This landmark located in Forest Hills area of Pittsburgh was built in 1937 and part of a research facility owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The pear-shaped structure once stood 65 feet in the air and, according to Smithsonian Magazine, was used to create nuclear reactions by bombarding atoms with a beam of high-energy particles. The research that occurred using the Atom Smasher was critical in the advances in the nuclear power industry. This generator stayed in operation until 1958, when it was replaced by more modern equipment. In 2015, the Atom Smasher, resembling a light bulb, was removed from its supports and laid on its side.
One of the workers on the site told me that the surrounding stones and bricks were pushed up against the smasher to keep it from moving. The area is enclosed by a chain link fence with barbed wire and locks to keep people safe, but that hasn’t stopped thrill-seeking adventurous people from climbing on it. The worker I spoke to said there was a massive interest in the property lately, mostly photographers. The original plan was to turn this location into apartments, but he said the property developer was considering turning the site into a museum or historical site. It has been declared a Historically Significant Landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.
Establish my footsteps in Your Word ~ Psalm 119:133 