Reconnaissance Survey of Cold War Properties, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey

Author(s): United States Air Force, Air Mobility Command

Year: 1998

Summary

The United States Air Force (USAF), Headquarters, Air Mobility Command (AMC), has conducted real property surveys and evaluations at selected installations throughout the continental United States to identify potentially significant Cold War buildings and structures. The immediate goal of the study is to provide the baseline information required for compliance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and for the completion of Cultural Resources Management Plans (CRMPs). A future goal is to assist in compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA as proposed actions warrant. Each individual report offers tentative assessments of inventoried properties, using the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and incorporating both the NRHP guidelines (National Park Service [NPS] 1991) and the USAF interim guidelines for interpreting the significance of properties less than 50 years in age (Green 1993).

McGuire AFB contains approximately 749 buildings and structures on 3,500 acres dating from 1945-89, comprising approximately 93% of the entire base inventory. Approximately 75% of the buildings and structures predate the Cuban missile crisis of 1963. The original core of the post World War II base -operational and support facilities - were built from 1954-57. Historically, the installation has primarily served the logistical support needs of moving men and materiel. Under the criteria outlined in Section III, Methodology, this overall mission is not of exceptional significance in the contextual framework of the Cold War because it does not illustrate the ideological and economic struggle of the superpowers in an exceptional manner.

The base did have missions which played exceptional roles in the Cold War period through its involvement in the air defense of the continental United States. Under the Air Defense Command, McGuire was selected as the first priority in establishing the revolutionary Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, where emerging Cold War computer technology was enlisted to enhance the early detection of intruders and coordinate (through computer and voice links) an effective military and civilian response through its network of combat and direction centers.

Only one group of structures is currently of exceptional importance for properties less than fifty years of age; the SAGE complex (operational 1958-1968) consisting of buildings 1907-9. These buildings are not only outstanding examples of America’s investment in high-technology for defense, but was the first operational SAGE direction center, and a one-of-a-kind property that retains a very high degree of integrity.

Cite this Record

Reconnaissance Survey of Cold War Properties, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. United States Air Force, Air Mobility Command. 1998 ( tDAR id: 438532) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8438532

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Historic

Site Name
Building #1702/ Freight Terminal • Building #1706/ Passenger Terminal • Building #1809/ ADC Maintenance Hanger • Building #1810/ ADC Readiness Building • Building #1811/ ADC Readiness Hanger • Building #1819/ Squadron Operations • Building #1832/ Test Cell • Building #1902/ Dorms • Building #1903/ Dorms • Building #1907/ SAGE Complex • Building #1908/ SAGE Complex • Building #1909/ SAGE Complex • Building #1913/ Weapons Storage • Building #1914/ Weapons Storage • Building #1915/ Weapons Storage • Building #1916/ Weapons Storage • Building #1917/ Weapons Storage • Building #1925/ Test Cell • Building #1929/ KC Maintenance Dock • Building #1931/ KC Maintenance Dock • Building #2101/ Heating Plant • Building #2250/ Hanger • Building #2251/ Hanger • Building #2402/ Dorms • Building #2403/ Dorms • Building #2404/ Dorms • Building #2405/ Dorms • Building #2406/ Dorms • Building #2407/ Dorms • Building #2501/ Recreation Center • Building #2502/ Fire Station • Building #2503/ Base Chapel #2 • Building #2603/ Library • Building #2703/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2704/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2705/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2706/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2707/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2708/ Visiting Officers Quarters • Building #2901/ Wing Headquarters • Building #2906/ HQ Building • Building #2909/ Base Theater • Building #2939/ P-38 Display • Building #3101/ Warehouse • Building #3209/ Hanger • Building #3210/ Hanger • Building #3211/ Hanger • Building #3322/ ANG Hanger • Building #3327/ ANG Headquarters • Building #3909/ Capehart Housing • Building #4427/ Capehart Housing Show More

Site Type
Military Structure • Non-Domestic Structures

Investigation Types
Architectural Documentation • Architectural Survey • Reconnaissance / Survey • Site Evaluation / Testing

General
Reconnaissance Survey

Geographic Keywords
New Jersey (State / Territory) • Wrightstown, NJ

Temporal Keywords
Cold War Era • Korean War • Vietnam War • World War II

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1947 to 1989

Spatial Coverage

min long: -75.104; min lat: 39.889 ; max long: -74.057; max lat: 40.244 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base

Contributor(s): Karen Weitze

Sponsor(s): United States Air Force, Air Mobility Command

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
1998a-Murphey_Recon-of-CWE-Properties.pdf 14.57mb Jan 1, 1998 Apr 10, 2023 8:53:23 AM Confidential
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Contact(s): Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base