Recreation & Trails
By Melissa E. Lamb, Jennifer K. Zelinski,
& Daliah G. Macon
INTRODUCTION
Radford University, in the fall of 1999, scheduled two community meetings,
which were highly attended by the residents of the surrounding former coal mining
communities. They came with suggestions for the future Coal Mining Heritage
Park and clearly stated exactly what they wanted in the Montgomery County park
placed on the Merrimac Mines property. In the meetings, some of the most requested
facilities for community recreation in the park were: 1) picnic tables and picnic
shelters; 2) a place where former miners could tell stories, give talks, and
speak with local school children; and 3) a playground for area children of all
ages. Based on the questionnaires that we mailed to the community, there was
also interest in these community-based park facilities.
It is clear that the residents of Montgomery County have expressed a desire
for these three types of recreation facilities. If Montgomery County had a voice,
it too would demand these facilities for its community. Route 460 used to be
filled with farmland and is now being filled with suburban development. We can
recognize a definite shrinking of a view that, in the recent past, stretched
across green open fields and up to the lip of forested Price’s Mountain. It
was within this landscape that residents of the New River Valley defined themselves
culturally (as seen through oral histories), and continue to think of themselves
today. We lived in the country, in the great rolling expanse of the Appalachian
Mountain chain. We were strong and independent rugged survivors. We relied
on ourselves, on our own will, and determination in time of need. If this wasn’t
enough to help us through, we turned to our family, friends, and neighbors.
We knew who these people were. We lived life at a pace where we could catch
up with them every day after coming home from a day’s work, sitting on the family
front porch, and sharing the stories of our lives. Living this way of life built
a very definite wisdom a knowing. We shared this wisdom with one another in
the form of jokes, legends, personal stories, and songs.
We do not suggest an end to growth any more than we suggest an end to the livelihood
of Montgomery County, but we do strongly state that it is in the best interest
of the county to preserve the integrity of its cultural identity. What is Montgomery
County? It would be difficult to describe all of the things in this one document,
but one would be that it is a community nestled in and defined by the surrounding
Appalachian Mountains. Price’s Mountain is an Appalachian Mountain, as is Brush
Mountain, and others.
While this developing and growing county expands all around us, it only makes
sense to match this growth with preservation and park development of open green
spaces and sheltering ridges. We can have growth and preservation at
the same time, especially if the community is to remain a desirable place to
live. The creation of the Coal Mining Heritage Park on the Merrimac Mines property
is a tangible, and not too difficult, step in this direction.
In the paragraphs that follow, we will look first at the need for and placement
of a Community Recreation Area in the Coal Mining Heritage Park. The plans were
developed to answer community input and response. In this section, there will
be a general explanation of all facilities and features in the Community Recreation
Area. The second half of the chapter addresses the need for trails within the
park. A detailed description of recommended trails will be given, including
an explanation of the need for and placement of each trail. The park overview
map, Figure 2.1 in Chapter 2, provides a visual model of all the areas and trails
described in this chapter.
COMMUNITY RECREATION AREA
What is the Community Recreation Area? Seven Components.
The Community Recreation Area at the Coal Mining Heritage Park will be a multi-use
area designed to keep the majority of high-use traffic in the front central
area of the park. It will be located on the East End Flood Plain, just below
the parking lot area (see Figure 5.1).
Figure 5.1 Detail of the Community Recreation Area (from Fig.
2.1)
There will be seven components and their associated facilities located in the
Community Recreation Area:
1. Merrimac Loop Trail
This is an ADA accessible loop trail descending from the parking area.
The trail will descend into the flood plain and cross Lick Creek on an ADA
accessible bridge before connecting with the existing Huckleberry Trail.
In the process, it will connect with Picnic Shelters 1 and 2, the playground,
the Environmental Education Station, and the Museum and Visitors Information
Center. After crossing Lick Creek, the Merrimac Loop Trail joins with the
Huckleberry Trail, continuing west to the end of the park. At the west end
of the park, the Merrimac Loop Trail turns again and follows the present
gravel road bed back east, continuing until meeting up again with the parking
area. A more in-depth description of this trail appears later in this chapter.
2. Picnic Shelters 1 and 2
Two covered picnic shelters with tables, benches, and barbecue grills will
be set near the north-facing slope below the Merrimac Loop Trail close to
the parking area (the site of the present gravel road bed). For a more in-depth
description of these structures, see Chapter 4.
