The Bomb Shelter is located at/is 720 Anderson. To clarify: The actual bomb shelter is in the backyard, but the house is also referred to as "The Bomb Shelter", or simply "720".
-The house is an infamous residence in Davis, host to Music and Music shows, Alchemical Tribulations, Arting, Amazing Birthday Parties, Comfy (yet- Intense) Study Groups, and Super-Fun Adventures.
History
In the summer of 1962, Samuel A. Hart, with the help of his wife and five children installed an underground bunker in the backyard of 720 Anderson. Besides its preparation for nuclear fallout, the space was used as a playroom, boy scout lodge, and study. On September 3rd, 1983, the hole was sealed up. A note was left inside stating the original purpose of its construction, as well as the reasons it was abandoned. 20 years later it would be rediscovered, by a guy named "Dan".
Samuel Allen Hart was born on May 30, 1923 and passed away on Saturday, September 13, 2008. He was a professor of Agricultural Engineering at UCDavis. "Thanks for the bomb shelter, Sam."
Rediscovery of a cold war bomb shelter.
As far as nicknames go, this house was simply 720 long before anyone knew there was a bomb shelter in the backyard. In 2001 it was inhabited by 6 college-age men (among them, Brendan Boyle, Brett Hart, Otis Caldwell, and RishiTrivedi) who were all connected by a shared dorm floor in the year 2000--Gilmore 5. Initially some of the 720ers got word from a neighbor that there was a bomb shelter in the backyard. Then one day, while dealing with a fine from the city, DanMasiel and WillKaufman decided to look up all the building permits for 720. To their amazement they discovered that, in fact, in 1962, a bomb shelter was built by the original owners of the house in the backyard, although its location was not revealed on the permit.
In 2003, a new member of the household named Dan (whose picture can be seen at the bottom of the Delta of Venus page), moved into 720 bringing with him nothing more than a sleeping bag and large quantities of alcohol. Late that summer, Dan began digging four-foot- deep holes in the backyard in search of the alleged bomb shelter. On his third hole he hit concrete, and after a long and lazy excavation (sadly interrupted by the rainy season), a concrete-covered hatch was discovered. After breaking up the concrete with a sledge hammer, a deep, dark hole was revealed. Within that hole was about a foot of filthy standing water and a time capsule.
-The contents of that time capsule were indeed revealed in the zine "MONUMENT?"- one copy is known to exist.
Renovation
In the summer of 2017, a German biology student and beloved friend of 720 decided to renovate the shelter. With the help of the rest of the housemates (but mostly by himself) the bomb shelter was cleaned, painted, a ladder was installed, the interior was fit with new ventilation, replaced electricity, and added wi-fi. Also the entrance was repaired.
No you cannot live down there, so don't bother asking.
Music
On September 8, 2005, Jack Rose and Marrisa Nadler's solo performances in the Bomb Shelter were broadcasted live over the KDVS airwaves. The backyard fallout shelter has since hosted performances by Josephine Foster (live recording in possession of KDVS), Obo Martin, Nick Castro, Arrington de Dionyso, Scott Rosenberg, Jacopo Andrienni, Whysp, Pumice, The Finches, Sean Smith, Chad Stockdale, Patrick Ferris, Garrett Pierce, The Playboy Millionaires, Underground Underwater, and Jason Webley, amongst others.
In late 2017 the newly renovated bomb shelter was put back to musical use.
Garrett Pierce performing in the shelter. Photo by Gonzalo Eyzaguirre.
An audience inside the shelter
Parties
Though house itself was once the site of many infamous parties, the house has since quieted considerably.. parties still occur, but much less frequently.. limited to a few shows a year and birthday/ graduation events. Study groups seem to dominate the current atmosphere.. and weekends are mostly quiet.
Photo shoots
The backyard and garage were once used in a Buildings Breeding photo shoot. Only garage photo shoot sample currently available:
Buildings Breeding practicing in the 720 garage. Photo by Elise Kane.
Miscellaneous photos
Back patio music practice, 2008
Alex Freedman, one of the residents circa 2007, in the living room
StevenDaubert Says that 720 isn't the only house in Davis to have a bomb shelter, there is another house just down the road that has one as well.
2018-03-19 17:15:19 On the creator of the Bomb Shelter: "Samuel Hart '48, an agricultural engineering faculty member in 1952-70 who helped develop more environmentally sound ways of managing solid and agricultural waste, died in September at his Davis home. He was 85. He owned Davis Waste Removal in 1972-79." —Goldenkey
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