loc.gov

Naval Ordnance Test Station Inyokern, China Lake Pilot Plant, Pilot Plant Road, China Lake, Kern County, CA

  • ️Historic American Buildings Survey

Library of Congress

Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

  • Title: Naval Ordnance Test Station Inyokern, China Lake Pilot Plant, Pilot Plant Road, China Lake, Kern County, CA
  • Other Title: Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake Pilot Plant
    China Lake Propulsion Laboratory
  • Creator(s): Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
  • Related Names:
       Sabin, Palmer
       Holmes & Narver
       Bowen, Oliver G
       Sage, Bruce H
       Jackson-Retondo, Elaine , transmitter
       Dewey, William B , photographer
  • Date Created/Published: Documentation compiled after 1933
  • Medium: Photo(s): 1
    Data Page(s): 15
    Photo Caption Page(s): 1
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)
  • Call Number: HABS CA-2774
  • Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
  • Notes:
    • Significance: The China Lake Pilot Plan is nationally significant for its rol in the development and production of propellants, chiefly solid rocket motors, installed in the earliest Navy rockets used during World War II. The plant is also significant for its role in research and development, testing and evaluation of the first generation of Cold War Navy rockets. The China Lake Pilot Plant contains a unique set of buildings designed as a functional group for work with a specific type of propellant used in a specific generation of rockets, namely the first generation of American air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. Nearly all of the buildings are constructed of thick reinforced concrete. The building forms express their functions, although that function had long been superseded and can be appreciated only in the context of the first generation of research and production conducted here. There are 76 original structures and 68 newer structures in the China Lake Pilot Plant complex
    • Survey number: HABS CA-2774
  • Place:
  • Collections:
  • Part of: Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)
  • Bookmark This Record:
       https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ca3270/

The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. For further rights information, see "Rights Information" below and the Rights and Restrictions Information page ( https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/rights.html ).

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Call Number: HABS CA-2774
  • Medium: Photo(s): 1
    Data Page(s): 15
    Photo Caption Page(s): 1

If Digital Images Are Displaying

You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).

  • Photographs--All photographs are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Call Number and Item Number that appear under the photograph in the multiple-image display (e.g., HAER, NY,52-BRIG,4-2).
    • If possible, include a printout of the photograph.

  • Drawings--All drawings are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Survey Number (e.g., HAER NY - 143) and Sheet Number (e.g., "Sheet 1 of 4"), which appear on the edge of the drawing. (NOTE: These numbers are visible in the Tiff "Reference Image" display.)
    • If possible, include a printout of the drawing.

  • Data Pages
    • Make note of the Call Number in the catalog record.

If Digital Images Are Not Displaying

In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:

  • Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
  • P&P reading room staff can provide up to 15 quick copies of items per calendar year (many original items in the holdings are too old or fragile to make such copies, but generally HABS/HAER/HALS materials are in good enough condition to be placed on photocopy machines). For assistance, see our Ask a Librarian page OR
  • Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
  • You can purchase copies of various types, including quick copies, through Library of Congress Duplication Services (price lists, contact information, and order forms for Library of Congress Duplication Services are available on the Duplication Services Web site):
    • Make note of the Call Number listed above.
    • Look at the Medium field above. If it lists more than one item:
      • The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
      • All the items in a particular medium (e.g., all drawings, all photographs) can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
  • Call Number: HABS CA-2774
  • Medium: Photo(s): 1
    Data Page(s): 15
    Photo Caption Page(s): 1

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)
    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.

      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)

    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.

  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?
    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.

    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.

  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.