3. The Front Porch Pavilion
The Pavilion will be set further (west) into the park but still near the
picnic shelters and playground facilities. Community events, presentations,
lectures, and festivals will take place here. For a more in-depth description
of this structure of this facility, see Chapter 4.
4. Lick Creek Bridge and Playground
A playground will be placed between Picnic Shelters 1 and 2 towards Lick
Creek. Just next to the playground, the Merrimac Loop Trail will cross Lick
creek on a raised bridge. Surrounding this bridge will be an Environmental
Station where an observation deck overlooking the creek will have signage
that explains various aspects of the unique riparian habitat. A more detailed
description of the playground will appear later in this chapter.
5. The Mule Barn
This facility will be located near the site of the historic Mule Barn (number
23 on the circa 1937 map by Kennedy and Lawson, Figure 3.2) and will be
used to house the Montgomery County park maintenance equipment. For a more
detailed description of the structure of the Mule Barn, see Chapter 4.
6. Interpretive Museum and Visitors Information Center
The eventual center of the Community Recreation Area, the Museum and Visitor
Information Center, will be the eastern-most facility in the Community Recreation
Area. Some engineering will be necessary to raise this site to the level
of the current road bed and parking lot. The site will provide visitors
with easy access from the parking lot to the museum facility. Accessibility
is especially important for elderly or handicapped park visitors who wish
to visit the museum without extensive walking. It is also important to have
access to the road and parking lot so that deliveries (mail, supplies, etc.)
can be made to the museum. The museum site is also in close proximity to
activities taking place at picnic shelters and pavilion. Restrooms will
be attached to serve users of the facility. Benches and area-appropriate
landscaping will highlight the outside of the facility. Bike racks will
be present for Huckleberry Trail users who wish to stop and explore the
park. All Museum and Visitors Center facilities will be ADA accessible.
Greater discussion of the structure and activities of the Museum and Visitors
Information Center is in Chapters 3 and 4.
7. Mule Trail
This low impact trail will leave the Community Recreation Area to the west,
heading towards the boiler house and north-facing slope of the industrial
mine complex area. A more detailed description of this trail appears in
the trails section later in this chapter.
Why a Community Recreation Area?
In the community meetings and from mail-in surveys, community members expressed
the desire to have a place where family and community group gatherings could
take place. Specifically, picnic tables, a museum, a stage area, benches, and
a playground were requested. The Community Recreation Area is an attempt to
answer all of these requests while still keeping in mind the safety and access
issues unique to the Merrimac Mines property (see the section "Where Should
a Community Recreation Area be Located?" below).
The three things that will allow this park to succeed are:
1. Community Involvement.
A successful park is one that will be well used. When parks are used less,
there is a greater potential for vandalism. The presence of regular visitors
deters vandalism activity so that what is put into the park, in terms of
time, money, and personal or county investment, is not lost. Community involvement
will make the Coal Mining Heritage park a piece of public land that is used
and not abused. So far, several community groups have offered to volunteer
time and labor in the construction of various park facilities.
2. Timely Execution of Phases.
Community interest can wane over time if those who are investing time and
energy do not see an equal return in the timely development of park facilities.
It is important, when developing a proposed schedule of phasing, to post
the proposed phases and stick with the schedule. This encourages community
involvement and keeps the momentum going.
3. Support of the County Board of Supervisors, Planners, Facilities
Management, and Parks and Recreation Departments.
The park must be a cooperative county-community undertaking. The park cannot
be built without the support of the county Board of Supervisors and Planning
Commission, and personnel from the county's Planning, Facilities Management,
and Parks and Recreation offices. It is imperative that care and effort
be taken at all turns to understand the needs of these bodies and work within
their limitations. At the same time, these county representatives will be
asked to consider the suggestions made by Radford University, based in large
part on input from the people that the park is meant to serve.
Where Should a Community Recreation Area be Located?
In researching general park construction practices, cultural resource management
regulations, and environmental resource regulations, we realized early on that
there were many limitations placed on any development within the park. At every
turn, flags of warning rose and halted the expansive ideas on park facilities
development.
First of all, there are safety concerns. Much of the parcel that makes up Merrimac
park is underlaid with a complex of room and pillar mine shafts (Merrimac site
visit 9/11/99). The landscape is literally riddled with depressions and holes
created over time through processes of mine subsidence (Merrimac site visit
10/3/99 with Tom Klatka and Meghan Dorsett). Land-grading activities in such
affected areas is highly dangerous, as shafts may open up, sliding down at a
22-degree angle for almost a mile, releasing pockets of methane gas. Even without
initial disruptive grading, development of areas over the historic mineshaft
complex may open over time as a result of regular subsidence activity. Either
way, the areas over the mine complex are not safe for extended, high-use public
facilities. This limitation is clearly recognized by the archaeologist and county
personnel consulted in the research process (interviews with Tom Klatka 9/21/99,
Steve Phillips and Tom Bain 10/13/99, Joe Powers and Meghan Dorsett 9/14/99
and 9/16/99). It is in the best interest of the park to focus development of
community facilities and activity areas in the parts of the park that do not
stand directly above the underground mining complex.
