Oak Ridge Wayside: The Dormitories of Manhattan Project

The Oak Ridge Dormitories wayside.

NPS/KLEIN

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

Subtitle
An Effort Will Be Made

Main Text 
The Manhattan Project was a monumental undertaking that required a massive population of employees/residents. Since its establishment in 1942, the high-security town of Oak Ridge jumped to a population of 75,000 by 1945. Due to security concerns, very few employees lived outside the town’s boundaries, resulting in chronic housing shortages. In an effort to accommodate the growing population, construction of dormitories was nonstop. Ultimately, 90 dorms were constructed; some were set aside for males, some for females, and some for married couples (members of the opposite sex were routinely found in the wrong dorm). As the city’s population continued to grow, a 2-person room quickly became 3-person and 4-person rooms with people coming and going at all hours due to shift work at the plants. Following the war, many of the dormitories were converted for other uses such as apartments, warehouses, and office buildings. Today, two small portions of dormitories remain standing: Cambridge Hall on Tyrone Road and Lakewood Hall on N. Lincoln Circle. 

Photo text: The dorms along Central Avenue near Jackson Square. 1944  

 
Exhibit Panel Description
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “The Dormitories of Manhattan Project: An Effort Will Be Made”. The center of the panel includes a black and white photo of a large dormitory complex. The panel text is located at the bottom. 
 
Visit This Exhibit Panel  
The Dormitories wayside is located in the south corner of a parking lot opposite the intersection of Kentucky Ave. and Tennessee Ave.