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Nestled in White Sulphur Springs, amid the breathtaking mountains of West Virginia, The Greenbrier Resort Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and world-class resort that has been welcoming guests from around the world since 1778. The natural mineral springs that drew the first guests over 235 years ago continue to lure visitors to the 11,000 acre luxury retreat today.
While the huge hotel and its championship golf courses are the Greenbrier's main attractions, there is another, less opulent one: a massive underground bunker that was meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War. For thirty years, The Greenbrier maintained the the reinforced bunker that would house every member of the House and Senate in the event of nuclear Armageddon.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower meets with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles at the White House.
In the late 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower started to worry about how to maintain law and order in America in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Eisenhower decided that the Greenbrier, with its close proximity to Washington, D.C., would be a perfect cover for a congressional bunker.
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In 1958, government workers broke ground on what was called "Project Greek Island."
Construction began in 1958 on the 112,544-square-foot bunker, which was built 720 feet into the hillside beneath The Greenbrier's West Virginia Wing. Completed in 1961, the facility was maintained in a constant state of readiness by a small group of government employees working undercover as Forsythe Associates, a company hired by the resort for audio/visual support services. For 30 years, it was kept secret. Hidden in West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort was a massive bomb shelter stocked with supplies for members of Congress in case of an emergency.
Behind 3-foot-thick concrete walls is a space about the size of a WalMart. The air-intake system is so intricate — meant to filter out radiation — that it creates a vacuum-like effect when you walk in. Wind howls around you and sucks all the doors shut.
During its Eisenhower-Era use, The Bunker provided the following:
• Four entrances; three to The Greenbrier's grounds and one to the main building
• A 25-ton blast door that opens with only 50 lbs. of pressure
• Decontamination chambers
• 18 dormitories, designed to accommodate over 1,100 people
• Power plant with purification equipment and three 25,000-gallon water storage tanks
• Three 14,000-gallon diesel fuel storage tanks
• Communications area, including television production area and audio recording booths
• Clinic with 12 hospital beds, medical and dental operating rooms
• Laboratory
• Pharmacy
• Intensive care unit
• Cafeteria
• Meeting rooms for the House and Senate, the Governor's Hall and Mountaineer room
The exhibit hall, used by The Greenbrier for trade shows and meetings, was actually a disguised workstation area for members of Congress complete with hidden, 30-ton blast doors. The adjacent Mountaineer Room and Governor's Hall were designed as chambers for the US Senate and House of Representatives.
During the 30 years that it was an active facility, communications and other equipment were continually updated, keeping The Bunker at full-operation status. The location of the facility, critical to its effectiveness, remained a secret for more than three decades.
On May 31, 1992, The Washington Post published an article which exposed the facility. As a direct result, the U.S. government began de-commissioning The Bunker and ended the lease agreement with The Greenbrier in 1995.
Today, daily Bunker Tours are offered to registered hotel guests and the general public.
Next time you’re in White Sulphur Springs, WV, go by The Greenbrier, and check out a tour of this remnant of days gone by. You can find out more at this site.
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