United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet

Section number 7 Page 1
 

Introduction:

The Underhill State Park is located approximately four miles northeast of Underhill Center on the west side of Mount Mansfield. The park is the gateway to Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont ( elev. 4,393 ft.) and the site of some of the Vermont’s best hiking and skiing. It sits below the majestic west slopes and rocky top of Mount Mansfield. The park is accessed by driving north through the rolling farmland outside of Underhill Center along Town Highway No. 2 for approximately 4 miles The dirt road winds up the west slopes of Mount Mansfield along the banks of the Browns River drainage. Mount Mansfield was recognized early on in Vermont history as a site for recreation activities and by 1858 hosted a building on the west slope to serve as a gathering point for tourists. The building was called the Halfway House, and was used as a depot for horses and buggies, and later for automobiles while climbers made the ascent of Mount Mansfield on foot The Halfway House was ultimately torn down in 1939, after reconstruction due to fire.   The remaining stone foundation of this structure is a modern archaeological resource located within the park boundaries. Although no longer in existence except for the foundation, it was the start of a long history of recreation facilities constructed on the west side of Mount Mansfield, including Underhill State park. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) contributed a number of historic resources to the area in the form of day and night shelters, scenic vistas, trails and access roads. The original works, buildings and landscape created by the CCC at Underhill State Park in the 1930’ have retained their integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association with the mission and accomplishments of the CCC.

 The CCC enhanced the recreation potential on the west side of Mount Mansfield through works, which include log lean-tos (#1-4), 12 fieldstone fireplaces (area A,B,C), a ranger’s cabin (#8), a toilet facility (#10), 24 discernible stone culverts, a section of road (#15), a concrete dam ( #16), and log picnic shelter (#13).  All of these works represent the ideal of the CCC, and their solid workmanship, use of natural materials, utilitarian design, and careful choice of landscape for aesthetic setting and location of buildings. All of these structures together in their original setting creates the original feeling and association with the goals, building styles and accomplishments of the CCC in Vermont.

 Between 1933 and 1940, the Underhill State Park was the base of operations for Camp S-60 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Companies 1291 and 1135. The primary focus of Camp-S-60 within the Underhill Sate Park was the upgrading of existing roads and construction of the Mountain Road. The CCC was also responsible for the development of skiing and hiking trails on the west face of Mount Mansfield and the establishment of the lower, public camping and picnic areas.

 The Underhill State Park is located within the Mount Mansfield State Forest and includes several areas, served primarily by two main camping and picnic areas. The site sits on a shoulder and terraced landscape on the steep slopes of Mount Mansfield; the terrain drops steeply to the east and west into the Browns River drainage. The following is a list of the buildings and structures located within the park, and is broken down by sections determined by location and type of usage. General areas are marked by capital letters on the site map and structures are marked by numbers.

Area A- Parking Lot & Family Camping area:

 The parking lot serves as the primary spot for hikers to leave cars for activities on the west face of the mountain, for the day use picnic area and easily accessed family camping sites. The family camping area is a large open space of grassy fields and select mature hardwoods located directly to the west of the parking lot. The family camping area contains seven designated overnight camping sites, three of which are tent sites and four lean-tos. All sites are in close proximity to one another, each containing a picnic table and fieldstone fireplace constructed by the CCC. Each campsite has grass clearing and is separated from the other sites by strips of mature hardwoods. They are accessed by foot from the parking lot and narrow trails between sites. Directly west of the sites, the terrain drops precipitously down to the steep banks of the Browns River drainage.
 

Lean-tos #1-#4, circa 1933
The Family camping area contains 4 lean-tos constructed by the CCC using standardized design. They are the following: ( Contributing)
 #1- "Maple"
 #2- "Birch"
 #3- "Beech"
 #4- " Pine"

The preceding lean-tos share common characteristics of log construction and were built to endure. The logs utilized to construct the 10’X 14’ lean-tos are in the 10"-14" diameter range and are assembled using full-round logs, and half-lapped corner joints. The lean-tos sit on concrete footers, bearing the weight of the large log posts above. The posts support full-round log beams serving as purlins to support the 6" diameter log rafters.  The roof is decked in 1"X4" boards horizontally. The floor decking of the lean-tos are constructed of 2"X4" &  2"X6" boards with gray enamel. The log ends of the walls are cut at angles irregularly and are random in lengths behind the corner. The beams extend beyond the walls to create a 2’ rake overhang and the beam-ends along with the rafter ends are left exposed. The roof is composed of tan asphalt shingles, likely wood shingles in original construction. All log surfaces are painted dark brown.

