Thanks to our friend over at A Time To Get for reigniting an old love– the military Quonset hut. And wouldn’t you just know it– the LIFE archive has some amazing images of them being uniquely repurposed for life off the base. If I do ever end up hitting the skids, at least I have a plan B for cheap and practical lodging.
Quonset Huts rented out during a housing shortage for $32 per month for a maximum of three years. --1946
Veteran's families lining up to look at Quonset Huts rented out during a housing shortage. --1946
Family demonstrating living in a Quonset Hut. --1946
Elementary class held in quonset hut. --Los Alamos, NM 1948.
Elementary school teacher holds class in quonset hut. --Los Alamos, NM 1948.
An exterior view of the new Keedoozle automatic grocery store which is housed in a former quonset hut. --Memphis, TN 1948.
An interior view of the new Keedoozle automatic grocery store which is housed in a former quonset hut. --Memphis, TN 1948.
Quonset hut serving as the National Bank of Guam. --1945
US Marines of Devilcats squadron hunting through magazines to add to their collection of nearly 3,000 pin-ups (including over 200 of Marilyn Monroe) serving as wallpaper for their Quonset hut during the Korean War. --Korea, 1952.
American bomber crew serving in the frigid Aleutian Islands play cards while relaxing in their quonset hut, the ceiling of which is covered with hundreds of glamorous female pinups. --Aluetian Islands, 1944.
American servicemen relaxing in a quonset hut being used as a library on an island base during WWII. --Gilbert Islands, 1944.
The Selvedge Yard 
And here I thought modular “green” living and “adaptive re-use” were trendy ideas from just last week.
Great post!
these images are incredible! brilliant post.
Looks like a mid-century “Dwell” magazine layout. Certainly gets you thinking about all the ways we could streamline.
Man, I wish the Keedoozles were still around. I had never heard of them before you posted this. Thanks for teaching me a little history about my city.
these images are incredible! brilliant post.
I went to school in a quontset hut for a year in Rochester, NY while a new elementary school “Paddy Hill School” was being built across the street. This was in 1955 and it was actually quite nice as I remember it. It was not unusual to still see these around at that time.
I used to shop in Bowling Green, OH with a guy who had a LARGE Quonset Hut full of mid-century modern. Man, that was amazing!
Okay, so I just junked one of these things cuz it did not have the roofing, and now I feel really sorry i did it. Check out some of the ones in Alaska, people there used them a bunch.
Wow! Nice post. I saw the Quonset Huts at Los Alamos, New Mexico and those on Guam. On Guam, we had family friends who lived in a Quonset Hut near Harmon Field. I was a teenager at the time–and I was fascinated by this strange-looking architecture.
Since moving to California, I’ve been seeing Quonset Huts all over the place–and since they sparked so many fond memories of my times on Guam, I decided to do a website on them. (And someday, it would be a blast to live in one!)