Quonset Hut
Steve Arens asked where
the name for the Quonset hut came from. The Quonset hut was a priority item in
World War II because it was a lightweight prefabricated all-purpose structure
that could be easily shipped and assembled on site. It was usually constructed
of corrugated galvanized steel, but the ones destined for tropical regions
often used spruce to prevent rusting in humid climates.
The George A. Fuller
Construction Company won the contract. Their factory was located in Quonset
Point, a small peninsula thrusting into Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
Quonset Point was the site of a large naval base at that time.
As the March 1, 1942,
Chicago Tribune explained, “The navy calls the prefabricated steel houses
‘Quonset huts’ because they are made in Quonset, Rhode Island.”
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