National Register of Historic Places

Ruston USO

Ruston, Lincoln County, Louisiana
Listed
February 11, 2011
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
11000009

About this property

The Ruston USO is a historic building located at 212 North Trenton Street in Ruston, Louisiana. The Spanish Colonial Revival building served as the United Service Organizations (USO) center from 1943 to 1945. It served mostly Navy officers who were stationed at Louisiana Tech University and were in the V-12 program. The USO was run by Mrs. Glasgow, and Mrs. Caroline Lewis also worked there, while Mr. Alex T. Hunt served as director. There were several dances held there for soldiers, and there was even a wedding. There was a ping-pong table, a piano, and a lot of chairs and desks so soldiers could write home. One Sunday evening, there was a door count of 1400 soldiers! The building was originally a movie theater that was converted into 2 storefronts. For 50 years after the closing of the USO, this building housed several shoe stores. In 1998, Kevin Hawkins of Hawkins Photography refurbished the building. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 2011. It was also declared a contributing property of the Downtown Ruston Historic District at the time of its creation on January 31, 2017.

Location

212 N. Trenton St., Ste. 1
Ruston, Lincoln County, Louisiana
32.53013, -92.63895

Categories

MILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Federal Building
Industrial
0 mi
Dixie Theatre
Industrial
0.1 mi
Ruston State Bank
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Presbyterian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
James, T. L., House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Ruston USO listed on the National Register?

Ruston USO was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 2011.

What type of historic resource is Ruston USO?

Ruston USO is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Ruston USO?

The period of significance for Ruston USO is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1943.

Can I research the history near Ruston USO?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Ruston USO will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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