Savannah River Site Museum

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This museum explores the history of the Savannah River Site, which is a large, 310-square mile nuclear industrial complex established south of Aiken in the 1950s, and the role it played in the Cold War. Its original purpose was to produce tritium, plutonium-239, and other used materials in nuclear weapons. Today, the various entities at the site work to develop methods and technologies to cleanup leftover nuclear and hazardous waste, to study and restore the environment, and to support the country's national security. The site is overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy. The museum features permanent, changing, and virtual exhibits, and an archives containing materials related to the site. It is operated by the Savannah River Site Heritage Foundation and is an extension of the Aiken County Historical Museum. It was established in 2015.

Images

Opened in 2015, the Savannah River Site Museum preserves and promotes the history of the Savannah River Site, which is a nuclear industrial complex located south of Aiken.

The Savannah River Site as seen from space.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

In 1950, President Truman sent a letter to the DuPont company—a science and technology company established in 1802—requesting that it build a nuclear plant along the Savannah River. This request came in the aftermath of the Soviet Union exploding a nuclear bomb the previous year. The Truman administration considered the test a threat to the United States and decided it needed to scale up the country's nuclear program.

DuPont designed and the built the facility; the first reactor went "critical" (meaning that it went into operation) in 1953 and the other four followed suit in the next few years. The site was originally called the Savannah River Plant. Information about why the site was chosen is not readily available, but residents in the area were forced to relocate. The plant contributed significantly to the Cold War effort. It consistently delivered its materials safely and on time, earning the nickname "The Bomb Plant," even though it did not manufacturer bombs. At its peak, over 38,000 workers were employed here. The site continues to employ thousands today.

Eventually, the reactors at the Savanah River Plant were shut down and the site transitioned to its current iteration as a research and nuclear waste reduction facility. The site is home to several federal agencies, including the National Nuclear Administration and the U.S. Forest Service-Savannah River, and a number of contractors, including the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC and Savannah River Remediation LLC.

Sources

Demarest, Colin. "History: Savannah River Site of today is vastly different than its beginnings." Aiken Standard. September 29, 2019. https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/discover/history-savannah-river-site-of-today-is-vastly-different-than-its-beginnings/article_804c813f-64ca-577b-8847-f91270afcae0.html.

"History of the Savannah River Site." Savannah River Site Museum. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.srsheritagemuseum.org.

"Savannah River Site Fact Sheet." U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2020/08/f78/srs_overview%20fact%20sheet%202020.pdf.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Savannah River Site

Wikimedia Commons