Power House

George Kistiakowsky lived in this house during his time with the Manhattan Project.

NPS/GLOWINSKI

Quick Facts

Location:

Los Alamos, NM

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Los Alamos County

This building originally housed the electrical generator for the Los Alamos Ranch School. After the establishment of the Manhattan Project, the Power House became George Kistiakowsky’s home. 

Kistiakowsky brought a wealth of knowledge about explosives to Project Y. He joined the team to investigate the feasibility of developing an implosion-type weapon using shaped explosive charges. Before joining the Manhattan Engineering District, Kistiakowsky had already built a colorful resume. His achievements included the development of an edible, explosive compound nicknamed “Aunt Jemima,” designed for smuggling across borders disguised as harmless flour. 

When he arrived at the Manhattan Project, Kistiakowsky reorganized the team working on implosion studies and began developing shaped explosive lenses. His explosives expertise and leadership eventually led to the creation of the implosion-type test device, known as the Gadget, and the plutonium-fueled Fat Man weapon dropped on Nagasaki.  

Continue Your Journey

 

Also, along Bathtub Row, you may visit the Hans Bethe House to learn about the Cold War. See the Oppenheimer House, which served the Los Alamos Ranch School before the Manhattan Project. Nearby at the Los Alamos History Museum, you’ll find exhibits on various eras in the history of Los Alamos. Stop in front of Fuller Lodge to take a photo with the Groves and Oppenheimer Statues. Learn about local homesteaders at the Romero Cabin and Ancestral Pueblo people at the nearby Ancestral Pueblo Site.