Riverside Addition: World War II Housing in Orange

The second World War catapulted Orange into a period of unparalleled industrial growth. In 1940, as the nation prepared for possible entry into the war, the U.S. Navy Office of Shipbuilding placed orders with three shipyards: Levingston Shipbuilding Company, Consolidated Western Steel Corporation and Weaver Shipyards. Production continued to grow after the U.S. entered the war in 1941. Countless jobs had been lost during the Great Depression, and the potential for steady work brought thousands to Orange. The influx of workers increased the city's population from 7,400 in 1940 to more than 60,000 by the end of the war. To meet the resulting critical housing shortage, the federal government started the Riverside Addition Housing Project in 1942. Located along the Sabine River, Riverside Addition was within walking distance of the shipyards, thereby complying with fuel and tire rationing demands and maximizing wartime production. The fan-shaped site soon included thousands of "demountable" (prefabricated) duplexes, considered to be temporary. Expanded with an addition in 1943, the vast Riverside housing area had three elementary schools and also spawned local businesses. At the time, Riverside Addition was the largest federal housing project ever undertaken. After the war, the government sold, moved or demolished many of the units. The city of Orange never took control of the development due to concerns over inadequate infrastructure. Removal of the last houses took place in the 1980s, and today there are few physical reminders of the project that proved vital to the home front mission during World War II. 2007

Riverside Addition: World War II Housing in Orange is a historical marker in Orange, Orange County, dedicated in 2007. It is one of 66 historical markers documented in Orange County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 91 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.0943, -93.7262 near Orange. The nearest cataloged historic site is U. S. S. Aulick (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Weaver Shipbuilding, United States Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, and Levingston Shipbuilding Company and Edward T. Malloy.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013970. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.