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Marine Clubs main building at Broad Street and Washington Avenue was home to the Marine Corps Supply Activity
(MCSA) from 1904 to 1976. The Activity was a full-scale manufacturing and distribution plant under the management
of The United States Marine Corps. Activity personnel were responsible for the production of military hardware
and housekeeping supplies such as helmets, uniforms, buckets, and stoves. In 1975, a few months before the site
was deactivated, the Marine Corps Supply Activity was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The MCSA originated in 1798 inside a canvas tent that served as a Marine Corps Supply Depot. In 1804, the
depot was assigned a function that soon became one of its main tasks for the next 158 years. The Secretary
of the Navy designated the Activity an establishment in barracks for making and mending clothes for Marines.
Construction of the MCSAs main building at Broad Street and Washington Avenue began in 1904 and was completed
in 1908. Also known as the Marine Corps Quartermaster Depot, the structure was an impressive five-story,
Greek-inspired building made of stone, red brick, and concrete. Brick columns embellished with scrollwork
and cornices characterized the architecture. In 1908, the building was extended southward toward Alter Street
in order to accommodate the command headquarters, administrative offices and a data processing facility.
As the two World Wars rapidly approached, the Activity faced a slew of challenges. Chief among them were the
increasing demands for Marine Corps supplies. In 1917, MCSA personnel consisted of just over 1,100 men and
women who were forced to outfit and equip 36 expeditionary units, including four regiments of 4,000 men each.
During WWII, more than 6,000 employees worked around the clock making uniforms, tents, lumber and metal products
for The Marine Corps. After WWII, the Activity was also called on to support forces in Korea, Lebanon, the
Dominican Republic and Vietnam. All of its hard work eventually paid off in 1943 when the MCSA was awarded
the Army-Navy 'E' pennant for production efficiency. The Activity went on to win the award four more times.
In the early 1960s, rumors began to soar surrounding the possibility of the MCSA deactivating and moving to
Albany, GA. In 1962, the first signs of deactivation were apparent when the historic clothing manufacturing
function of the Activity was transferred to the Defense Personnel Support Center. From 1962 to 1967, the MCSA
went on to serve as an Inventory Control Point for certain secondary items and repair parts. In 1975, however,
the rumors of deactivation became a reality when an order came for the MCSA to shut down. The U.S. Marine Corps
Supply Activity in Philadelphia was officially deactivated July 1, 1976.
During the mid-1980s, the MCSA was converted into The Marine Club Apartments; and in August of 2000, EB Realty
Management purchased the building. Most recently, in September of 2005, EB Realty Management announced the
conversion of The Marine Club Apartments into luxury condominiums complete with a courtyard and state of the
art spa and wellness facility.
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