Greenbrier Bunker Key
During the Cold War, amid concerns that a nuclear attack could decimate the government, the United States government, under President Eisenhower, planned and constructed relocation facilities for the three branches of government that could be used in the event of an attack. Under the code name “Project Greek Island”, a U.S. Government Relocation Facility intended to accommodate both houses of the United States Congress was designed and constructed in secret at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
To help explain why The Greenbrier was chosen for Project Greek Island, it is worth providing a little background on the history of the relationship between the U.S. Government and the resort. In the early stages of the World War II, the U.S. State Department had leased The Greenbrier, which was owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, to serve as high-end internment camp. German, Japanese and Italian diplomats and their families were kept at The Greenbrier until arrangements could be made to exchange them for U.S. diplomats that were likewise detained overseas. The government then purchased the resort in 1942 and converted it into a hospital and rehabilitation center known at the time as Ashford General Hospital. It was during this time frame that then General Eisenhower became familiar with the resort.
After the war, the government sold the property back to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and a major interior redecoration of the facility was completed as the railroad reconfigured the facility back to a resort hotel.
As stated earlier, concerns related to atomic war loomed during the Cold War. Eisenhower, who by then was President, spearheaded efforts to have relocation facilities constructed to ensure government continuity in the event of atomic attack. Based on his familiarity with the resort, the President himself brought up the idea of using The Greenbrier as one of the locations, and was personally involved with negotiations with C&O railroad to have the secret bunker facility constructed and leased to the government.
Construction began in 1958, and the bunker was built in secret under The Greenbrier’s new West Virginia Wing, which was to be utilized as a conference center. It is worth noting that the bunker was never intended to be a “bomb shelter” to protect them from a near or direct hit from an atomic weapon, but was instead considered a fallout shelter to protect the inhabitants of the bunker from radiation. At capacity, the facility was capable of operating without any outside air for 72 hours, and up to 60 days with ventilation. The bunker consisted of 53 rooms on two levels, that in total measured over 112,500 square feet in area. The bunker included its own power plant, decontamination chambers, dormitories, medical clinic and pharmacy, meeting space, cafeteria and communications center.
After construction, the facility was stocked and maintained in a constant state of operational readiness. For obvious reasons, secrecy of facility was paramount. Even the staff of the resort was unaware of the bunker’s existence. The facility’s readiness status was maintained by a small group of government employees that worked undercover as an audio/visual company known as the Forsythe Group, which was purportedly a subcontractor providing services to the resort.
The secret of the bunker was kept secure for more than three decades, but ultimately the existence was disclosed when a person knowledgeable of the bunker leaked its existence to The Washington Post, who published an article exposing the facility in 1992. As a result, the government was forced to abandon plans to use the facility in time of need, and began decommissioning the bunker and terminated the lease agreement with The Greenbrier.
To help explain why The Greenbrier was chosen for Project Greek Island, it is worth providing a little background on the history of the relationship between the U.S. Government and the resort. In the early stages of the World War II, the U.S. State Department had leased The Greenbrier, which was owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, to serve as high-end internment camp. German, Japanese and Italian diplomats and their families were kept at The Greenbrier until arrangements could be made to exchange them for U.S. diplomats that were likewise detained overseas. The government then purchased the resort in 1942 and converted it into a hospital and rehabilitation center known at the time as Ashford General Hospital. It was during this time frame that then General Eisenhower became familiar with the resort.
After the war, the government sold the property back to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and a major interior redecoration of the facility was completed as the railroad reconfigured the facility back to a resort hotel.
As stated earlier, concerns related to atomic war loomed during the Cold War. Eisenhower, who by then was President, spearheaded efforts to have relocation facilities constructed to ensure government continuity in the event of atomic attack. Based on his familiarity with the resort, the President himself brought up the idea of using The Greenbrier as one of the locations, and was personally involved with negotiations with C&O railroad to have the secret bunker facility constructed and leased to the government.
Construction began in 1958, and the bunker was built in secret under The Greenbrier’s new West Virginia Wing, which was to be utilized as a conference center. It is worth noting that the bunker was never intended to be a “bomb shelter” to protect them from a near or direct hit from an atomic weapon, but was instead considered a fallout shelter to protect the inhabitants of the bunker from radiation. At capacity, the facility was capable of operating without any outside air for 72 hours, and up to 60 days with ventilation. The bunker consisted of 53 rooms on two levels, that in total measured over 112,500 square feet in area. The bunker included its own power plant, decontamination chambers, dormitories, medical clinic and pharmacy, meeting space, cafeteria and communications center.
After construction, the facility was stocked and maintained in a constant state of operational readiness. For obvious reasons, secrecy of facility was paramount. Even the staff of the resort was unaware of the bunker’s existence. The facility’s readiness status was maintained by a small group of government employees that worked undercover as an audio/visual company known as the Forsythe Group, which was purportedly a subcontractor providing services to the resort.
The secret of the bunker was kept secure for more than three decades, but ultimately the existence was disclosed when a person knowledgeable of the bunker leaked its existence to The Washington Post, who published an article exposing the facility in 1992. As a result, the government was forced to abandon plans to use the facility in time of need, and began decommissioning the bunker and terminated the lease agreement with The Greenbrier.
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The item in my collection is one of the original keys used to access a section of the bunker. It has a key tab on it that is stamped “A Area 2nd Floor Mens Lounge Access”. I came into the possession of the key after I had the opportunity to meet with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who’s family now owns the resort, at a public meeting. After telling Governor Justice of my interest in history, he arranged for The Greenbrier’s historian, Robert Conte, Ph.D., to contact me. Both men were very gracious, and Dr. Conte mailed me not only the key, but additional brochures and literature about the bunker as well as a DVD about The Greenbrier. I want to acknowledge both gentlemen and express my gratitude for their support.
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