Second, there are regulations limiting what disruption can occur on existing
archaeological sites. There is an associated need for survey in any areas of
the park that might contain sites with "historic integrity" which
require preservation techniques in the process of development. Federal and state
cultural resource management laws require survey and preservation of cultural
resources on any land developed with the help of federal or state monies. The
cost of an archaeological survey and resultant cultural resource preservation
is great and could become a significant financial stumbling block in the development
of the park if facilities are placed on unsurveyed landscapes. Rather than building
over these landscapes, it is best to avoid them. They will be preserved simply
because they will be undisturbed and unused.
Lastly, there are environmental considerations. Although there are no outstanding
limitations in specific regulation as to what we can and cannot do on this essentially
"disturbed" once industrial landscape, the desire of all users to
have an open green space within the park was noted early and consistently. Regardless
of whether or not sensitive environmental areas within the park are protected
by specific environmental regulations, they are presently existing as healthy,
functioning systems; to alter them drastically may compromise the overall health
of the desired green space (interview with Meghan Dorsett 11/1/99). Rather than
struggling against these limitations, it would be in the best interest of the
park to work with them, exploiting them as assets in the development of the
park.
It has been expressed (by state archaeologist, Tom Klatka; Coal Mining Heritage
Association members; Merrimac community members; Warm Hearth trail users; and
Friends of the Huckleberry trail organizers), that the Merrimac park site is
"not a blank slate" that can be swept clean and developed over. Rather,
the landscape reflects the historic cultural and industrial use of the land.
Any park facilities should reflect, not mitigate, this history. In planning
for additions that require land grading, building of structures, and application
of new, more user- and maintenance-friendly ground surface material, a landscape
that is free of safety, cultural, and environmental limitations should be the
obvious first choice.
The East End Flood Plain (Located Near the Merrimac Road
Entrance)
The East End Flood Plain is the only suitably large area of the park that is
a blank landscape. (See the park conceptual map, Figure 2.1 in Chapter 2.)
Past grading has affected the entire area. As a result, the concern for conservation
of heritage or environmental resources, which must be taken into consideration
in almost all other park planning, is not a limitation here (interviews with
Meghan Dorsett 11/1/99, Tom Klatka 11/2/99). On the east end of the park, we
can develop facilities and alter the landscape in ways not possible in other
areas due to cultural resource management and environmental preservation limitations.
Rather than fighting the existing laws governing historic and environmental
resources, by attempting to build structures in other more sensitive areas of
the park, it makes sense to concentrate development in this large, already disturbed
area.
In addition to the reasons listed above, the East End Flood Plain is a good
area for a concentration of community recreation facilities and activities because
it is easily accessible from the proposed parking area. An ADA accessible trail
(the Merrimac Loop) will bring handicapped, elderly, and young children to community
recreation events and facilities. Adequate parking is less than º mile from
all facilities and activities within the east end Community Recreation Area.
The only other piece of land in the park that is open and large enough to accommodate
any picnic, playground, or pavilion activities is at the far west end of the
park (and this area is considerably smaller). Inquiries into placing a parking
lot at this end of the park were quickly halted by local property owners (Community
Meeting 10/23/99). The land owners at the west end of the park strongly voiced
that major community recreation activities (events drawing large numbers of
people, a playground with associated loud noises) be directed to the east end
of the park, near the entrance off of Merrimac Road. Additionally, the use of
the west end for community events would require disabled and elderly visitors
to park and walk much greater distances. Considering that the park is closely
associated with the Coal Mining Heritage Association members and elderly community
members, it would not be in the best interest of the park to distance community
events from available parking. Again, what will make this park succeed as an
asset, rather than a liability to Montgomery County, is its regular use. Alienating
core user groups because of inadequate parking would hinder the regular use
of the park.
Lastly, the land subsidence issues that limit grading and foundation digging
in other areas of the park are not a consideration here. The mine shaft complex
did not extend below the East End Flood Plain (Merrimac site visits 9/11/99
and 10/3/99, interview with Meghan Dorsett 11/1/99). Extensive regrading and
general land disruption can occur here without concern for the danger of opening
or collapsing an existing underground mine shaft.
ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE IN THE FIRST PHASES OF THE PARK
The components of the Community Recreation Area will not be completed all
at once. Rather, it will occur over two phases. We recommend these phases in
order to build a community-friendly atmosphere:
Phase One:
-
Relocate the Consolidated Waste Site to another location outside of
the park. The relocation of this facility is recommended
to ensure the success of the park for five reasons:
-
A certain percentage of people will dump their trash anywhere possible
when the Consolidated Waste Site is closed. Each time the research team
visited the Coal Mining Heritage Park property this year, we observed recent
instances of illegal dumping of household and industrial waste. In one instance,
an illegal dumper drove onto the park property road, along the Huckleberry
Trail, and dumped trash along the northwestern border of the park. A park
that is used as a trash dump will not attract visitors.
-
It is expensive to continually remove trash. As mentioned above, the closeness
of the Consolidated Waste Site to the park property encourages dumping after
hours. The cleanup of this regular dumping and the enforcement of no-dumping
regulations will cost Montgomery County unnecessary money to maintain the
park.
-
The site and smell of the facility itself will, and currently does, inhibit
visitors from coming to the property. At community meetings, the citizens
and users of the current park property repeatedly and strongly recommended
that the waste collection site be relocated. Visitors do not foresee a dumpsite
to be desirable in a heritage/environmental education and recreation facility.
-
The site of the current Consolidated Waste Site is the only suitable place
on which to put a parking lot. The reasons, including size and accessibility
to the community recreation area, are detailed in Chapter 4. The site is
already graded and the surface is prepared to accept this use, which also
reduces the cost of developing parking at the park.
-
Close the existing gravel access road on the southern border of park,
converting it into a trail (the upper portion of the Merrimac Loop Trail).
The current roadbed poses a threat to the success of park development for
three reasons:
-
Vehicle access to the borders of the park increases the chance of vandalism
to park facilities under construction and/or those already completed. The
chance of vandalism is much greater when vandals have quick vehicle access
to otherwise secluded (not seen from the road) areas of the park.
-
The current road and waste collection facility encourages trash dumping
throughout the park. The practice of driving past the current waste collection
site after hours and dumping waste throughout the southern border of the
park property is a recurring and common problem. To reduce the cost of cleanup
of this waste, we recommend that access to this part of the park be restricted
from regular vehicular access. This measure, in combination with the removal
of the waste collection facility, will nearly eliminate the dumping problem.
-
Vehicular access to the interior and western borders of the park poses
a safety threat to park visitors. Not only does four-wheel traffic pose
a safety threat to visitors walking along the road but, in addition, any
time a vehicle can access a public facility, the safety of visitors to that
facility is reduced. For example, the Appalachian Trail Committee actively
fights the placement of power lines near the Appalachian Trail specifically
because the risk to trail users is made greater when power line access roads
are built that bring vehicular traffic into recreational areas.
Closing down the existing roadbed to vehicular traffic and turning it into
a trail, with ADA accessibility added in Phase Two, will create an asset in
the Coal Mining Heritage Park for five reasons:
-
The already graded roadbed stands directly above the historic mine entrance,
allowing the only ADA acceptable access to this key park site. An alternate
ADA accessible min entrance from the hillside below is highly dangerous
due to the many mineshafts that exist in this area. For a description of
the heritage interpretation proposed at the mine entrance, see Chapter 3.
-
The road is currently dangerous to visitors because of the speed and volume
of vehicular traffic. The road itself is narrow with a tight right-hand
turn, making foot travel very risky. As use of the park increases with the
addition of facilities, so will foot travel on this road. Vehicular traffic
is an unnecessary liability to the future of the park. If a park visitor
were injured or killed on the road, the reputation and desirability of the
park would suffer along with Montgomery County’s pocket book. Limiting vehicular
access to state, county, railroad, and emergency vehicles will automatically,
quickly, and cheaply create a new recreation area within the existing park
property.
-
The roadbed lies on the only north-facing slope available within the park.
To enhance the desirability of the overall park as an environmental classroom,
it is suggested that this one representative of a north-facing ecosystem
be made safely available. As stated above, current traffic on the roadbed
is a definite danger to any visiting school or community groups.
-
The roadbed provides the only prolonged length of shade encircling the
park property. The use of this stretch of shaded "canopied road"
as an ADA accessible trail will increase usership overall of the park on
sunny or hot summer days.
