Oak Ridge in Anderson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

The Guest House

Lodging for Manhattan Project Visitors

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, February 14, 2026

1. The Guest House Marker

Inscription. Realizing early on the need for a place for Secret City visitors to stay, construction of the Guest House began in the spring and finished in July of 1943, one of the first buildings finished during the Manhattan Project. Unlike other structures that were hastily built for temporary use, the Guest House was carefully built with visitor comfort in mind. It hosted several Nobel Laureates such as Niels Bohr, Arthur Compton, Ernest Lawrence, and Enrico Fermi, who registered under assumed names for secrecy reasons. The rate for all guests, no matter their status, was $2 per night for a room with a connecting bath, or $1.50 per night for a room with a communal bathroom The Guest House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 as part of the Oak Ridge Historic District as a contributing property.

[Caption]:
The Guest House, as it appeared in 1945

Erected by Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1943.

Location. 36° 1.73′ N, 84° 14.469′ W. Marker is in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in Anderson County. It is at the intersection of Broadway

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Ave and Kentucky Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Broadway Ave. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: 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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named The Guest House (a few steps from this marker); From Little Boy to Big Fun (a few steps from this marker); Chapel on the Hill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Chapel-on-the-Hill (about 400 feet away); Jackson Square (about 400 feet away); Historic Oak Ridge Playhouse (about 400 feet away); The Dormitories of Manhattan Project (about 600 feet away); Integration of Oak Ridge Schools (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Ridge.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, February 14, 2026

2. The Guest House Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 47 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.