In 1941 the United States Navy needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled without skilled labor. The George A. Fuller construction company was selected to manufacture them. The first was produced within 60 days of contract award.

The original design was a 16 by 36 ft (5 by 11 m) structure framed with steel members with an 8 ft (2.4 m) radius. The sides were corrugated steel sheets. The two ends were covered with plywood, which had doors and windows. The interior was insulated and had pressed wood lining and a wood floor. The building could be placed on concrete, on pilings, or directly on the ground with a wood floor.
Quonset huts have proven to be resilient and adaptable structures. This structure in Buckeye, Colorado was augemented with a fireplace to serve as a farm cottage.
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Quonset huts have proven to be resilient and adaptable structures. This structure in Buckeye, Colorado was augemented with a fireplace to serve as a farm cottage.

The most common design created a standard size of 20 by 48 ft (6 by 15 m) with 10 ft (3 m) radius, allowing 720 square feet (67 m²) of usable floor space, with optional four-foot overhangs at each end for protection of entrances from the weather. Other sizes were developed, included 20 by 40 ft (6 by 12 m) and 40 by 100 ft (12 by 30 m) warehouse models.

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

Between 150,000-170,000 Quonset huts were manufactured during WWII. After the war, the U.S. military sold the surplus Quonset huts to the public for $1,000 each. Many are still standing throughout the United States.