-
Shutting down the road means stopping access to the property that borders
the park to the southwest. Currently, recreational vehicles and hunters
frequently visit this property, which poses a threat to the safety of park
visitors. Closing down the road bed would create a quieter and safer atmosphere
at the southwestern edge of the park, where visitors currently negotiate
amongst three and four wheelers and the four wheel drive trucks that haul
them. Closing the gravel road during Phase One of park development will
reduce the possibility of vandalism aimed at park facilities in retaliation
to the shutting down of the road to these types of visitors.
Phase Two:
-
Grade and construct the Merrimac Loop Trail as an ADA accessible loop
around the park. For specifics on the Merrimac Loop Trail, see the trails
section below in this chapter. It is recommended that this trail be completed
early for two reasons:
-
The individuals that this park is meant to remember and honor the aging
New River Valley mining community.
b. School groups with handicapped students.
c. Handicapped users, currently enjoying access to the Huckleberry Trail.
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Construct the Community Recreation Area and its Facilities.
During Phase Two, we recommend that the East End Flood Plain, that holds
the Community Recreation Area, be regraded to hold a mowable grass surface
with the upcoming facilities: Picnic Shelters 1 and 2, Playground, and Front
Porch Pavilion. These facilities will be built during Phase Two as well.
FACILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY RECREATION AREA
Chapter 4, on infrastructure and facilities, provides a description of all
facilities included in the Community Recreation Area. This chapter will highlight
the two main facilities planned in the early phasing of the Community Recreation
Area: the Front Porch Pavilion and the Playground by Lick Creek. Following each
facility is a general description of the design, use, and need for that facility.
Front Porch Pavilion: Bringing the Past into the Present,
So That it May Serve Us in the Future.
In the community meetings and in surveys from trail and potential park
users, a large interest was expressed in having a place within the park where
community events detailing and promoting local coal mining heritage could take
place. The best venue for the suggested events is an open-air pavilion facing
a large green space. A well-placed pavilion can be the center-stage for many
different community events where an audience is present. All community and heritage
events at the pavilion will draw visitors to park, and may bring in money that
comes without the price tag of other industrial development endeavors that often
involve resource extraction (whether they be environmental, mineral, or human
labor resources). Several suggested uses of the Front Porch Pavilion are listed
below.
Heritage Interpretation
The Education Committee of the Coal Mining Heritage Association holds events
throughout the year aimed at educating local elementary, middle, and high school
students on the history and heritage of the immediate region. Emphasis is placed
on knowing the living local coal miners, their families, and their descendants.
What is allowed to take place is the acceptance and growth of pride in one’s
own heritage and family. Lori Shepard spoke of recent coal mining heritage presentations
at Price’s Fork Elementary School: "You should have seen their faces light
up when they found out about their history. They said, "This is me?’" (Class
Meeting 9/2/99). When local residents are filled with the pride because of their
region they will work to maintain the health of this region. Continuing and
expanding the education efforts of the Coal Mining Heritage Association will
specifically help the region to grow and develop in line with the needs of the
citizens of Montgomery County.
Lecture Series
Education on heritage and history of the larger Appalachian region can expand
beyond local school age groups and be presented in a format that welcomes the
participation of community members and local colleges. Currently, Explore Park
in Roanoke, Virginia holds an annual Blue Ridge Symposium directed towards the
exploration of historic and heritage issues and lifeways. A similar event could
be held annually at the Coal Mining Heritage Park and could be organized by
Radford University and the Coal Mining Heritage Association.
Music
A significant part of the heritage of the region that draws communities together
is Appalachian Bluegrass, Old Time, and Celtic music. Weekly music events similar
to the Friday Night Jamboree at Cochram’s General Store in Floyd, Virginia could
take place at the pavilion. Audience members could bring folding lawn chairs
to these evening events, which would offer "something to do" other
than less community enriching college and other parties. Alcohol would be prohibited
and the events would be family oriented.
