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2007 Historic Properties &

Heritage Tourism Priorities

A Report for the

ORHPA Historic Properties Committee

Mick Wiest, Chair

by Bill Wilcox, Member

October 11, 2007

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Oak Ridge Historic Preservation Activities &

Priorities

As Viewed by the Oak Ridge Heritage & Preservation Association (ORHPA)

Keith McDaniel, President, Bill Wilcox, Board Member

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ORHPA is Chartered to Work to Preserve & Tell Our Unique Heritage

ORHPA assisted the City last year in applying to have our City designated a “Preserve America” Community.

ORHPA has for last few years worked with both the ORCVB and the City in promoting heritage tourism.

ORHPA has taken the lead role for four years in working with DOE to preserve a useful remnant of the massive K-25 Plant, a “MP “Signature Facility” for heritage tourism.

ORHPA is proactive in partnering with all the groups working to preserve and promote tourism of our unique Manhattan Project and years-after heritage.

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #1 in 2007: The Historic Guest House

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #2 in 2007: The “K-25 “U” Building

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #3 in 2007: The Health Center (now NOAA/ATDL)

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #4 in 2007: The TEC Medical Building

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #5 in 2007: The Y-12 Beta Calutrons (Little Boy)

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ORHPA’s Primary Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #6 in 2007: The Y-12 Pilot Plant – 9731

THE XAX ALPHA CALUTRON MAGNET 9731 THE XBX BETA CALUTRON MAGNET

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ORHPA’s Preservation Concern is for “At Risk”Manhattan Project Properties #7 in 2007: The X-10 Facility’s Graphite Reactor

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Frank Munger Sentinel Editorial Oak Ridger Observer

ORHPA Voice Matters

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Glenwood Baptist Church (Abilene Hall)

Looking West

Looking East

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

1. Oral Histories - Need to Get the Rest, then Preserve, then Make Them Accessible

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

2. Partner with City and ORCVB on assuring success of : The City’s new Heritage Tourism Implementation Plan The City’s Annual Secret City Festivals each June The Celebration of the City’s History in 2009/2010.

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

3. Historical Kiosks- part of our HTIP- telling the story of 5 areas of the WWII City with DVD and pix: Jackson Square Grove Center Middletown East Village West Village

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

4. Historical Markers – To tell in a few words the story of places in our city, now gone, that played an interesting part in our M.P. heritage (and pre-MP history) as well as places near our plants including our “lost city” and “lost plant”.

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Historic Marker Suggestion List The Historic Markers for City (these are ~3'x5',. Sidewalks??

Elm Grove Neighborhood Pine Valley Neighborhood Central Avenue & Women’s Dorms Campus The ORHS original Site ORINS Campus ORINS Cancer Hospital Robertsville School and Community Scarboro School Area Main Bus Terminal Area The Colored Hutment Area The Main Admin Area (the “Castle”)

The Historic Markers for Plant Areas (Lay-bys?? Wheat School Wheat Community Crossroads Roane College Happy Valley K-25 Powerhouse S-50 Thermal Diffusion Plant NEPA Site (Nucl. Energy for Propulsion of Aircraft) The Y-12 Plant The X-10 = Clinton Laboratories The K-25 Plant The Three 1949 Gate Houses (Checking Stations)

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

5. Historic Building Plaques Marking original buildings still in use like

our present Children’s Museum, in MP days Highland View Elementary School, also historic homes like 111 Olney Lane, the home of Col. K. D. Nichols, the M.E.District Engineer, Deputy to Gen. Groves.

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ORHPA’s Tourism Concerns are for Preserving & Telling the Stories of our Heritage. Our Priorities for 2007-2008:

6. NPS National Historic Landmark Designations – for K-25, Y-12 “Signature Facilities.” We have 1, need 4.

6. NPS National Historic Places Designations– We now have 9; will apply for a number of others.

7. Historic Map of the CEW - Then and Now. 8. African Burial Ground (Slave Cemetery)

Improve Access Road.

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How Can You Help?

Look over our 2007 Master List of Historic Properties on our Web Site and posting, and suggest property additions or deletions. Email, write, or call Mick or other committee members.

As we get into the work with CVB & COR of erecting historic markers and plaques we’ll need more member’s help with ideas for what goes where, words, getting permissions to place, and so on. So heed our calls for help or offer ! Thanks.