The Armory

5200 S. Cottage Grove

This opulent art deco building, originally known as the Washington Park Armory, was built in 1931 to hold military training exercises. In 1970 the building was renamed “The General Jones Armory” in honor of military hero General Richard Lee Jones. In the 1940s it was used by members of the nuclear Manhattan Project team to store and process uranium but it also hosted boxing matches, rodeos, car races and other amusements. Recently it has been used as a sound stage for film productions like “The Untouchables,” “Contagion,” “Road to Perdition” and “Chiraq.” It is remembered by music-lovers for having hosted disco and stepping events produced by Sam Chatman, Sam Taylor, Butch and Craig Taylor. According to local historian Geoffrey Baer, as of 2013 it was still the home of the the 1st Battalion 178th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion 122nd Field Artillery Regiment.