Photo By Eric Pilgrim | The center is dedicated to Maj. Gen. Guy V. Henry Jr., who was the commanding general...... read more read more
FORT KNOX, Ky. — It has been vacant for the last few years: one of several red brick two-story buildings that line the dozen or more streets interconnecting the historic district of Fort Knox.
Few who have traveled along East Chaffee Avenue will likely know the original purpose of Building 1120, or its purpose after that. Either way, the “Henry House” is back online, and its doors will soon open for a new purpose, says Niki Mills, Cultural Resources Program manager, Fort Knox Garrison – as a center for Fort Knox history.
“Henry House is not really a museum, but we will have some books, cultural materials and artifacts,” said Mills. “The mission, as it is now, is the preservation, protection and interpretation of the history of the lands that are now Fort Knox.
“For instance, we are going to dedicate the former dining room as a research library.”
Mills said the former living room will become a gathering place for small groups and the former kitchen a breakroom. A fourth room upstairs will be used as a conference space. There will also be interpretive panels on the walls throughout to present snapshots of history in interesting visual ways.
Now called the Fort Knox Cultural Heritage Center, the facility will be used to highlight the area’s history, from before the military arrived through the military years to the present. Mills said some of the history will include a time
Mills said the center will be open on a case-by-case basis, preferably through appointments.
“However, we’re going to also have some open houses,” said Mills. “I’ve reached out to several different organizations on the installation to look into partnerships, so that maybe if they have small gatherings, or [Department of Defense Education Activity], if they have a class in history and want to come over to focus on a specific aspect of Fort Knox, I would be able to facilitate a lecture or something else.”
Mills said the building itself is a gem of Fort Knox history.
“Henry House was built in ’34, during one of the first phases of permanent construction going into the World War II period,” said Mills. “It was thought that Henry House was used for the commanding general because Quarters 1 wasn’t finished until 1939.”
After Quarters 1 was completed, Henry House was designated as a place for visiting dignitaries to stay.
Some of those distinguished visitors included Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in 1951, two years before he became President of the United States, and Iraq’s King Faisal II in 1952. Faisal became known as Iraq’s last king – having come to power in 1939 – when his rule was violently overthrown, and he was assassinated in 1958.
Fort Knox memorialized the quarters in 1962 in honor of Maj. Gen. Guy V. Henry Jr., who was commanding general of Fort Knox when the quarters were completed.
“If this was used by commanding generals before Quarters 1 was built,” said Mills, “it’s quite possible that he lived here.”
A plaque dedicated to Henry hangs on a wall in the back of the house.
Mills said there are a lot of ways the Henry House can be beneficial to the community.
For instance, contractors come in every year and conduct archaeological and architectural surveys as part of the Cultural Resources Program. The house provides a space for them to interact with the documents housed by the Cultural Resources Office.
She is hoping that as interest grows in Henry House, eventually it can also become a space featuring self-guided tours for those who want to catch a snapshot of history. She also wants to grow an online presence for the thousands of veterans who have spent time at the installation, whether in basic training at the Armor School, or working here.
“We’re casting a wide net,” said Mills, “because we want this to be a community center; a place where people can come together and learn about the history of Fort Knox.”
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2025 08:27 |
| Story ID: | 498429 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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