The Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) Nike-Ajax Launch Site N-75 near Carrollton in Isle of Wight County is one of Virginia’s few surviving intact surface-to-air Nike-Ajax missile sites. A vestige of the Cold War era, the site was established in 1954, after the United States began in 1953 deploying upwards of 200 Nike-Ajax batteries at strategic locations throughout the country. The nation’s first surface-to-air missile defense program, the Nike system was a significant aspect of military planning following World War II. The nation’s 75th Nike-Ajax battery to be activated, the Isle of Wight installation was one of eight Nike-Ajax sites deployed within the Norfolk Defense Area. The Nike-Hercules missile eventually replaced the Ajax, forcing deactivation of Site N-75 in 1961. The Army Signal Corps then adapted the facility for reuse as a radio relay station between 1961 and 1971, after which the U.S. military ceased using the property. With nearly all its original concrete block buildings standing and design elements still intact, the site retains its historic character. Historic features include three underground missile magazines, earthen berms, and distinct, separate launcher and administrative areas.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia