Oak Ridge gatehouses facts for kids
The three Oak Ridge gatehouses are special buildings in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. People also called them "checking stations" or "guard houses." They were built around 1948-1949. Their main job was to control who could enter important government research and production sites. These gatehouses are so important that they are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Each one has its own name: Bear Creek Road Checking Station, Bethel Valley Road Checking Station, and Oak Ridge Turnpike Checking Station.
History of the Oak Ridge Gatehouses
The three gatehouses were built in 1948 and 1949. They started being used on March 19, 1949. This was when the main part of Oak Ridge, where people lived and shopped, became open to the public.
During World War II, the entire Oak Ridge area was a secret. It was surrounded by a fence. Only people with special permission could enter. There were seven security gates with wooden guardhouses.
In 1949, the city of Oak Ridge became open. But the important government facilities still needed protection. That's when the three new checking stations began their job. They controlled who could go from the open city into these special areas.
- One station on Bethel Valley Road controlled access to the "X-10" site. This is where the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is located.
- Another station on Scarboro Road controlled access to the Y-12 plant. This facility was involved in making parts for nuclear weapons.
- A third station on Oak Ridge Turnpike controlled access to the K-25 site. This site helped separate different types of uranium.
The gatehouses were used until 1953. After that, the gates were moved closer to the actual facilities. The three white gatehouses then stood empty for many years.
In 1992, they were recognized as important historical places. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999, the Department of Energy (DOE) restored two of the large gatehouse buildings. These were the ones at the Oak Ridge Turnpike and Bear Creek Road sites. The third large building, on Bethel Valley Road, is owned by a company called Lockheed Martin. It was painted in 2005.
Design and How They Were Used
All three checking stations looked exactly the same. Each one had two buildings made of concrete block. There was a main building with a two-story guard tower. Across the street was a smaller, one-story guard house.
Both buildings had small openings called gun portals. These were for guards to use if needed. The windows were made of bulletproof glass for safety. Military police used a metal gate that stretched between the two buildings.
Workers and visitors had to show special badges to the guards. This allowed them to pass through the gates.
Today, the two restored gatehouses look like they did in the 1940s and 1950s. They have furniture from that time. They are also decorated with old photographs taken by Ed Westcott. The Department of Energy uses them for meetings and educational events.
In 2010, the road near the Oak Ridge Turnpike checking station was widened. The new road design was carefully planned. It did not affect the historic gatehouse buildings.
