Dear Association Members, Retirees, and Concerned Citizens:
Prepared by Board of Directors
Support the Museum
June 20, 2025
With the closure of the Mound Site, several former employees recognized the significance of the work accomplished there and sought to honor these accomplishments by creating a museum at that location. Many artifacts were contributed over a period of years and retained for display or archive. A formal organization, the Mound Science and Energy Museum (MSEM), was created to promote the establishment of a Mound Museum. Finally in 2015, a collaborative effort between MSEM, the Mound Development Corporation (MDC), Dayton History, and the DOE Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM), signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), providing the resources to create the Mound Cold War Discovery Center (MCWDC), in what was Building 102 at the Mound Site.
Through the years from its creation in 2015 to the present, the MCWDC has served the community and provided educational opportunities for students of all ages. Unfortunately, DOE-LM will not be funding the operation of the MCWDC beyond September 2025. By the terms of the agreement, five major exhibits located on the first floor of the MCWDC will be moved to Dayton History’s Carillon Park.
The City of Miamisburg recognizes the value of having the site’s historic accomplishments represented locally. In addition, the MCWDC tells the unique story of the closure of Mound Lab (and loss of the largest employer in Miamisburg) and the successful clean-up and reuse to restore jobs. It also tells of the excellent partnership between the City, community and DOE to operate, decommission and restore the site in an environmentally friendly and safe manner. The MCWDC has played a key role supporting former Mayor Dick Church’s vision of restoring the site to the 2,500 jobs of Mound before closure.
Neither the City nor MDC have the funds to support its operation at the current Mound Business Park location. MSEM has been offered the basement of the Carnegie Library Building for the location of new museum exhibits once the Carnegie renovations are completed next year. This facility will be managed by the Miamisburg Historical Society (MHS) which has community funding support for its operation. Therefore, a reimagined MCWDC, renamed the Mound Discovery Center, will have a new home near the Mound Business Park and the artifacts and displays will have a permanent custodian (MHS) and availability to the public. The educational programs, Tech Talks and other community outreach programs, will have a means of continuing.
The development and production of the exhibits for the new Mound Discovery Center to be placed in the Carnegie Building require additional funding. MSEM has identified the following significant elements to highlight in exhibits that contain both artifacts and video kiosks:
(1) The Dayton Project; (2) Polonium; (3) Radioactivity; (4) Post War Facility Creation; (5) Component Development and Production; (6) Tritium Related Work; (7) Heat Source and Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators; (8) Energy Related Programs; and (9) the Site Closure, Clean-Up and Transition to an Industrial Park.
Anyone interested in assisting in the development of these exhibits and/or video kiosks should contact one of the board members listed.
In order to establish the new Mound Discovery Center and preserve this history, approximately $500,000 will be needed to create the displays as well as the video vignettes. Consequently, we are asking for your generosity with a contribution. Your donation is tax deductible. The Mound Science and Energy Museum is registered as a 501(C)(3) corporation. Please provide an email address with your donation for us to send you a receipt for your records. Donations by check are payable to: MOUND SCIENCE AND ENERGY MUSEUM.
Donations may be mailed to:
MSEM
1075 Mound Road
Miamisburg, OH 45342
Thank you for your consideration,