A nearly-90-year-old herald of the Atomic Age is on its way to Butler County.

While there is no solid timeline for the move yet, the world’s first Van de Graaff generator, an electrostatic nuclear accelerator, created by Westinghouse in 1937 and erected at its Forest Hills research facility, is headed from it original site to its creator’s current home in Cranberry Township.

The move is more than promotional for Westinghouse, it’s an act of historic preservation of a groundbreaking relic of the early age of nuclear power for nonweapon uses. The 36-foot generator has spent a decade lying on its side suffering neglect at its current location.

The atom smasher was decommissioned nearly 70 years ago in 1958, but remained in place on a brick base for years. The property it sat on was sold to a developer with plans to use the old laboratory on the site for apartment buildings in 2013. By 2015, residents noticed the atom smasher was no longer on its base and lying on its side on the ground.

After 11 years, the company that originally designed the atom smasher, and gained a reputation as leader in the burgeoning field of nuclear power, is doing something about the situation.

While details are scarce at present, we can hope the historic piece can find a new home that will display it with the pride it deserves and a prominence that will allow the public to appreciate an important part of our nation’s history.

Westinghouse should be applauded for taking on the trouble and expense of preserving the atom smasher so it can inspire people young and old for generations to come.

— JP