Rock Island Arsenal

Rock Island Arsenal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Rock Island Arsenal, Quarters 1 (Building 301)
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Location	Rock Island, Illinois
Coordinates	41°31′1″N 90°32′31″W / 41.51694°N 90.54194°W / 41.51694; -90.54194
Built	1832
Architect	General Thomas J. Rodman et al.
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Italianate
NRHP reference No.	69000057
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 30, 1969[1]
Designated NHLD	June 7, 1988[2]

Rock Island Military Prison
Part of American Civil War prison camps
Union prison at Rock Island, during the American Civil War, circa 1863–1865
Type	Union Prison Camp
Site information
Owner	U.S. Government
Controlled by	Union Army
Open to the public	No
Site history
In use	December 1863-July 1865
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Garrison information
Occupants	Union soldiers, Confederate prisoners of war

The Rock Island Arsenal comprises 946 acres (383 ha) and is located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It is home to the United States Army First Army Headquarters, and the United States Army Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing.

Historically the indigenous Sauk Native Americans used Rock Island as their summer camp site. Encroaching European Americans coming into the area disputed the claim of tribal ownership, and competition between the peoples led to the Black Hawk War of 1832. It was named for Black Hawk, the primary leader of the Sauk.

In 1816 the federal government authorized the army to build Fort Armstrong here, to protect shipping on the river in the aftermath of the War of 1812 with Great Britain. Decades after the Civil War, in the 1880s the army established a foundry and armory here, manufacturing both military equipment and ordnance. In 1919–1920 one hundred of the Anglo-American or Liberty Mark VIII tanks were manufactured there, although too late for World War I. The base is now the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the United States. In 1988 the Arsenal was designated a National Historic Landmark.

At the turn of the 20th century, it manufactured both ordnance and leather accoutrements and field gear, for an army that still relied on horses for transportation and cavalry.

Today it provides manufacturing, logistics, and base support services for the United States Armed Forces. The Arsenal is the only active U.S. Army foundry, and manufactures ordnance and equipment, including artillery, gun mounts, recoil mechanisms, small arms, aircraft weapons sub-systems, grenade launchers, weapons simulators, and a host of associated components. Some of the Arsenal's most successful products include the M198 and M119 towed howitzers, and the gun mount for the M1 Abrams, main battle tank for the Army since the 1980s. About 250 military personnel and 6,000 civilians are employed there. The population from the 2020 census was 182 people.