Officials in Springfield are marking the transfer of the historic Springfield Armory's collections with a special ceremony.

The Monday morning event will commemorate the official transfer of the armory from the U.S. Army to the National Park Service.

Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army Gerald O'Keefe, National Parks Service Superintendent James Woolsey and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno are expected to attend.

The Springfield Armory was founded by George Washington and served as a manufacturing center for U.S. military firearms from 1777 to 1968. A museum was established in the armory in 1866.

The National Park Service has served as stewards of the museum since the armory was designated a National Historic Site by Congress in 1974. Today it boasts the world's largest collection of U.S. military small arms.