Rocky Flats Plant, General Cafeteria
HAER No. CO-83-W (Rocky Flats Plant, Building 112)

Location:
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Highway 93, Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado. Building 112 is located in the northwest quadrant of the Rocky Flats Plant near the west terminus of Central Avenue.

Significance:
This building is a primary contributor of the Rocky Flats Plant historic district, and is associated with the U.S. strategy of nuclear military deterrence during the Cold War, a strategy considered of major importance in preventing Soviet nuclear attack. Building 112 was built in 1952 and was one of the first 10 buildings constructed at the plant. Building 112 personnel prepared meals for all plant personnel until October of 1968.

Description:
Building 112 encompasses a total of 9,280 square feet and is rectangular in shape. The interior walls are constructed of concrete block with gypsum board over wood frame and wood panel separation partitions. Exterior walls are constructed of concrete on a reinforced-concrete foundation. The roof is constructed of tar and gravel over concrete. There are multi-paned metal sash windows on all sides. The doors on the south end are metal with a full single pane of glass.

Building 112 is a cafeteria, with a series of offices and conference rooms along the north side of the building.

Built in 1952, Building 112 was one of the first 10 permanent buildings constructed on the plant site. Building 112 is located on Central Avenue close to Building 444 and is the least radioactive of the production buildings. The building is located in this area to minimize potential exposure to radiation.

History:
Building 112 provided the first cafeteria services on-site. Breakfast service began in November 1952, but was discontinued in April 1953. Initially the cafeteria was not profitable, and a staff reduction to save money resulted in decreased services. Breakfast service was later reinstated.

Breakfast services included a range of hot and cold items including eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, and beverages. A variety of cereals were also offered for breakfast. Lunch service included hot and cold items, such as soup and sandwich, chili, hamburgers and hotdogs, salads, and several choices of hot plates.

Late shift union workers and salaried personnel working overtime were offered meal vouchers that could be used to purchase meals, or could be turned in for cash. The vouchers were generous enough to provide for a full-size meal and beverage. Since the cafeteria was not open in the evening, workers would place their meal order earlier in the day. The meals would be prepared ahead of time and delivered to the building.

Other activities in Building 112 included plant events, such as retirement parties and off-hour meetings.

There are a series of offices located on the north side of the building. These offices have housed functions ranging from the transportation department to the labor relations office. Some of the offices have been converted to conference rooms.

As new production facilities were built, a cafeteria was generally included in the production building design. Building 112 continued to prepare all meals and transported them to the cafeterias located in production buildings. The employees working in the administrative section of the plant continued to eat their meals in Building 112. When Building 750 (a 500-seat cafeteria) began services in October 1968, meal preparation ceased in Building 112. In October 1996, the cafeteria function of Building 112 stopped entirely. The final use of the building was to house offices and conference rooms.

Sources:
Buffer, Pat, employed at the plant for 7 years by the site contractor. Personal communication, November 1997 and
January 1998.

Krieg, Dolores, employed at the plant for 40 years by the site contractor. Personal communication, November 1997.

Lowe, Jean, employed at the plant for 25 years by the site contractor. Personal communication, January 1998.

United States Department of Energy. Site Safety Analysis Report, Notebook 11-Security, by EG&G Rocky Flats, Inc.
Rocky Flats Repository. Golden, Colorado, 1994.

United States Department of Energy. Final Cultural Resources Survey Report (1995), by Science Applications International Corporation. Rocky Flats Repository. Golden, Colorado, 1995.

Historians:
D. Jayne Aaron, Environmental Designer, engineering-environmental Management, Inc. (e²M), 1997. Judith Berryman, Ph.D., Archaeologist, e²M, 1997.

Index to Photographs

Main entrance on Highway 93, Golden Vicinity, Jefferson County, Colorado.

Photographs CO-83-W-1 through CO-83-W-2 were taken by various site photography contractors, dates are indicated in parentheses.