Gold Coast Historic District (Richland, Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Gold Coast Historic District is a historic neighborhood of Richland, Washington
. The homes in this neighborhood are Government-designed and prefabricated homes built in 1943 to house workers for the nearby Hanford Nuclear site
.
purchased 1660 km² (640 sq mi) along the Columbia River for the war effort, evicting the 300 residents of Richland as well as those of the now vanished towns of White Bluffs
and Hanford
just upriver. The army turned it into a bedroom community for the workers on its Manhattan Project
facility at the nearby Hanford Engineering Works (now the Hanford site). The population increased from 300 in July and August 1943 to 25,000 by the end of World War II
in August 1945. Richland became a closed city (federally controlled Atomic Energy community), with access restricted to residents and others authorized by the U.S. Army. All land and buildings were owned by the government. Housing was assigned to residents and token rent was collected; families were assigned to houses or duplexes; single people were placed in apartments or barracks.
Much of the city was planned by Spokane architect Albin Pherson in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers. While there were dormitories and barracks built at the time, prefabricated duplexes and single family homes are all that survive today. Because homes were allocated based on family size and need, there were a number of floorplans available. These were each identified by a letter of the alphabet, and so came to be known as alphabet houses.
In 2003, neighborhood associations in Richland began to work to have the area listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2004, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (GACHP) began reviewing the City’s Gold Coast Historic District preservation application. These efforts are still ongoing.
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
. The homes in this neighborhood are Government-designed and prefabricated homes built in 1943 to house workers for the nearby Hanford Nuclear site
Hanford Site
The Hanford Site is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the United States federal government. The site has been known by many names, including Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works or HEW, Hanford Nuclear Reservation...
.
About
Richland was a small farm town until the US ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
purchased 1660 km² (640 sq mi) along the Columbia River for the war effort, evicting the 300 residents of Richland as well as those of the now vanished towns of White Bluffs
White Bluffs, Washington
White Bluffs was an agricultural town in Benton County, Washington, United States. It was evacuated in 1943 along with the town of Hanford to make room for the nuclear production facility known as the Hanford Site....
and Hanford
Hanford, Washington
Hanford was a small agricultural community in Benton County, Washington, United States. It was evacuated in 1943 along with the town of White Bluffs in order to make room for the nuclear production facility known as the Hanford Site...
just upriver. The army turned it into a bedroom community for the workers on its Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
facility at the nearby Hanford Engineering Works (now the Hanford site). The population increased from 300 in July and August 1943 to 25,000 by the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in August 1945. Richland became a closed city (federally controlled Atomic Energy community), with access restricted to residents and others authorized by the U.S. Army. All land and buildings were owned by the government. Housing was assigned to residents and token rent was collected; families were assigned to houses or duplexes; single people were placed in apartments or barracks.
Much of the city was planned by Spokane architect Albin Pherson in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers. While there were dormitories and barracks built at the time, prefabricated duplexes and single family homes are all that survive today. Because homes were allocated based on family size and need, there were a number of floorplans available. These were each identified by a letter of the alphabet, and so came to be known as alphabet houses.
In 2003, neighborhood associations in Richland began to work to have the area listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2004, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (GACHP) began reviewing the City’s Gold Coast Historic District preservation application. These efforts are still ongoing.