In wartime Los Alamos, the scarcity of houses with amenities like bathtubs made them a luxury reserved for the highest-ranking Manhattan Project leaders. Originally constructed by the Los Alamos Ranch School, these well-built homes on what became known as Bathtub Row were initially intended for faculty and special events. When the Manhattan Project acquired the school property, figures such as Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Hans Bethe made these houses their homes. In contrast to the hastily constructed, amenity-limited housing for most project workers, Bathtub Row became synonymous with privilege, as its homes were among the few with coveted bathtubs, earning the street its unique nickname.