Good news from Oak Ridge: the Alexander Guest House has been restored to its former glory. During the Manhattan Project, leaders such as General Leslie R. Groves, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson stayed at the historic inn. After the war, it was a community landmark. But it hadn’t been used since the 1990s, and the building fell into disrepair.
The East Tennessee Preservation Alliance received a $500,000 grant from DOE as part of the K-25 North End mitigation plan. This grant allowed the organization to buy the inn, and a developer quickly expressed interest in restoring it and transforming it into a senior assisted living home.
The renovations are now complete, and the inn looks fantastic. According to John Huotari of Oak Ridge Today, “Workers saved and restored as much of the Alexander Inn as possible, including the original floors and structure. The hotel’s poplar paneling was re-milled.”
Sixty percent of the 64 apartments have already been reserved. One of the new residents will be Dean Ford, a World War II veteran who worked at the Y-12 Plant for more than 40 years. Ford said, “It’s part of the history of Oak Ridge. It’s just amazing to see it come back today.”