The National Historic Landmarks Program is pleased to announce the release of a new theme study, Protecting America: Cold War Defensive Sites. Prepared by John S. Salmon as a National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) consultant, with the assistance of the Cold War Advisory Committee, the study considers the Cold War period to be from the detonation of the first two atomic bombs in 1945 to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The historic context section introduces the ways in which international affairs and the political and military challenges of the Cold War era influenced the weapons systems and defense programs of the United States. A study list includes 24 potential Cold War NHLs for consideration. Beyond discussion of existing and potential Cold War National Historic Landmarks, the context here, and in other NHL theme studies, can also inform National Register of Historic Places nominations. The complete accessible PDF is available on the National Historic Landmarks Program website.
