Legacies of the recent past: The built environment at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

摘要

In the early 1940s, a remote area of northern New Mexico was selected to be the site of a secret laboratory, a scientific facility whose only goal was the development of the first atomic bomb. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 requires that US federal agencies address this area. Properties, both buildings and structures, older than fifty years, or if more recent, of exceptional historical importance, are to be evaluated for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. In compliance with this regulation, LANL has begun to identify and inventory historic properties eligible for the register. This paper will provide an overview of LANL's WWII and postwar history and will describe recently identified LANL property types and significant historic themes associated with the years 1943--1956. Past NHPA ''Section 106'' documentation efforts will also be summarized.