 Exceptions:
 The "Beech" lean-to sits closest to the parking area and has a handicapped-accessible ramp leading to the floor decking.

Fireplaces (contributing), circa 1933
- indicated by  (*) on site map
Each lean-to and campsites #5, #6, #7 contain fieldstone fireplaces constructed by the CCC. The fireplaces are fieldstones, laid up with mortar and were designed for cooking. They measure 5’wide X 4’deep X 3’ high and contain a fire-bricked arch of approximately 2’ X 2’. The arch is steel framed and lined with firebrick. The fireplaces are constructed on top of squared concrete foundations.

Area B- Ranger’s Quarters & Picnic Area:

This area is immediately east of the parking lot and indicated by the Ranger’s Quarters and the split-rail fence courtyard next to the Ranger’s Quarters. The area is generally a mix of open grass spaces around each building, separated by stands of mature hardwoods. The picnic area sits behind the Ranger’s quarters and is comprised of a mix of CCC constructed fireplaces, tent sites, a CCC constructed toilet facility, and two modern lean-tos. The area is a mix of flat clearings above a precipitous drop to the south into a river drainage.

 #8-Ranger’s Quarters , circa 1933 contributing)

 The ranger’s quarters was constructed by the CCC as the camp headquarters. The one story gable front building is 31’ long X 16’6" wide. The brown wooden clapboard structure rests on a full concrete foundation. The wide clapboards have an 8" reveal and terminate at wide, white cornerboards. The building is stick-frame construction and utilizes three 2x6’s laminated together to form purlins and rafters. The ends of both the purlins and rafters are left exposed and painted white. The roof still retains cedar shingle sheathing with one modern skylight. The primary facade and front of the building is the west gable; it contains an entrance door in the corner and a large uncoursed fieldstone fireplace on the exterior wall. The fireplace is 2’ deep on the exterior and tapers from a 4’ wide base. The north and south facades have three bays and the east gable end has one bay. ( The windows  are boarded during the off season.)

#9- Woodshed , circa 1983 ( non-contributing due to age)

 The woodshed was constructed by the in 1983 using simple construction techniques and materials. The one story shed-roofed building has a footprint of 18’ X 20’ and is constructed using log posts at 10’ intervals. The log posts support 8" diameter full-round log purlins. The purlins support a paneled-galvanized metal roof. The walls of the shed are vertical boards spaced 4"-6" apart allowing for ventilation. The upper wedge of the shed is walled with screening, rather than vertical boards. The building has been built to be unobtrusive, and keep in style with the original CCC constructions at the park.

#10- toilet facility , circa 1933 ( contributing):

 The men’s and women’s toilet facility was originally constructed by the CCC and measures 35’long X10’ wide. The building is divided in half—men on the east end, women on the west end. The one story gable building is sheathed horizontally in brown 10"shiplap siding. The facility rests on a full concrete foundation and has a tan asphalt shingle roof. However, evidence of an earlier wooden shake roof is seen on the ‘ Greek Revival’ returns at the corner of the rake and eave overhangs both measuring 1’ wide.  The building is trimmed at the corners with boards on top of the siding, and flat stock 1"X4" trims out the gable end and enclosed soffits. On the north side, there is one window per end and a middle double door constructed of vertical tongue and groove boards. The south façade has no windows, except the modern skylights on the roof at either end of the building. In addition, a 3’ high shed projection runs the length of the building from foundation height. Handicapped accessible ramps have been added to both entrances at either end of the building.

Fireplaces, circa 1933 ( contributing)

The fireplaces in area B are similar in construction to those in area A. They are indicated on the site map by a (*). They are in all picnic areas, tent sites and lean-to sites.
 

#11 & #12- lean-tos ­#11" cedar" & #12 " ash": ( non-contributing due to age), circa 1980

 Both of these lean-tos are modern construction by the Vermont State Parks System and built from the same design. The design is used on all of the lean-tos in the Group Camping area ( Area F). The lean-tos are 11’ deep X 14’ wide and constructed from dimensional lumber. The corner and center posts are 4"X4"’s and reinforced with angled cross bracing. All joinery is accomplished with wire nails. The beams are three 2"X8" laminated together and ends are left exposed to form a 1’ rake overhang. The walls are brown 8" tongue & groove siding applied vertically. The ceiling is decked with 1"X8" tongue & groove decking that supports a tan asphalt shingle roof. The floor of the lean-to is gray enameled 2"X8" tongue & groove boards. The rear wall is 2’ shorter in depth on the interior than the walls and overhang on the back. Creating a small rear shelf. This provides additional dry storage under the rear overhang. These buildings are modern in design; however, they maintain the style and feeling originally created with the log CCC lean-tos.

