Virginia. Then on Sundays, he would visit the project he felt most needed his personal attention. One thing I heard about the Pentagon was that the building was originally planned to be the National Veterans Hospital, prior to World War 2. Visit Pentagon Tours to learn more about the building and how to get a guided tour. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Constructed during 1941–43, the Pentagon was intended to consolidate the offices of the War Department, which had occupied 17 separate facilities throughout Washington. Until then, people who couldn’t use stairs used long ramps to move between floors. Because it was built in sections, by the end of April 1942—a mere eight … Reconstruction of the Pentagon continues nearly around the clock as work crews pour cement for floors and walls, Feb. 6, 2002, to replace those damaged in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the building. The damage was largely repaired within a year. The Pentagon is the largest office building in the world, but any place in the building can be reached within 7 minutes. These offices used cross-ventilation from operable windows instead of air conditioning for cooling. For his headquarters, Groves chose a building in Manhattan in New York, so the project of making a nuclear bomb was named the Manhattan Project. Builders broke ground for the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 1941, exactly 60 years before the. But Roosevelt had signed an executive order the previous year, which forbade discrimination against government workers on the basis of race, creed, color or national origin. Originally, the structure was planned for an area east of the Arlington Cemetery, which was called "Arlington Farms." The Pentagon was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1941 and 1943 to consolidate various offices in the War Department, which was expanding rapidly during World War II. Before the Pentagon was built, the United States Department of War was headquartered in the Munitions Building, a temporary structure erected during World War I along Constitution Avenue on the National Mall. Robert Furman stands in front of a plan for the Pentagon circa 1941. THEY BUILT IT FAST. Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt initially favoured a building without windows to protect it from potential air raids, he was later convinced by building engineers that such a facility would be … Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt initially favoured a building without windows to protect it from potential air raids, he was later convinced by building engineers that such a facility would be impractical. The land the Pentagon was first planned to go on was bordered on five sides by roads, so the architects designed a five-sided building. With the country’s entry into World War II in December 1941, just three months after the start of construction in September, completion of the building became a national priority. The pivotal attack on September 11 is related with chilling new detail, as is the race to rebuild the damaged Pentagon, a restoration that echoed the spirit of its creation. He also served in World War II and was assigned to an Army radio station in the Midwest for the duration of the war. In a meeting with his staff on the evening of July 17, 1941, Somervell announced his vision of a consolidated War Building and within one week he had drawn plans, presented them to the President and received approval for the construction. Construction on the Pentagon didn't begin until the U.S. was about to enter World War II. The Pentagon, circa 1947, is shown in this Library of Congress photo by Theodor Horydczak. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was worried putting the building at that location would interfere with the view of Washington from Arlington Cemetery, so he chose to move it to its present location, but he kept the five-sided design. The Pentagon was designed when segregation was the law in Virginia. It consists of five concentric pentagons, or “rings,” with 10 spokelike corridors connecting the whole. Speed costs money, though: Initially budgeted at $35 million, the final cost was $63 million, more than $900 million in today’s money. But Roosevelt had signed an executive order the previous year, which forbade discrimination against government workers on … The building is so iconic that the name is also sometimes used to refer to the actual Department of Defense itself. This year's Exercise Defender Europe involves 26 nations and around 28,000 multinational forces all focused on building operational readiness and interoperability between NATO allies and partners. This study of a single enigmatic building tells a broader story of modern American history, from the eve of World War II to the new wars of the twenty-first century. The race to complete it is the inspiration behind a new book, The Pentagon… The Space Force is joining other military services at a vaccination center in St. Paul, Minnesota, supporting the overall effort to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to residents across the country. building, Arlington, Virginia, United States. Choose which Defense.gov products you want delivered to your inbox. Part of the southwest side of the building was destroyed, and 189 people, including the terrorists, were killed. Until 2011, there was only one passenger elevator in the Pentagon. The dude who “built” the Pentagon also “built” the first atomic bomb. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Bus and taxi terminals are located beneath a huge concourse containing a shopping centre for Pentagon employees. So the Pentagon became the only building in Virginia where segregation was not enforced. There are 67 acres (27 hectares) of parking lots, which can accommodate about 8,700 automobiles. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.It is in Arlington, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.).It has limestone walls. The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. There are 17.5 miles (28 km) of corridors, but, because of its innovative construction, it is possible to walk between any two points within the building in approximately seven minutes. Aerial photograph of the destruction following the crash of a hijacked plane into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The War Department, which was a civilian agency created to administer the U.… The Pentagon was designed by American architect George Bergstrom (1876–1955), and built … Week in his office in Washington office buildings 10 spokelike corridors connecting the whole using window air conditioning.... Bus and taxi terminals are located beneath a huge concourse containing a shopping centre for Pentagon.... And 189 people, including the terrorists, were killed the southwest side of the building stands. Of five concentric pentagons, or “ rings, ” with 10 spokelike corridors the! Use stairs used long ramps to move between floors the destruction following the crash a... 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