Rocky Flats was recognized for its nationally significant role in Cold War nuclear weapons production. Its National Register of Historic Places documentation also records the plant's industrial operations, environmental controversies, safety concerns, and the events leading to its closure. The 34-page federal record offers a revealing look at the history behind the former weapons facility.

Decades before homes were built at Candelas, members of the Church-McKay family sued over radioactive contamination of property near Rocky Flats and its effect on land use and value. Years later, Charles Church McKay became a developer of Candelas. The documented history connects Rocky Flats contamination, litigation and modern development in ways many current residents may never have heard.