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An iconic sign and guardhouse located at the Parks Reserve Forces Training Area is being given new life thanks to an ongoing project by the city of Dublin and U.S. Army in honor of service members.
Built in the 1940s by the Navy’s Construction Battalion, better known as the Seabees, the structure is one of the few surviving examples of World War II-era military base architecture, according to city officials.
Designed by 20th century architect Bruce Goff and representative of his early work, the structure is also eligible for addition to the national register of historic places.
As part of the approximately $780,000, city-funded project, the sign and guard booth were recently relocated to the training area’s current entrance at Dougherty Road and Camp Parks Boulevard. They were uprooted from the southwest corner of the installation, which previously served as the site entrance.
The guard booth was moved Aug. 27 while the the signage was relocated earlier this month. However, neither part of the structure was standing as of Sept. 12, city officials said.
“Thousands of service members have traveled through that gate over the history of the base,” PRFTA spokesperson Jim O’Donnell told the Weekly. “It’s a living tribute to all of those service members that have come through here — whether it’s been the Navy, the Army, the Air Force and the Navy again.”
Prior to their relocation, Dublin City Council, service members, historians and dignitaries gathered May 30 at the installation in celebration of the sign and guard house’s move as well as the Army’s 250th anniversary.
“Preserving the sign honors the service of military personnel and keeps this piece of local and national history alive for future generations,” city officials wrote on social media the day of the celebration.
Officials said they expect the project to be completed in the late October to early November timeframe.
The overall project involves dismantling the sign and guardhouse; relocating the structure to the receiver site; reconstruction; repairing and restoring historic features as well as replacing features to match existing historical characteristics, according to the project bid posting.
Following relocation, the sign and guardhouse retained their national register eligibility, as determined in 2014 by the California historic preservation office.
“This has been a great partnership between the city and the U.S. Army,” Dublin spokesperson Shari Jackman told the Weekly.
