Hyannis Armory

The Hyannis Armory was built in 1958 for the Massachusetts Army National Guard and originally housed Battery D of the 685th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. Only two years after its completion, the modest military building became the setting for an important moment in American presidential history.

During the 1960 presidential election, John F. Kennedy and his family waited for the results at their home in Hyannis Port. The contest between Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon remained extremely close throughout the night. When Kennedy’s victory became clear on the morning of November 9, he traveled to the Hyannis Armory to address supporters and the national press.

Standing before a crowd gathered inside the armory, Kennedy thanked those who had supported his campaign and acknowledged the responsibility he was assuming as president-elect. His remarks marked the conclusion of a long national campaign and the beginning of the transition that would make him the 35th president of the United States and the youngest man elected to the office at that time.

The Hyannis Armory continued to serve the Massachusetts National Guard until 2005 and later became the property of the Town of Barnstable. Today, it is a stop on the Kennedy Legacy Trail. Its surviving exterior preserves the place where a local National Guard facility briefly became the national stage from which John F. Kennedy accepted the presidency.