Oak Ridge in Anderson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Dormitories of Manhattan Project
An Effort Will Be Made
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, February 14, 2026
1. The Dormitories of Manhattan Project Marker
Inscription.
The Dormitories of Manhattan Project. An Effort Will Be Made. 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., [Captions] , The dorms along Central Avenue near Jackson Square, 1944.
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.
[Captions]
The dorms along Central Avenue near Jackson Square, 1944.
Erected by Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed
Click or scan to see this page online
in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.
Location. 36° 1.66′ N, 84° 14.395′ W. Marker is in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in Anderson County. It is on West Tennessee Avenue west of Central Ave, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 W Tennessee Ave, Oak Ridge TN 37830, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee and in Greater Knoxville. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, February 14, 2026
2. The Dormitories of Manhattan Project Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 53 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 16, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
