Trailside Shelters
Trailside Shelters are:
The historic value of the shelters is different than a medieval cathedral or a civil war battlefield. A camp shelter reflects a period of time, becoming rapidly more distant, when it was normal for girls to live in the primitive environment of camps. It was not just a few unusual nature nerds. Camps were full and they had waiting lists. Living in the woods for two weeks in the summer was greatly to be desired across a wide spectrum of society. Large troops of girls filled the camp on weekends- all year round. The world has changed; but the story remains. Once upon a time, not so long ago, hundreds of girls at a time lived here.
The National Register of Historic Places exists to encourage preservation of the actual structures from significant times. RHP represents such a time. I am not advocating for shelter preservation for the sake of camp alumni, but for children who are visiting here today and in the future. Maybe a little girl today who needs to know that girls were once adventurous and brave, or homesick and scared but who lived through it. A little boy who cannot imagine living in the woods can see the numerous shelters and realize that it was once not only normal to live here, it was a joy. If these children today recognize that thousands of girls in the 1940s or 60s or 80s routinely lived in this kind of place, what resilience might they be able to find within themselves?
A sign or a plaque does not provide the same insight as sitting under one of the old shelters and looking out into the woods. Instead of “picnic shelters” think of them as listening posts. Listening to nature. Listening to echoes of the past. Listening to their hearts.
I am not asking that RJRD pay for the upkeep of “tier 3” structures. I am asking that their value be recognized as aligning with and contributing to the RJRD mission. And as such, that they be considered eligible for championing.
RJRD shelters scored.jpg
- Weather shelter for hikers and dog walkers
- Quiet places for park visitors to sit and write, dream, talk, or just rest
- Shade, shelter and outhouse facilities for the invasive species management crew and other workers
- Roofed program spaces- especially vital now that The Lodge is less available and the Friends are moving more programs to the south and north ends of RHP
- Potential revenue sources
- Campsite anchors or auxiliary camp spaces
The historic value of the shelters is different than a medieval cathedral or a civil war battlefield. A camp shelter reflects a period of time, becoming rapidly more distant, when it was normal for girls to live in the primitive environment of camps. It was not just a few unusual nature nerds. Camps were full and they had waiting lists. Living in the woods for two weeks in the summer was greatly to be desired across a wide spectrum of society. Large troops of girls filled the camp on weekends- all year round. The world has changed; but the story remains. Once upon a time, not so long ago, hundreds of girls at a time lived here.
The National Register of Historic Places exists to encourage preservation of the actual structures from significant times. RHP represents such a time. I am not advocating for shelter preservation for the sake of camp alumni, but for children who are visiting here today and in the future. Maybe a little girl today who needs to know that girls were once adventurous and brave, or homesick and scared but who lived through it. A little boy who cannot imagine living in the woods can see the numerous shelters and realize that it was once not only normal to live here, it was a joy. If these children today recognize that thousands of girls in the 1940s or 60s or 80s routinely lived in this kind of place, what resilience might they be able to find within themselves?
A sign or a plaque does not provide the same insight as sitting under one of the old shelters and looking out into the woods. Instead of “picnic shelters” think of them as listening posts. Listening to nature. Listening to echoes of the past. Listening to their hearts.
I am not asking that RJRD pay for the upkeep of “tier 3” structures. I am asking that their value be recognized as aligning with and contributing to the RJRD mission. And as such, that they be considered eligible for championing.
RJRD shelters scored.jpg