Quonset huts, those ubiqutous arched metal buildings that still dot our landscape today, originated and were constructed at a U.S. Naval facility in Quonset, Rhode Island for use during World War II. Originally modeled after the semicylindrical British Nissen hut, Quonset hut creators modified the Nissen design to include a wooden lining, insulation, and tongue and groove wooden flooring. A commemorative Quonset huts display located at the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park in Davisville, Rhode Island honors both the original Quonset huts factory in Davisville and the historic connection between Quonset huts and the Seabees.
The beauty of Quonset huts lay in their durability and mobility in the field. The military needed something that could be quickly and easily assembled and taken apart for transport to the next location, sometimes every day. Quonset huts successfully addressed the need for lightweight and movable storage and housing and gradually evolved into structures that could be used as bakeries, showers, latrines, dental offices, and isolation wards. Their initial design presented problems with these expanded uses and was subsequently modified from its original sixteen feet by thirty six feet size with wall curve beginning immediately at its floor to a structure with sidewalls and multiple interior designs. After the war ended, the military sold its surplus Quonset huts to the public for one thousand dollars per unit. Universities purchased them for student housing, and some returning soldiers even purchased them for their own personal housing.
The Quonset huts of today are so versatile that they are perfect for machinery or grain storage, backyard workshops, or even airplane hangars. Or, how about a guest cottage made from a Quonset hut. The lack of beams and trusses in the Quonset hut design equals 100 percent useable space, and the huts can be expanded to any length simply by adding additional sidewall panels. You can also customize Quonset huts with skylights, insulation, wiring, and colors that match the exterior of your home. With their corrugated steel construction, Quonset huts are amazingly strong; in fact, their rounded arch design is one of the strongest structures in architecture. Quonset huts can withstand anything Mother Nature can throw at them.
With the help of a few buddies, you can assemble your Quonset hut in just a few days. Once you have laid your foundation (on a graded and level surface), you simply bolt the steel panels together and your Quonset hut is ready to go. Adding durable and attractive storage or workshop space has never been easier.