Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Camp McCormick
(Hotel Huntington)
A current image of
the Hotel Huntington, now renamed the Langham Hotel Huntington
(Expedia)
History
by Sgt. Maj. Daniel M. Sebby, Military
Historian, California Military Department Historical Collection
Located at 5 Oak Knoll Avenue in Pasadena
this facility was originally built from 1906 to 1907 as the Hotel
Wentworh. Between 1911 and 1914, under new owners, this resort
was improved and renamed The Hotel Huntington.. In 1942, the
War Department acquired this historic hotel. The 1 June 1943
edition of the Army of the United States Station List indicates
that the Western Defense Command used this hotel for the headquarters
of the Southern California Sector and the Coast Sub-Sector as
well as other Western Defense Command. The hotel's history also
indicates that the 35th Infantry Division was headquartered there
while attached to the Western Defense Command. Early in the war,
the 35th Infantry Division, a Kansas and Nebraska National Guard
unit, was charged with defending Southern California against
a possible Japanese attacks or seaborne invasion. The hotel was
returned to its owners in 1945.
While occupied by the Army, additional
"Theater of Operations" type of buildings and hutments
were added to the hotel that provided housing for 179 enlisted
soldiers and six officers. The Army occupied six acres of the
resort's area and spent $472,000.00 in construction costs.
Today, the Hotel Huntington is known as
the Langham Huntington, one of Pasadena's leading resort hotels.
THe Hotel Huntington,
circa 1944. (California Military Department Historical Collection)
Camp McCormick main
gate and guard shack (California Military Department Historical
Collection)
Hutments used for
housing enlisted soldiers (California Military Department Historical
Collection)
Enlisted soldiers'
individual equipment laied out for inspection. An Army built
"Theater of Operations" type building is in the background.
(California Military Department Historical Collection)
Members of the Army's
Signal Corps manning the hotel's switchboard. (California Military
Department Historical Collection)
Camp McCormick's
Post Exchange. (California Military Department Historical Collection)
Army cooks in the
Hotel Huntington's kitchen. (California Military Department Historical
Collection)
A special occaision
where Army bakers are serving cake to soldiers. (California Military
Department Historical Collection)
Another example of
"Theater of Operations" barracks. Hutments are in the
background to the right. (California Military Department Historical
Collection)
