Location Information (for the Carthage Readiness Center) Name: Carthage Readiness Center [National Guard Armory] Address: 523 Highway 16, East City/County: Carthage, Leake County Architectural Information Construction Date: 1961-1963 Architectural Styles(s): Modern	Loading
Brief Description When it was constructed, the Carthage armory had a front-gabled, centrally located drill hall surrounded on three sides by a flat-roofed U-shaped administrative and service wing and was clad in blond brick with concrete-block accents. A 1985 fire caused damage to the building. In 1998, the roof was replaced and as a consequence, the drill hall and U-shaped wing are under one metal standing ridge, front-gabled roof. The original steel windows are present as is the "Mississippi National Guard" lettering. The rear of the drill hall has a roll-up door that opens into the armory compound, which contains a metal storage building constructed in 1983 (Coast Environments, 2019).
Historic Information Bids were received for the Carthage, DeKalb, and Mendenhall armories in March 1961. Each armory was to be for one unit with 10,000 square feet, built of rigid frame construction with concrete block interior and face brick exterior, and containing a 5,500 sq. ft. assembly hall along with administrative areas, classrooms, locker room, library, recreation room, and kitchen. The armory was formally dedicated on 13 January 1963 by Governor Ross Barnett. It housed Company B, Medium Tank Battalion, 198th Armor (Coastal Environments, 2019).