Seasonal Festivals
Seasonal festivals such as the Merle Watson Memorial Festival, the Ferrum Folk
Life Festival, the Galax Fiddlers Convention, and the National Storytelling
Convention, draw large crowds of generally family folk and are a boom to local
economies where they take place. A pared down but equally effective version
of such festivals could be held in Merrimac park, with focus areas being located
at the Front Porch Pavilion, the Tipple Heritage Area, the Museum/Visitors Center,
and the west end Caboose Environmental Education area. At Telluride in Colorado,
weeklong workshops are held directed at teaching songwriting, banjo picking,
dobro playing, guitar flatpicking, and other musical skills. Other possible
workshops that could be offered are clogging, Irish dancing, flatfooting, storytelling,
basket making, log cabin building, quilt piecing, apple butter making, food
preservation and canning, and traditional food cooking. The Appalachian Regional
Studies Center and the Appalachian Events Committee at Radford University could
be utilized in the planning and organizing of such events, as could the Coal
Mining Heritage Association and Montgomery County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Community members recommended that all buildings on the site not be visually
modern intrusions, but rather be built to reflect the building styles of the
past. The Front Porch Pavilion has been designed to meet this request. It will
be constructed as an open timber frame structure. Its design will mimic an historic
area house with a covered porch. The roof of the pavilion will be covered with
standing seam tin sheets. The "porch" floor will be made of tongue-and-groove
planking. To create a structure that is most weather resistant, this flooring
could be made of the plastic composite decking that looks like wood. Community
labor and private donations would be utilized in the construction. There are
several timber frame companies in the surrounding area that could be approached
for possible private donations of the crafted timbers. A workshop manned with
community volunteers could assemble the building in a weekend. Traditional standing-seam
roofers could teach volunteers the techniques of this trade in the same weekend.
In the process of building the pavilion, traditional building techniques could
be learned by all volunteers involved. The construction itself would offer heritage
education in the community.
Playground: Fun For All Ages
In addition to other much needed and desired facilities, community members
advocated for the addition of a playground for local children. The location
of the playground is suggested for the east end of the park near the entrance.
It should be placed on the south side of the trail between the trail and the
creek, just past the road and bridge. This location is ideal because the land
on that side of the trail is relatively open and level. This, as mentioned before,
is an ideal location for picnic facilities, with restrooms and water fountains
nearby. This location would place the playground within close proximity to the
pavilion, so that children could play while their parents attended events at
the pavilion. The east side of the park is also a prime location because of
its proximity to the creek. Children who use the Huckleberry Trail currently
engage in exploring the creek. A good suggestion is to clean up the creek, leaving
a 15-foot buffer zone of vegetation for erosion control as suggested by Meghan
Dorsett, County Planner. Constructing the playground further away from the road
would draw children and families into the park. This is safer because children
will be drawn further inside the park property and away from the road. This
would also encourage children to play in an area away from the extreme west
end of the park where they often wander onto neighboring property.
Community members, including parents of young children and local schoolteachers
made several suggestions as to what specifically should be put at the playground.
The first suggestion is that the playground be constructed out of a natural
material, such as large wood planks, to enhance the rustic and natural appeal
of the park. The playground should also be build with shock and moisture absorbent
material such as wood/cedar chips. A local example of one such playground is
the Hand-In-Hand playground in Blacksburg, which is across from Blacksburg High
School (see Figure 5.2). This is a huge wooden structure with a vast array of
different features that appeals to a wide range of ages. This is due to the
larger passageways that enable older kids and even parents to play with their
kids within the playground. The playground itself has unique features such as
tire swings, a variety of bridges and towers, winding passageways, and various
other obstacle-course type features. There is also a section of square tables
and benches to allow families to be close by to watch their kids. This playground
was built with money from local businesses. Additionally, ways can be developed
so that patrons of the park can donate money to the maintenance and up-keep,
and receive recognition for their support (e.g. have their names engraved in
plaques or on part of the wooden structure).
Figure 5.2 The Hand-in-Hand playground in Blacksburg.
Lick Creek Bridge on the Merrimac Loop Trail
An ADA accessible bridge will cross Lick Creek. It completes the Merrimac
Loop Trail that encircles the park property. It also allows access to the playground,
on the south side of the creek, for Huckleberry Trail users from the north side
of the creek. In doing this, it directs play traffic away from the creek bed
itself, preserving the protective fifteen-foot buffer zone of natural (unmowed)
vegetation along the creek.
TRAILS
In creating an overall plan for trail locations in the park, it
was necessary to bridge the gap between the circa 1937 historic map (see Figure
3.2, by Kennedy and Lawson) which details cultural resources, and the modern
parcel and road map used by Montgomery County in planning. The struggle in merging
these two separate maps mirrors an underlying struggle between two forces in
the park and trail planning process: the heritage and integrity of the site
and the modern use and development of the site as a county park. Trails developed
in any part of the park should provide ready access to undisturbed or slightly
disturbed historic and environmental resources. To mitigate any damage that
might be caused by overuse of one area or another, we propose a complex of five
trails. Each trail has a different difficulty level and as a result, will draw
different types of users. We hope that the trail complex will accomplish these
three things:
First, the bulk of the park traffic will be directed to the disturbed areas
of the park, where low difficulty and ADA accessible trails offer easy access
to developed heritage and environmental interpretation facilities. The high
impact and ADA accessible trails will offer access through the park for handicapped
individuals, visiting school groups, families with children, and community elders.
