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When the Army Corps of Engineers was looking for place to locate the primary research site for the Manhattan Project, they picked the Pajarito Plateau for two reasons. One was its isolation. Being mostly surrounded by cliffs, it was difficult to access, easy to guard. Given the area's sparse population and level of infrastructure in the early '40s, not to mention the limitations of most vehicles available at the time, the spot would have seemed ideal.
Beyond its perfect physical location, however, was the the fact that Los Alamos had already undergone some rudimentary development. At the time the plateau was scouted by Major John Dudley and J. Robert Oppenheimer, it was largely cleared of timber and already home to the Los Alamos Ranch school comprised of fifty-four buildings. This meant workers could be housed immediately, and construction of the research facilities could begin at once.
The most prominent reminder of Los Alamos' origins is the Fuller Lodge, former centerpiece of the Ranch School. The massive log structure was designed by John Gaw Meem, and built primarily from material found on the plateau—ponderosa and aspen trees and local sandstone. It serves its community today as an arts center.
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