The Bureau of Mines was built in 1945 as a research facility for different mineral industries. For some time, it was used for storing radioactive materials and, after the installation of newer equipment in... The Bureau of Mines was built in 1945 as a research facility for different mineral industries. For some time, it was used for storing radioactive materials and, after the installation of newer equipment in the Burlington Engineering Laboratories, it temporarily housed NC State's first nuclear reactor.