Second, it is hoped that a more secluded, or wilderness type, experience
be preserved in the park through the use of low impact trails wherever possible.
Low impact trails have a higher difficulty level and, therefore, will limit
the number of visitors into the more fragile and sensitive archaeological and
environmental resource areas of the park.
Third, it is hoped that the mix of high and low impact trails will be a
small part of the overall cost of trail construction. It is inexpensive to construct
a low impact trail, but it is very expensive to construct a high-impact or ADA
accessible trail. By combining both in the overall trail system, we can provide
the most available trail space for the available money, while satisfying both
types of users. Both groups will have access to the key heritage and environmental
components of the park. Listed below are the five trails that make up the trail
complex. After each trail name is a description of the use, need, construction,
and location of the trail.
Merrimac Loop Trail
The need for an ADA accessible trail, allowing access to key areas of the
developing park, has been expressed by community members and future park users.
In addition to this expressed need, if federal and state grant monies are to
be used in the financial support of the park construction, measures must be
taken to provide for disabled citizens to the main components of the park. The
Merrimac Loop Trail seeks to meet this need while answering a few other obligations
as well, which are explained below.
It is most desirable to only alter the geographic landscape where the historic
(archeological, cultural) integrity of the landscape has already been compromised
(interviews with Tom Klatka 11/2/99, Joe Powers and Meghan Dorsett 11/1/99,
Steve Philips and Tom Bain 10/13/99). Building an ADA accessible trail requires
geographic modification of the land. As a result, in designing the ADA accessible
roadbed we must strive to do three things.
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Make use of any existing ADA accessible trails already in the park.
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Make use of any already established land features (road bed, past excavation,
etc) that are within ADA rate of descent standards.
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Avoid "dangerous" or sensitive areas of the park where past
mining activity renders geographic land modification a risky endeavor.
Since the focus of the park is coal mining heritage, it is essential that
the above logistical needs be met, while at the same time, the need for historic
heritage interpretation and preservation be met. The Merrimac Loop Trail meets
these requirements. As demonstrated in the overview map, the Merrimac Loop Trail
will encircle the periphery of the park. As it does this, it will cross through
all major ecological zones of the park, accessible within ADA rate of descent
limitations (see UFAS 1999). It will also access four major heritage interpretation
areas and facilities: the Museum/Visitor Information Center, the Drift Mouth
mine entrance, the Tipple Heritage Area, and the hotel/commissary site near
the reconstructed miner’s house (for further description of these facilities
and their heritage interpretation, see Chapter 3).
To best understand the areas visited by the ADA accessible Merrimac Loop
Trail, we can take an imaginary tour of the trail and explain what we would
be able to see and visit while on our walk. The trail is a loop, but we will
begin our tour at the parking area off of Merrimac Road. Beginning at the parking
lot (see the park overview map, Figure 2.1 in Chapter 2), the trail comes in
from the west and enters the Museum/Visitors Information Center area. The Visitors
Center will provide maps and information regarding the park that will orient
visitors to the entire site. The Museum will run regular programs involving
local coal miners and their families, and feature interpretations of heritage
events and lifeways. Displays of mine artifacts will be housed here, as well
as archived oral histories that can be listened to, read, or watched. A gift
shop with a large variety of culturally related books and local food and craft
items will also be present, as well as snack and drink machines. Handicapped
accessible restrooms will be housed within the Visitors Center area, which will
be accessible from the outside so that they may be used even when the Museum
is closed.
From the Museum/Visitors Center, the Merrimac Loop Trail will descend into
the flood plain gradually, traveling close against the bank of the parking lot
above. There will be handrails on the outer edge of the trail bed. Once in the
flood plain, the Merrimac Loop will pass the two picnic shelters, with paved
access to each. Between the two picnic shelters, the trail will turn towards
the creek to the west of the Playground. On the western edge of the Playground,
a raised deck will begin that will take the trail over Lick Creek. The bridge
itself will be fourteen feet wide with benches making guardrails on both sides.
The decking that leads to the bridge will be arranged in a semicircle on each
end, with benches surrounding the right and left sides.
