2003
July 8:  DOE public meeting on Historic Preservation of Cold War Resources sought public input on preservation

July 24:  Todd Crawford and Walt Joseph presentation to Board of Directors of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness resulted in creation of CNTA Visitor Center/Museum Committee

November 26:  CNTA application approved to become a Consulting Party under the National Historic Preservation Act and 36 CFR Part 800

2004
June 17:  Programmatic Agreement signed to guide future management of historic preservation at SRS

December 9:  Savannah River Site’s Cold War Built Environment Cultural Resources Management Plan signed by the USDOE Savannah River Operations Office, USDOE Savannah River Site Office, National Nuclear Security Administration, USDOE Federal Preservation Officer, South Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation with concurrence by the Savannah River Citizens Advisory Board, Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, City of Augusta, City of Aiken and the City of New Ellenton.
 
2005
August:   First edition of SRS Heritage Newsletter

May 23:  Non-profit 501©(3) status confirmed by Internal Revenue Service

August 11:  CNTA transferred responsibilities, including Consulting Party status, to SRS Heritage Foundation.

September 6:  First meeting of Heritage Foundation Board of Directors

 
-Heritage Foundation Board of Directors-

November 4:   DOE-SROO Manager Jeff Allison issued letter of intent to Foundation for Building 742-A use as SRS Heritage Center

2006
November 4:  First SRS Heritage Day at Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, USCA


2007
January 26:   DOE-SROO Manager, Jeff Allison issued letter of intent for parts of former community of Ellenton to be used for the Ellenton Heritage Trail

September 26:   Preliminary design of SRS Heritage Center by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Architects unveiled at wine and cheese reception in Aiken Municipal Building



October:   Jim Iwert takes the lead with the Ellenton Heritage Trail Committee

2008
July:   Design of new Foundation logo unveiled

October 11:   Second SRS Heritage Day held in conjunction with New Ellenton Atomic City Festival

2009
March 20:   Premiere of “Displaced” video shown to 1200 attendees in 2 showings at Etherredge Center, USCA. Wine and cheese reception

Crowds mingling inside the Etherredge Center at the "Displaced" premiere	Chuch Munns, SRNS President and Walt Joseph, Executive Director of the SRS Heritage Foundation

The historical importance of the site is best understood by recalling the war-time urgency that the Nation felt in 1949 when the Soviet Union exploded a nuclear weapon. The Nation was shocked, and President Harry Truman chose to respond to a perceived openly aggressive action.

The Savannah River Plant (now SRS) was the major U.S. step in that response. Truman asked the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Du Pont Company to design, build, and operate a facility to produce nuclear materials (mainly tritium and plutonium) for the "super" (hydrogen) bomb. The first public announcement of the Site was made in November 1950 and ground was broken in February 1951. The first production reactor was taken critical in December 1953. The unprecedented construction project employed up to 38,582 workers in building more than 200 structures on the 300-square-mile Site.

The Site succeeded in meeting the Soviet challenge, and made a large contribution to winning the Cold War. Not only did the Site meet every product shipment, on time and within quality specifications, but did so with an unprecedented safety record and with environmental stewardship that was decades ahead of its time. 

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