United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 8 Page   1
 
Statement of Significance:

 The Stowe Ski Dorm is located within the Mount Mansfield State Forest on the Mountain Road, otherwise called Vermont Route 108 in Stowe, VT, about 1/2 mile south of the main entrance to the Stowe Ski Area. It maintains much of its integrity and is a significant building to the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)  in Vermont and the development of downhill skiing as a sport and major source of Vermont’s history and economy. It was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a side camp, Camp S-53, for state construction in the area, including the significant cutting of ski trails on Mt. Mansfield. This building served as the main side camp for the trail cutting, which was to usher in the beginning of downhill skiing in Vermont. It housed 50 men ­25 with the remaining 25 and the State Forester living in smaller camps behind it. The CCC continued until WWII and as early as 1940 the building was opened as the first and only State-operated ski lodge in the United States. Today its use is similar in theme to its original purpose as it serves as an inexpensive rustic hostel for skiers in the winter and the base camp for Americorps in the summer for their trail and forestry projects. It is eligible under Criterion A and C of the National Register as a building that maintains its original design, workmanship and association of the utilitarian buildings constructed in Vermont by the CCC. It is being nominated under a Multiple Property Documentation Form ­"Civilian Conservation Corps Resources in Vermont".

The Stowe Ski Dorm, originally camp S-53, is eligible under Criterion A for its direct connection with the cutting of the first ski trails on Mount Mansfield. This area was the start of popular downhill skiing in New England and ultimately became a major industry and resort. Mount Mansfield (elevation 4,393 feet) is the tallest mountain in Vermont and the pinnacle of the Green Mountains, which run along the spine of the state.

Mount Mansfield has been a popular tourist destination and resort area dating back to 1863 when it hosted a number of summer resorts. Many of the accomplishments within the forests around Mount Mansfield can be attributed to Perry Merrill who was the Commissioner of Forestry in Vermont and selected the site at the base of the Toll Road, no doubt influenced by his passion for skiing, a skill he developed in 1924 as a student in Europe.

The CCC workers based at the Stowe side camp were responsible for cutting numerous ski trails on all sides of Mount Mansfield. This fact was due largely in part to the avid ski passions of Vermont’s CCC leader, Perry Merrill and engineer Charlie Lord.

Under Merrill’s direction the CCC cut some of New England’s most famous ski runs on Mount Mansfield, including the Nose Dive, Teardrop, Bruce, Ski Meister, Perry Merrill, and Charlie Lord trails. Charlie Lord was the master designer of the CCC trails on Mount Mansfield and deserves much of the credit for blazing some of the most enduring runs of quality and popularity in New England. Although few of the CCC men were themselves skiers, a sport of the middle and upper class, they were quoted as being " quite enthused about skiing" and enjoyed the new use of these trails, which ushered in a new era of downhill skiing. Many of these trails have been incorporated into the Stowe downhill ski area that thrives on the north side of Mount Mansfield, in full view from the Ski Dorm. Much of the history of skiing on Mount Mansfield and indeed New England, can be found in the history of these trails that were blazed by the men based at the Stowe CCC side camp, now Ski Dorm. These two men together, Merrill and Lord, were major catalysts for the development of the elaborate, visionary trail systems on Mount Mansfield, ushering in the skiing future of the region and the lifeblood of the town of Stowe. This has enabled the once side camp to function for over 50 years as a ski dormitory.

The Stowe Ski Dorm is unmistakably a piece of CCC construction and has retained its original design, quality of work, and the feeling of utilitarian building priorities which were indicative of CCC construction in Vermont. The building is eligible under Criteria C of the National Register since the Stowe Ski Dorm is representative of the type of building and construction methods employed by the CCC in Vermont for many of their buildings. The building was solidly built like most other CCC structures with a solid foundation, brown cedar shingle siding and rustic wooden interior with little ornament. It was built to last, serve 50 men, and blend with the natural surroundings. The simple construction plan and choice of brown exterior paint on the shingled facades was standard for CCC structures. These well crafted, utilitarian building elements are associated with the CCC construction styles throughout Vermont and originally based upon National Park Service designs for " Rustic Structures". The CCC was skilled in crafting with natural building materials such as stone, brick and wood, utilizing labor intensive, but durable techniques. A few of the interior elements, including an Adirondack-style bench constructed by the CCC crew, still remain as significant artifacts testifying to the level of craftsmanship developed through CCC building tasks.

 In summation, the Stowe Ski Dorm is eligible for the National Register under Criteria A and C for its role in the development of downhill skiing in New England, its connection with the visionary trail systems on Mt. Mansfield, and the integrity the building has maintained over the years as a hallmark of CCC building styles. The architecture of the Ski Dorm retains its original integrity and the building is directly associated with the conservation accomplishments and recreation opportunities created by the CCC in the surrounding forests.