Selfridge Field, Building No. 1050, Northwest corner of Doolittle Avenue & D Street; Harrison Township, Mount Clemens, Macomb County, MI

Significance: Building No. 1050 is a blast proof and electromagnetic-shielded structure that served as the command node of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) regional launch and interceptor center protecting the Great Lakes area during the Cold War. It was linked to the national NORAD center in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. It is perhaps the most dramatic reminder in Michigan of the Cold War threat in the United States faced during the 1960s. It still functions in an aircraft communication role. This building retains most of its structural integrity and is a military facility whose role was the key node, the command nerve center in the operation of the district. But the significance of the building is best defined as the core structure in the entire NORAD installation, a distinct complex at Selfridge that was contained and isolated from the rest of the base for functional and security reasons. As a regional command and control center for NORAD, responsible for protection of the Great Lakes region, the NORAD district was of exceptional importance in national defense strategy and is unique in Michigan.

Survey number: HAER MI-116-PP

Building/structure dates: 1959 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1961 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1970 Subsequent Work

mount clemens mich selfridge field selfridge field northwest northwest corner doolittle doolittle avenue d street harrison township mount clemens mount clemens macomb macomb county michigan ammann and whitney robert benton historic american engineering record inc midwest environmental consultants william e rutter photo ultra high resolution high resolution library of congress

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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