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The Notch - Hadley

Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS)

The Bunker, built into the side of Bare Mountain in 1957, served as a secure communications center for the Strategic Air Command until 1971 when the Federal Reserve purchased it for records storage. Amherst College purchased the facility in 1989 and converted it to an archival facility. Being underground (5-20 feet down) the Bunker's temperature does not change with the seasons making it an ideal location for storing temperature-sensitive material. The air conditioning system primarily controls the humidity and keeps the office area comfortable. The floor area of the Bunker is about 40,000 square feet, roughly 1/3 the area in Frost Library. With its very high ceilings and extremely strong floors, the Bunker is an ideal location for compact shelving systems. With these extra tall compact systems books can be shelved and easily accessed at 4 or 5 times the density of standard library shelves. Today the Bunker serves as an expansion to Frost Library as well as museum-quality storage of various items.

In 1992, Amherst acquired the 26-acre site and the bunker for $510,000, or $11.59 per square foot. Although the College purchased the bunker for general storage purposes, it quickly became apparent that it could be used as an off-site storage center for library materials.


Additional Information:
http://tinyurl.com/382okz7




"The Notch" in Hadley is a defunct Post-Attack Command and Control System (PACCS) facility that operated from the June 2, 1958 until 1970. It is located under The Notch on Bare Mountain in Hadley, Massachusetts. The facility was known by many different names: 8th Air Force Combat Operations Center (COC), "The Notch", and "Westover Communications Annex" since it was related to nearby Westover Air Force Base.

In 1957, Strategic Air Command began construction for a hardened bunker to contain the command post for 8th Air Force, which was located at nearby Westover AFB, Massachusetts. The facility was located inside Bare Mountain, off Route 116, and was nicknamed "The Notch." The underground bunker was built into the side of Bare Mountain, was hardened to protect it from the effects of a nearby nuclear blast, and the facility was designed so that the senior military staff could facilitate further military operations

The Bunker served as a secure communications center for the SAC until 1971 when the Federal Reserve purchased it for records storage. Amherst College purchased the facility in 1989 and converted it to an archival facility (being 5-20 feet underground, the Bunker's temperature does not change with the seasons making it an ideal location for storing temperature-sensitive material).

The facility is currently being used as a library repository for local colleges.

Related Links:

http://www.westoverafbhistory.com/notch.htm

http://nynex.s5.com/thenotch/

http://www.smith.edu/news/2002/undergroundlibrary.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/westover.htm

http://coldwar-c4i.net/Notch/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Attack_Command_and_Control_System_Facility,_Hadley


Post Attack Command and Control system coverage map.



Aerial Map.













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