Domestic Life

how neighborhood design sparks community

There is consensus regarding the strong sense of community Fort Belvoir possesses; a point that was stressed over and over when interviewing people associated with the installation.   One major factor contributing to this sense of community is the people who reside on the installation, the families. Fort Belvoir's family housing plays an important role in nurturing a feeling of community.

Historically, military families are typically relocated every few years. Adaptability to new environments and situations plays an important part in the family's ability to transition. They often develop the capacity to quickly form relationships and establish a new home. Neighbors often share similar jobs, lifestyles, and family situations. These factors all contribute to the feeling of belonging to a neighborhood. Residents of military bases often reference the quick transition time and the "immediate" feeling of being at home.

The following outlines several issues which impact domestic life within the military, specifically focusing on the Army. Key issues include marriage in the Army, Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation, schools and churches. 

Marriage in the Army

From the 19th century and continuing through the mid-20th century, the majority of active-duty military personnel were unmarried. Those who were married were generally older officers; the role of an officer's wife was actually considered a significant position on post. Army regulations of 1847 prohibited enlisted men from marrying with a few exceptions:

No man having a wife or child shall be enlisted in time of peace without special authority from the General Headquarters through the Superintendent. This rule is not to apply to soldiers who 're-enlist' [1]

During the mid-19th century, enlisted men committed to five-year terms. The decision to marry was often cited as reason for desertion. Meager living conditions on post, coupled with the military's lack of concern for families, provided incentives for enlisted men to stay single. 

By the late 1880s, Army regulations slowly began adopting provisions for basic family needs such as housing, but this was still not the case for enlisted men. This change of policy did not occur until the early 1940s. 

When the United States entered World War II, there was an influx of married personnel enlisting and being drafted into the Army. Following the war, the armed services experienced a dramatic increase in the number of married personnel with children. The necessity of maintaining a large peace time Army and the increased number of married personnel within the armed forces led to the realization that the military needed to offer benefits in order to compete with the civilian sector. In 1942, Congress passed a law providing benefits and a pay allotment to go to surviving dependents. [2]

After World War II, the Army made family housing a priority. During the 1950s, the traditional idea of the American family consisted of a couple with three children, and the Army was no exception. By 1960, family members outnumbered uniformed personnel in the military. [3] Within the next few years the military developed programs focusing on family services as part of morale and welfare programs.

Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs can trace their roots back to the battlefields of World War I, where Salvation Army and Red Cross volunteers provided support. After the war was over, funding ceased and programs were suspended. By July 1940, the Morale Division, later named Special Services, was established. [4]

Between 1946 and 1955, programs were established and staffed by a combination of active duty military and civilians. By the mid-1980s, civilians were the sole operators of MWR programs, under military oversight. 

The U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center (CFSC) was established by the Department of the Army in Nov. 1984. CFSC provides oversight to MWR operations worldwide. Fort Belvoir's MWR program oversees the installation's recreation facilities. [5] Functions of the office include organizing entertainment, coordinating continuing education classes, and holding orientations for newcomers to post.     

Social Clubs 

Family Readiness Groups (FRG) and spousal clubs are both part of CFCS. FRG developed out of military family support groups, to help ease the strain and stress associated with military separation. They perform a wide variety of tasks, from keeping family members abreast of information to being a support group in a time of need.      

Spousal clubs are found at most military installations. Typically, there are separate clubs for the spouses of enlisted members and the spouses of officers. These clubs are organized to help spouses become acquainted with their new communities and to assist them in making friends. Most of the clubs are involved in a variety of charitable activities. Although spousal clubs are not official entities of the Defense Department, they do follow the Department's guidelines for private organizations. One example, the Officers' Wives Club at Fort Belvoir, continues to provide social opportunities for its members.

During the 1930s, officers' clubs became a standard component of installation design. Generally the clubs were placed in a prominent location near the officers' housing area. Located overlooking the Potomac River in Belvoir Village, Fort Belvoir's Officers' Club is a prime example of this practice. 

