At one time, the Benicia Arsenal was two separate posts, the Benicia Barracks and the Benicia Arsenal. The Barracks, one of the first military stations in California, was an infantry post established in 1849 by Lieutenant Colonel Silas Casey. It occupied 992 acres. The Arsenal was the first far western ordinance supply post built to support the troops in 1851. The Benicia Barracks included buildings for the soldiers, officers, a guardhouse and a hospital. All of these buildings were wood-framed structures brought from the East Coast except for the hospital (located at 1997 Elm Street) which was built from Benicia sandstone. The Benicia Barracks housed soldiers until 1898, when the Spanish-American War ended. In 1922, all the buildings except the hospital burned down. In 1924, the land and hospital were taken over by the Benicia Arsenal. This mural depicts a Guard House (the image appears to be the Guard House that still stands in the Arsenal). In the background, the Clock Tower is visible as well as the camel barns. The wavy nature of the landscaping may hint at the fire that destroyed the wooden buildings.