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In 1872, Maj John M. Schofield, Commanding General of the US Army’s Pacific Division, visited the Hawaiian Islands to determine the defense capabilities of its ports. He concluded that a harbor could be formed at the mouth of the Pearl River and that it could be easily defended. After the 1898 annexation of Hawaii by the United States, military forces started moving to the islands.
The Leilehua Plain saw a temporary camp in 1905 for the Organized Militia, which later became known as the National Guard. Since the Army’s role in Hawaii was to guard the Navy while in port, Leilehua’s central location was ideal for rapid deployment to all of the islands coasts.
Although there was a small population of Army on Oahu, the first deployment of cavalry troops provided the push needed to start a permanent Army post. The first two squadrons of the 5th Cavalry Regiment arrived in November 1908 and were following in December by Captain Joseph C. Castner, who made the plans and started the development of today’s Schofield Barracks.
In April 1909, the War Department named the post Schofield Barracks after Lt Gen John M. Schofield. The name most often used in the area was "Castner Village".
The Secretary of War approved plans for construction and troop build-up at Schofield Barracks in 1911. The plans called for five infantry regiments, and one each of cavalry and field artillery. Those plans were later altered but permanent quarters were needed for the four regiments already on post. The first permanent structures on post, which still exist today, were the quadrangle barracks.
When all of Schofield’s troops were called to war in 1917 the Hawaiian National Guard moved in and after the Armistice was signed in November 1918 they began beautifying the post. Many of the large trees seen on Schofield Barracks, including the Norfolk Pines, were planted by the National Guard. Construction which was postponed during the war was resumed in the early 1920’s. An extension of the Oahu Railway and Land Company railroad was built to pass in front of the quads.
Construction in the 1930’s reflected a style called art decor, characterized by its round edges. Also in the 1930’s, many of Schofield’s fields and streets were named to commemorate outstanding military leaders including Generals Henry Butner and Harry Bishop, Colonels Wright Smith and George Stoneman and Lieutenants William Sills and Guy Benson.
The transition by the War Department from the square division to the triangular division allowed for the formation of the 24th and 25th Division at Schofield Barracks on October 1, 1941. Only ten weeks later Japanese planes flew over Schofield Barracks on their way to bomb Wheeler Field and Pearl Harbor. The two divisions were deployed to the north and south shores to defend against further attacks.
Up until and during the Korean War, Schofield Barracks facilities were under utilized while mainland facilities were overrun with draftees. In 1951, a basic training center was established for replacement troops. The 25th Infantry returned to Hawaii in 1954 to add to the population of Schofield Barracks. The additional troops and families presented a demand for more facilities to include a new commissary, noncommissioned officers’ club and the first elementary school.
During the Vietnam Conflict, the barracks were so under utilized that they were remodeled to form semi-private rooms. In the 1970’s, upgrades of facilities could be seen all over Schofield Barracks to include commissary, youth and child-care, and restaurant facilities. The post stockade was closed in 1977 and was used as a Correctional Custody Facility until November 1990. H-2, the highway connecting Schofield Barracks to Honolulu, was also completed in 1977.
By the early 1980’s, Schofield Barracks was well populated and the largest post operated by the US Army outside the continental United States. Today, Schofield Barracks is a well maintained and self-contained Army community.
| 1. Div. Headquarters | 2. Richardson Pool | 3. Golf Course |
| 4. Horse Stables | 5. Kolekole Pass | 6. Post Cemetery |
| 7. Stockade | 8. Ralston Field | 9. Post Office |
| 10. Pineapple Limited | 11. Boxing Bowl | 12. Post Theater |
| 13. Chapel | 14. Soldiers Barracks | 15. Post Exchange |
| 16. Museum | 17. Officers Quarters | 18. Post Gates |
| 19. Kemoo Farms | 20. Officers Club | 21. Hospital |
