Historical Context

In 1883 the Federal government began purchasing land on Parris Island for a naval station.  The base opened in 1889 and remained in operation until the early twentieth century when most of its activities were moved to Charleston. The base remained in a caretaker status until 1909 when the Navy allowed the Marine Corps to establish an Officers’ School of Application at the old naval station on Parris Island, South Carolina.  The school on Parris Island was officially opened in 1909.

An effort to set up a recruit depot at Port Royal in November 1910 had to be suspended because of the need for men for an expeditionary force that was organized at that time; but, on 1 June 1911, the recruit depot began operations again, on a three-company basis as a subordinate activity of the Marine Officers' School.

About this time the Navy Department decided to use its property at Port Royal for a disciplinary installation. On 28 August 1911, by General Order No. 122, it changed the designation of the U. S. Naval Station, Port Royal, to the U. S. Naval Disciplinary Barracks, Port Royal, South Carolina. Two days later the Marine Corps turned over its buildings there to the Navy and transferred its activities. The Marine Officers' School, including two companies of the recruit depot, went to Norfolk; the remaining company of recruits continued its training at Charleston, where a one-company recruit depot was operated from this time until June 1912.