"The continued effective functioning of civilian political authority in an emergency is vital to the survival of our free society..." - John F. Kennedy, 1962

The "Continuity of Government" program had its genesis during the Truman administration, but came to fruition in the Eisenhower and Kennedy eras. The goal was to provide a means for the continued operation of a civilian government during a nuclear war. As part of this effort, blast hardened emergency relocation centers were built outside the Washington, DC area. In the event of an impending nuclear strike, critical government leaders and officials would be evacuated to these secret facilities. From inside these sealed facilities, officials would attempt to maintain the critical infrastructure needed for the country to survive a nuclear holocaust. Some of these centers have become public knowledge and are now decommissioned, others still remain classified.

Main Gate - Mt. Pony, ©Art Maples

The Federal Reserve Communication and Records Center (aka. Mt. Pony) in Culpepper, VA secretly served as a "Continuity of Government" facility. Officially, this 140,000 square foot facility was the hub of a communications system linking Federal Reserve banks and a storage facility for the records of their transactions. Secretly, however, this facility served other functions. Built into the side of a hill, it was designed as a refuge that could house over 500 individuals for 30 days. Additionally, the first floor contained a massive vault that held pallets of cash that would be used to replenish the monetary supply in the aftermath of World War III. Designed to be nondescript yet very secure, the front gate is the first of many lines of security found at Mt. Pony.

An unmarked door off of the entrance lobby leads to a decontamination room. Another door leads to a shower where individuals exposed to nuclear fallout could strip off their protective gear or clothing and shower down. A small pass-through chute allowed the contaminated gear to be dumped outside.

Decontamination Shower - Mt. Pony   ©Art Maples

Secretly (or not) Mt. Pony held tremendous sums of money. The pallets of cash reportedly reached almost to the 11-foot-high ceiling of the vault. An armed security force was always present, often located in guard stations surrounded by bullet proof glass. Gun ports at these guard stations would allow the security team to exercise its ultimate authority.

Gun Port - Mt. Pony, ©Art Maples

Bedroom - Mt. Pony, ©Art Maples

If you were part of the Federal Reserve's top brass, you could ride out a nuclear war in the relative comfort of a shared bedroom. The facility had only a few of these rooms and the remainder of the staff would "hot bunk" in a number of communal dorm rooms. A bunk was yours for 8 hours, then it would be time to turn it over to the next person.

Dedicated in 1969 and functioning as a Continuity of Government facility until 1992, Mt. Pony is presently being prepared for a second life as a motion picture storage facility. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has purchased the facility and is funding its renovation. Following renovation, the facility will be turned over to the Library of Congress for use as a central repository for some of the countries most historic films.