Oak Ridge Today

Historic flat top house moving from AMSE to Children’s Museum

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The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, officials said Monday, Sept. 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, officials said Monday, Sept. 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on October 2, project officials said Monday.

The Children’s Museum kicked off a Go Fund Me campaign for the project on Monday, inviting the community to help raise $25,000 to support the move and preserve and maintain the flat top.

The Children’s Museum said it offered to give the flat top a new home when AMSE announced that it is moving to Main Street Oak Ridge. The former AMSE location on South Tulane Avenue, which had been used for about four decades, closed in late July. The new AMSE location at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, is expected to open in October. There isn’t enough space to keep the flat top as an exhibit at the new AMSE, a press release said.

But the Children’s Museum does have room for the flat top on its property, the press release said. The flat top will be southeast of the museum building, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in north Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Preservation group opens community center, plans history museum

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The Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

The Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

In August, the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association announced that it was opening the historic Midtown Community Center to the public on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and the organization has plans for a new Oak Ridge History Museum.

The announcement was made by the ORHPA’s Oak Ridge History Museum Committee.

The Midtown Community Center is open to the public: [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program to focus on three unique employees

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Ed Westcott was the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world's first atomic weapons during World War II. (Submitted photo)

Ed Westcott was the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. (File photo)

 

A Manhattan Project National Historical Park program this month will focus on three unique Manhattan Project employees: Ed Westcott, Ernest Wilkins Jr., and Leona Woods.

The program is free. It is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 22, at the historic Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge.

“We will delve into Leona Woods’ contribution as one of the few female scientists, Ed Westcott’s influential photography as the Manhattan Project’s only official photographer, and Ernest Wilkins Jr.’s lasting impact on the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering,” a press release said. [Read more…]

K-25 overlook to re-open in October

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The Visitor's Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Visitor’s Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November 2016, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

K-25 Overlook will be ‘bigger and better,’ provide Manhattan Project and recreational information

The K-25 Overlook next to State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge will soon be re-opening as a much larger and nicer visitor center that will also have a new purpose, a press release said.

Owner John McCormick, vice president of Bionomics, purchased the 160-acre property known as Happy Valley through an auction at the end of 2016. The overlook on SR 58 across from the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, was part of the purchase.

But the overlook needed building repairs and updates to the historical information inside, the press release said. In 2017, McCormick partnered with Pam May, vice president of the Roane Alliance, who reached out to local historians, the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, and Explore Oak Ridge to discuss the future of the overlook.

“The idea to expand the overlook into a visitor center and recreational hub came from the National Park Service in one of the early meetings,” May said. “That aligned perfectly with what John had envisioned—to create trails and open spaces that people could enjoy while also learning Happy Valley’s history through its landmarks still evident on the property.” [Read more…]

Learn about secrecy, security, spies during Manhattan Project

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The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

 

This month, you can learn about security, the need for secrecy, and the concerns about spies during the Manhattan Project in World War II.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during the war. Oak Ridge was the main production site.

The program on secrecy, security, and spies will be presented by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday, July 13, at the Turnpike Gatehouse in west Oak Ridge.

“The program will give visitors some insight to what life was like in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project with all the security, the need for secrecy, and the worry of spies,” a press release said. “This program is free and open to the public; parking is limited, so please try to carpool if possible.” [Read more…]

Manhattan Project Park: Ride with a Ranger on Saturday

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Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park

 

Manhattan Project: Ride with a Ranger on the North Boundary Greenway

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present this free program on Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m.  The program will begin at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Quarry Trail.

“Along the ride, we will explore the former communities that were here before the Manhattan Project,” a press release said. “Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area.” [Read more…]

Volunteers cleaning up historic Emery Road on Saturday

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Friends of the Historic Emery Road Cleanup April 28 2018

The Highland View Neighborhood Association and the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association have organized a cleanup of the historic Emery Road Rock Pillar Bridge Area near the Midtown Community Center (Wildcat Den) on Saturday.

The cleanup is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

“We invite the public to help in cleaning up this parkland area,” an event notice said. “Bring gloves; other equipment will be provided by Keep Anderson County Beautiful. Snacks and water will be served to participants of the cleanup to sustain the effort.”

The rain day for this event will be May 5. [Read more…]

Education Foundation has book project to celebrate 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge Schools

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The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation is planning to publish a commemorative book to mark the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge Schools, complete with color photos, stories, and memories as told by teachers and alumni from each class from 1944 to 2018. The book's cover art is by Jim Dodson. (Submitted image)

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation is planning to publish a commemorative book to mark the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge Schools, complete with color photos, stories, and memories as told by teachers and alumni from each class from 1944 to 2018. The book’s cover art is by Jim Dodson. (Submitted image)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation is planning a special book project to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Oak Ridge Schools.

The book will be a collection of memories as told by teachers and alumni across all classes from 1944-2018. The Foundation has identified people to serve as anchor authors for each of the 75 classes, a press release said. Anchor authors have the option to share their memories, and they will help collect memories from classmates. Each class will submit two to three pages for publication in the book.

“This is a timely project to still be able to tell first-hand stories from the early beginnings and to cross-pollinate and historically savor and preserve the collected experiences from the first 75 years,” said Benita Albert, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board member. Albert, a retired math teacher, has found it to be very rewarding interviewing alumni and researching stories from the earliest years, the press release said. [Read more…]