Adieu to the Armory

Manuscripts & Archives

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A piece of history disappeared in January when Yale quietly demolished its former armory near the Yale Bowl. Built in 1917 for the Yale Artillery Battalion—the World War I forerunner of Yale’s Army ROTC detachment—the building featured a large drill hall, a shooting range, and horse stables. It later served Yale’s polo and equestrian teams, until 2009, when the university said the building was “unsafe and beyond repair.” (The polo and equestrian teams have since found a new home in Bethany, Connecticut.) The university has not announced plans for the site, which is surrounded by playing fields and parking for the Bowl.