Space History Photo: Edward Sharpe at Plum Brook Groundbreaking Ceremony

The Plum Brook facility groundbreaking attended by several VIPs. CREDIT: NASA. View full size image

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Congressman Baumhart watched as Lewis Laboratory Director Dr. Edward Sharpe dug the first shovel of dirt at the September 1956 groundbreaking ceremony for the Plum Brook Reactor Facility. The silver pick and shovel are the ones used for the 1941 groundbreaking of the NACA Lewis Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio.

For more information browse the Plum Brook Facility Page.

The National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) was a precursor to NASA. NACA was created by Congress in 1915.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).