Alburgh Missile Base, VT

From Alburgh Missile Base, VT

Forgoing the ferry, we take the drive back into Vermont and come into the town of Alburgh. Much to our surprise, this is the sight of the first intercontinental ballistic missile site east of the Mississippi River.


The photos above are from the Atlas Missile website.

From Alburgh Missile Base, VT

From Alburgh Missile Base, VT

From Alburgh Missile Base, VT

From Alburgh Missile Base, VT

The missiles were about 84' tall, 10 feet in diameter and weighed 130 tons. The shafts, called silos, were 174 feet deep or the equivalent of an inverted 18 story skyscraper pushed into the ground.

The entrance has been sealed off and what remains is a field of metal outcroppings that provided ventilation and housed other equipment. This provides a chilling reminder of the possibility of nuclear war which was a concern in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The door was once an entrance down into the silo. The little violet flower is a weed which provides a spot of color on an otherwise gloomy topic.

For further information, contact the Alburgh Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 453, Alburgh, Vermont 05440.