What happened to all those buildings

(This article is the final of four to celebrate the 80^th anniversary of the closing of the Camp and the 10^th anniversary of the opening of the POW Camp Concordia Museum.)  Part 4 provides information about what happened to some of the 308 buildings after Camp Concordia closed in 1945.  Learn more about the WWII POW Camp Concordia at Victory Day on May 3 from 10-3.  The free event features tours, WWII re-enactors’ demonstrations and presentations.

Part IV – What happened to all those buildings

The following information came from Camp Concordia by Lowell May and History of the Concordia Prisoner of War Camp by Mrs. Leslie A. Ward. Both books are available at Cloud County Tourism and POW Camp Concordia.

Numerous government and private entities were part of dismantling POW Camp Concordia. On November 8, 1945, the War Assets Administration declared the 308 temporary frame buildings of Camp Concordia surplus property.  By March 1946, 195 buildings were transferred to the Federal Public Housing Authority  to be removed from the site. In June 1946 the Federal Land Bank acquired 95 buildings.  Other buildings were sold to private individuals.  The nurses’ quarters were moved to Miltonvale to be used by Miltonvale Wesleyan College.  Other barracks were moved into Concordia for houses and others were bought by farmers to be used for barns, storage and miscellaneous purposes.   

The Theater building was sold to the Concordia Lutheran Church in 1948. Much of the material and equipment was used in the construction of the new church at Eighth & Olive. The boiler was used until it had to be replaced because of a crack in 1994.

Building T64, the main gate Guard Post building, was sold and moved to a feedlot in Scandia to be used as an office.  In 1998 Annette Bredthauer, DVM, donated the building to POW Camp Concordia Preservation Society.  Four decades later the building was moved from Scandia back to Camp Concordia and placed near the main entrance. A portion of the hospital was bought by the American Legion of Scandia.  Today it is still used as the Legion’s post home.

In the late 40’s the city of Concordia bought 20 acres at the entrance of the camp. The purchase included the Officers Club, two warehouses and other buildings.  The city planned to develop the area into a park, but that plan did not materialize. 

In 1950 the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) purchased the Officers Club and Building T9. During the 50s and 60s the building was a popular place for dances.  The VFW sold the building in 1964.  At one time it was used by a veterinarian.  The Officers Club is now privately owned.

Building T9, which was the quartermaster and engineer warehouse, was originally purchased by the city, then by the VFW.  It changed hands several times and served many purposes including a skating rink, hog farm and canoe factory.  Don Kerr owned the building for many years and restored antique cars in the building.  In November 2008 the Camp Concordia Preservation Society purchased the building from Don Kerr.   After years of work Building T9 reopened as POW Camp Concordia Museum in 2015.

In the spring of 1965, Thundercloud Park, a horse racing track, was built on the site of Camp Concordia.  The track was a one-half mile oval with a 440 yard straightway.  It had a 10 horse electric starting gate and a photo finish.  It had facilities for 200 horses, a barn for breeding horses, hay barns and a covered grandstand.  Kansas did not have pari-mutual betting at the time.  The track was closed in 1966.

Victory Day at POW Camp Concordia is Saturday, May 3 from 10-3.  This year marks 80 years of the closing of the camp and ten years since the POW Camp Concordia Museum opened.