Quonset hut

[1] The first Quonset huts were manufactured in 1941 when the United States Navy needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled without skilled labor.

The flexible interior space was open, allowing use as barracks, latrines, medical and dental offices, isolation wards, housing, and bakeries.

[6] Many remain standing throughout the United States as outbuildings, businesses, or even homes, and they are often seen at military museums and other places featuring World War II memorabilia.

The repurposed huts were common enough that Sherwin-Williams introduced a line of paint called "Quon-Kote" specifically designed to stick to the metal structures.

[8] The situation comedy Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which aired on CBS from 1964 to 1969, featured Quonset huts as the barracks housing at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.