The Atanasoff Berry Computer

The strangest part of the ABC's story is why the original was dismantled. From John Gustafson's paper on the reconstruction:

> It was constructed in the basement of the physics building at ISU, which at the time was an open area interrupted only by support pillars. The basement was later finished with poured concrete walls and standard doors; the standard door width is 0.84 m. Hence, the computer was boxed in. After Atanasoff left ISU for Maryland, the ABC was seen only as an orphaned device taking up otherwise useful space. Since its frame was welded angle iron, the only way to remove it from the room was to cut it apart with a hacksaw. I feel we have most of the answer to the question: Why was the ABC destroyed? The answer is that it was 0.07 m too wide to go through the door. In reconstructing the ABC, we made one practical modification: we narrowed the frame enough so we would be able to go through a standard door.