The George Washington & Jefferson National Forest has partnered with HistoriCorps on two historic site rehabilitation projects. HistoriCorps, which focuses on the restoration of historic and cultural resources, completed work at Green Cove Station, an iconic train depot located adjacent to the Virginia Creeper Trail, and at Cave Mountain Lake, a recreation site originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Green Cove Station was built by the Norfolk and Western Railroad in 1914, and positioned on a stretch of track between Abingdon, Virginia and West Jefferson, North Carolina. In its peak, Green Cove was a social center where folks gathered to get their mail, meet the train, and socialize with their neighbors.
To revive the Green Cove Station, HistoriCorps volunteers painted and replaced the rotting and weathered wood of this historic structure. Today, Green Cove is completely restored and enjoyable by the many recreationalists who pass it daily as they ride the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail. The Green Cove Station Revitalization project was recently recognized by Preservation Virginia with the 2023 award for Outstanding Community Preservation.
Currently at Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area HistoriCorps crews are hard at work replacing the roof and making carpentry repairs at the large log pavilion. Cave Mountain Lake and the pavilion were built in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps project. The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal work program during the great depression. The program created multiple recreation sites and features still enjoyed on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest today. HistoriCorps crews plan to complete the needed repairs on the pavilion at Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area by the end of the month.
“HistoriCorps has been a valuable partner in helping us to maintain and restore some of the many treasured historic resources on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Cultural sites like this help to remind us how important these public spaces were years ago, and how important they will continue to be for years to come,” said Forest Supervisor Joby Timm.
HistoriCorps is a nonprofit that works to ensure America’s cultural and historical resources exist for generations to come. For more information visit their website: https://historicorps.org/
