About us

The structure was built in 1913, was designed by Hyman Wallace Witcover, and architect of significant buildings including City Hall, the Bull Street Library and Sacred Heart Church. He trained with Alfred Eichberg, one of the most prolific architects in the city at the time. 

The center section 1108 Bull Street was built for the Chatham Artillery, and was bought by the American Legion Post no. 135. In 1942, the Eighth Air Force was begun in this building. The East and West wings were used as storefronts for rental income. The Gothic-revival facade features fortress-like elements. 

The ballroom upstairs was designed for military and social events. The southern end of the building 1110 Bull Street once housed a furniture store and later a bank. Today, it is home to a restaurant, Local 11 Ten, and is an excellent example of adaptive reuse of a historic building.

Purchase of the building:

It was during the Commandership of Jack R. Davis, Sr. that the present home was purchased at 1108 Bull Street. In September 1945, negotiations were begun for purchasing the new home.A survey was made and the following were considered:

• The Chatham Artillery Building
• The Arcade Building
• Land with no building

The home purchasing committee was composed of Jack R. Davis, Sr. , Furman King, T.A. Furlong, Julius Kahn, Leonard Ungar and Sanford Butler.The post at an open meeting authorized Jack Davis to offer Chatham Artillery Inc. $105,000 for the building. The deal was closed February 1946.The furniture and equipment was purchased from the Air Force Base for $6,000.00. A crew of carpenters made the building ready for the Department Convention July 8, 9 and 10th. The gunsheds north of the main building were converted in stores under T.A. Furlong at a cost of $14,000.00. The bank to the south was converted from a part of the Armory Building.The official opening was July 1st. 1946.