Oak Ridge Wayside: Jackson Square

The Oak Ridge Jackson Square wayside.

NPS/KLEIN

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

Subtitle
The Secret City’s Headquarters for Commerce

Main Text 
Town Center No. 1, later renamed Jackson Square, in 1945, served as the town’s primary commercial center and social hub for off-duty residents. It provided 24-hour shopping, banking, entertainment, and a barbershop to a non-stop population. Jackson Square is part of the Oak Ridge Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merril, Louis Skidmore based this design on his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Although a modest shopping center by today’s standards, following WWII, however, Jackson Square was used as a model and inspiration for new planned communities in other parts of the country, like Reston, Virginia. 

Photo text: Jackson Square, with “Castle on the Hill,” Manhattan Project Headquarters in the background. 1945  

 
 
Exhibit Panel Description
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “Jackson Square: The Secret City’s Headquarters for Commerce”. The center of the panel is covered by a black and white photo of a small strip mall with a parking lot in the center. The text on the panel is located at the bottom. 
 
 
Visit This Exhibit Panel
The Jackson Square wayside is located in the center of the parking area in Jackson Square. The address is 243 Jackson Square Oak Ridge, TN 37830.