Non-commissioned officers' (NCO) clubs also became more common with the construction of large numbers of NCO family housing. These clubs were normally smaller in scale than the officers' clubs and had less architectural detailing as the Fort Belvoir NCO Club illustrates.

Amenities

By the late-19th century, the Quartermaster Department began constructing more schools, chapels, nurseries, and libraries on posts. With the surge of new construction in the 1930s, athletic facilities became common features on military installations. Recreation was considered a vital aspect of life at Fort Belvoir. Recognition of the importance of recreational activities was noted in historical writings of the post. A golf course, tennis courts, and swimming pools were just some of the recreation facilities incorporated into the installation at this time. Recreation continued to play a key role in the development of Fort Belvoir after World War II. New facilities from this time period include Pullman Football Field, a softball field, and the North Post Golf Course. 

Fort Belvoir is still evolving and continues to increase its amenities. Examples include the recent addition of a skate park, more playgrounds in the villages, and a new town center. 

Elementary Schools

It was not until the 20th century that the Army started to provide separate buildings to serve as post schoolhouses. In 1907, the Quartermaster Department issued a standardized plan for a two-story post schoolhouse. However, elementary schools were not a standard component of inter-war construction, although some were constructed at installations with large populations isolated from civilian communities. [6]

Fort Belvoir had a temporary wooden school building by the early 1930s. The schoolhouse was centrally located across from the Post Headquarters, on what is currently the parade ground. It educated approximately 120 students during the early 1930s. [7] Fort Belvoir's first permanent, brick elementary school was constructed in 1934 during the installation's major family housing construction campaign of the 1930s. It was constructed southwest of the parade ground between Belvoir and Gerber Villages. The building, which is still extant, is known as Hill Hall.     

During the 1950s and early 1960s, three schools were constructed. On South Post, Barden Education Center was constructed in 1957 near Dewitt Hospital, and Markham was built in 1960 near Dogue Creek Village. The third school, Cheney, was built on North Post on the site that that was once Youngs Village.

Cheney School was replaced by the current Fort Belvoir Elementary School, constructed in 1998. Fort Belvoir School is one of the largest elementary schools in Fairfax County and the Washington Metropolitan area, serving nearly 1,200 students kindergarten through grade six. In its 136,000 square foot facility, there are 57 classrooms and numerous resource activity spaces for curriculum specialists and the fine arts. [8] The Markham and Barden buildings are still being used today; Markham as a child development center, and Barden as a Center for continuing education. 

Chapels

Chapels appeared as their own buildings on Army installations during the second half of the 19th century. In 1838, Congress enacted legislation authorizing 70 Army chaplains. During most of the 19th century, chaplains were assigned to posts considered "most destitute of instruction" and performed their services either in barracks or administration buildings. When chapels were constructed on posts, funds were raised through private donations. Chapels started becoming more common on military posts during the years after the Civil War. Funding for these chapels was still raised privately, even though the appropriate funds appear to have been available. By the first decade of the 20th century, the Quartermaster Department was issuing a standardized plan for chapels. The design was similar to an English country parish church. 

Numerous chapels were built during the wave of construction at army posts beginning in the late 1920s. [9] Four were constructed at Fort Belvoir in 1941; two were located on North Post and two on South Post. Three of the chapels were demolished in 2004, leaving only one, remaining World War II-era chapel. [10] A new North Post chapel, Woodlawn, a 20,140 square-foot, brick chapel opened in October 2004. This chapel has 16 rooms, a worship area that can accommodate 600 people, a multipurpose room, classrooms, a nursery, and a kitchen.

Historically, chapels were a large part of life at Fort Belvoir, a gathering place and community center just like in the civilian sector. Even neighbors not associated with Fort Belvoir would come and worship there. Others who have been associated with Fort Belvoir and have since retired still come back to these chapels to worship.

Voices: Domestic Life

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