Main Navy and Munitions Buildings

The Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were originally constructed as temporary government offices in 1918. Built along Constitution Avenue, they occupied the parklands of the National Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. To make the buildings fire-resistant they were constructed of concrete, their solid construction allowing these temporary buildings to remain useful long after World War I. As noted in The Hesperus Prophecy, the Navy and Munitions Buildings are much less attractive than nearby Neoclassical Federal Buildings, their appearance compared to filing cabinets.

In 1939, the Secretary of War relocated offices to the Navy and Munitions Building from the overcrowded State, War, and Navy Building (SWAN). By 1960, these buildings had 7,000 employees from the Navy, Army, Air Force, VA, and State Department. Unfortunately, the buildings were also falling apart due to structural problems, slowly sinking into the District’s marshy parkland. The buildings were finally demolished in 1970, restoring that area of the National Mall to public parkland.

In The Hesperus Prophecy, the Navy Building houses the US government’s top-secret interrogation cells, known as Dante’s Inferno, where Director Bowen and James rescue Declan. The Navy Building also sits atop Clypeate Headquarters, protecting it from future attacks, the entrance hidden beneath the Continental Army’s office.

From atop the Washington Monument, the Navy and Munitions Buildings resemble over-turned filing cabinets.