Area C- Park Shelter, circa 1933 ( contributing):

 #13- Picnic shelter, circa 1933

 The picnic shelter sits on a cleared knoll about 100 yards to the east of the parking lot. A new stairway of pressure treated limber and gravel treads leads to the grassy knoll and gabled log structure constructed by the CCC. The lot looks towards the west face of Mount Mansfield and down slope towards Underhill. The building measures 30’ long X 20’ wide. The building is constructed with traditional log joinery, supplemented by steel fasteners and spikes.  The gabled structure runs east to west with log posts at 10’ intervals. The western third of the building is walled in with 8" logs squared on the top and bottoms and overlap at the corners with uneven lengths of overhang. The remaining two thirds of the shelter is open-walled with a log railing running the perimeter. The log railing is 3’ high and supported by the main posts and a herringbone pattern of log spindles. The log posts rest on a full concrete foundation that also serves as the floor to the shelter. Beams rest in the saddle notches at the top of the posts. The beams are spliced along the north and south walls, and full-length logs on the gable ends. The posts are reinforced with knee-braces that are scribed and notched into the posts and beams. The roof is supported by a King-post truss system of full round logs that have been joined by full scribe saddles and spikes. Resting on the truss system are 6" diameter full round logs as purlins- they are saddle notched for the trusses top chord. A rafter system of 6" full round logs rest on the purlins with saddle notches and ends are left exposed to create a 2’ eave overhang. The roof is decked with 1"X4" boards and roofed with tan asphalt shingles.

 The east gable end wall is open up to the beam height and then the gable truss is in-filled with log sections. The west gable end is constructed similarly, except it hosts a huge uncoursed fieldstone fireplace. The fireplace is mortared fieldstone and spans 10’ wide with a 5’ wide arched firebox. The fireplace is 4’ thick and extends 2’ beyond the exterior wall. At the 5’ height is a mantle constructed of slate. The fireplace tapers in width from bottom to top.

Fireplaces/ Picnic Sites, circa 1933 ( contributing)

 Around the picnic loggia in the woods are three sites with CCC constructed fireplaces as described earlier ( indicated by *) and modern picnic tables. Narrow trails connect these sites to the grassy knoll hosting the picnic shelter and the old service  road leading south towards area B.

Area D- Site of old " Halfway House" ( contributing)

#14- Site of old " Halfway House", 1858 and later

 The Halfway House was constructed in 1858 and burned in 1879. It was reconstructed sometime after 1879 and before 1924, and later torn down in 1939. Foundation stones exist today for the original house and nearby outbuilding. Wild apple trees are scattered around the area that is now grown over with fully mature mixed hardwoods. This site is now an archaeological site.
 

Area E- Mountain Road ( CCC built section- contributing)

#15- Road section built by CCC, circa 1933
 One of the major contributions of the CCC at the Underhill State Park was the enhancement and construction of the Mountain Road.  The road contours up the western flanks of Mt. Mansfield and is approximately 14’ wide gravel construction with nearly 10’ of grass on either side.

Stone Culverts, circa 1933
 At least 24 stone culverts were built along the steep hillside on either side of the Mountain Road. These range in size from 3’ wide X 3’ high to 12’ wide X 10’high. They are constructed out of mortared fieldstone and concrete bases.

#16- CCC constructed Dam site, circa 1933 ( contributing):

 About 50 yards to the south of the road, one-quarter mile up the road from the site of the old Halfway House is a concrete dam constructed by the CCC as part of the water supply system. The dam is no longer operable and missing the gate.  It spans approximately 34’ feet across the Browne River drainage and sits 5’ high. It is battered in design, tapering from about 4’ at the base to 1’ at the top. The channel, originally housing the gate, is 3’ wide.

Area F- Group Camping Area ( non-contributing)
 
#17- #25 - Lean-tos ( non-contributing)
 The group camping area is a collection of 9 lean-tos built by the park service in the same fashion as those described earlier in Area B. The site is set in a large birch grove and has clear views up the west slopes of Mt. Mansfield. The gravel loop road is a turn off from the Mountain Road. A pit toilet and two water fountains are located in the grass and treed area in the middle of the loop road.  The road services all the lean-tos that sit about 25’ from the road and permit the parking of a vehicle within close proximity to the lean-to site. Each site has a small grass clearing, steel fire ring and picnic table. The construction techniques, size, and materials are identical to the lean-tos #11 & #12. These lean-tos are indicated on the site map and numbered # 17 - #25.