[MassHistPres] pre-history of the Quonset hut

[Sara Wermiel]

Yes, that's right.

A nicely illustrated book on corrugated iron is Simon Holloway and Adam
Mornement, "Corrugated Iron: Building on the Frontier" (2008). It covers the
Nissen and Quonset huts, although there probably are books specifically on
these building types.

I've been keeping a list of all the Quonsets mentioned by folks on this
list. Anyone who wants a copy, let me know.

 

Sara Wermiel

Historian of technology/historic preservation consulting

Jamaica Plain, MA

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Dennis De Witt
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:38 PM
To: MHC MHC listserve
Subject: [MassHistPres] pre-history of the Quonset hut

 

For what it's worth, corrugated iron was invented in England ca. 1829 (Sara
correct me if I get any of this wrong.)  Roofs incorporating curved
corrugated iron which gave it great rigidity and worked well with arched
cast iron structures were on offer there in the 1830s.   corrugated iron
rapidly became widely used there for the roofing and siding of all sorts of
utilitarian structures in Britain -- and especially pre-fab buildings,
including churches, which were shipped out to the empire and particularly
Australia by the tens of thousands.  Hundreds were shipped to California
during the Gold Rush both by several British firms and by a "roofer" in NYC,
suggesting that corrugated iron was already being used in NYC for that
purpose as well, although the first recorded US use was at about that time.
A British firm sent curved roofed two story iron houses (with porches)  to
San Francisco.  Note the multi-story arched-roof white building near the
waterfront in the PIC which most likely is roofed with corrugated iron.
Other PICs of 1849 San Francisco show some one and two story arched roofed
buildings that look like the known British designs.  The WWII Quonset hut
was originally copied from the British WWI Nissen hut, of which about
100,000 were made beginning in 1916.

 

Dennis De Witt

 

  

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