The decking and bridge need to extend far enough out on either side of the
creek to protect the existing margin of unmowed natural riparian plants. The
various plants and animals of this unique habitat, as well as the possible threats
to it, will be described in an environmental education station that holds a
sign with photographs and explanation. It is important to maintain the existing
flora of the immediate margins of Lick Creek in all parts of the park for two
reasons. The first reason is user interest. Community members expressed, both
through the survey responses and in both community meetings, that the plants
of the park be preserved and explained wherever possible. School groups can
incorporate environmental identification projects into lesson plans that bring
students out of the classroom and into the field. Secondly, the existing plants
of this creek margin area have adapted to and settled into this unique arrangement
of soil type, sunlight availability, moisture level, and seasonal temperature
fluctuation. To clear the existing plants would leave the slope open to degradation
and, as a result, cause runoff problems. It is unlikely that any application
of not already present ground cover material would be as successful, in land
reclamation and soil erosion control, as the plants currently on the site.
Once across Lick Creek, the Merrimac Loop Trail would join the existing
Huckleberry Trail. A more intensive survey needs to be done on the section of
the Huckleberry Trail, between the Merrimac Loop bridge (over Lick Creek) and
the Tipple Heritage Area, to determine whether a parallel pedestrian trail needs
to be constructed for park visitors to keep them from being run down by the
faster bike traffic on the Huckleberry Trail.
The Merrimac Loop Trail will join up with the Tipple Heritage Area and
Heritage Bridge, in which an ADA accessible ramp will ascend onto the Heritage
Bridge. For a more detailed description of the structure of the Heritage Bridge
at the Tipple Heritage Area, see Chapter 4. From the Tipple Heritage Area, the
Merrimac Loop Trail continues west along the Huckleberry Trail. Again, further
study needs to address the question of whether a parallel trail is needed to
prevent park visitors from colliding with the faster bike traffic on the Huckleberry
Trail. At the west end of the park, the Merrimac Loop Trail passes and provides
access to the Caboose Nature Education Center and the reconstructed miner’s
house near the historic hotel and commissary sites. (For a detailed description
of the Caboose Nature Education Center, see Chapter 6. For a description of
the reconstructed miner’s house, see Chapter 3.)
At the far west end of the park, the Merrimac Loop Trail turns south and
travels along the existing gravel roadbed of the former access road. This area
of the park (the southern border of the park) holds a unique environment: it
is the only north-facing slope within the park. (For a description of the plants
and conditions unique to this environment, see Chapter 6.) In addition to being
ecologically unique, the trail bed along this southern border of the park contains
an overarching tree canopy that provides shade and seclusion not offered in
the otherwise mostly open and unshaded area of the park. Along this portion
of the Merrimac Loop Trail, the drift mouth, or mine entrance, is passed. A
Mine Overlook will allow visitors to view the mine entrance from the trail.
This will be built as an ADA accessible deck with railings. Community dedication,
celebration, and remembrance services may be held around this historic center.
Interpretive signage will describe the mining activities and culture of the
New River Valley. The Mine Overlook could have an audio station, where visitors
could listen to interview excerpts of stories of life in the mines. After passing
the Mine Overlook, the Merrimac Loop Trail continues east to reunite with the
parking lot area where our tour began. For a description of the heritage signage
and structures along the Merrimac Loop Trail, see Chapter 3.
We recommend that during Phase Two, this section of the Merrimac Loop Trail
be regraded and paved for ADA accessibility. Pavement, in general, requires
the least maintenance and lasts the longest. However, the color of asphalt detracts
from the experience of the natural landscape of the park. At Explore Park in
Roanoke, Virginia, where living history components have sought to bridge historic
integrity with the modern needs of park maintenance, all of the paved trails
in the park have been painted with light brown (soil colored paint). It is highly
recommended that the surface of all paved ADA accessible trails sections added
to the park be treated with a similar brown paint covering.
Federal and state grants will be used to create the Merrimac Loop Trail.
Meghan Dorsett in the Montgomery County Planning Office, and researchers in
Radford University’s Spring 2000 "Practicum in Anthropology" class
will be researching possible grants for the Coal Mining Heritage Park.
Mule Trail
The Mule Trail will be a low impact trail that connects the East End Flood
Plain to the Drift Mouth Trail (which goes through the mine industrial area).
This trail will offer a quieter and more "wild," or natural, experience
than the Merrimac Loop Trail, exposing to visitors the natural landscape that
consists of the green space of Merrimac park. The Mule Trail links up with the
Drift Mouth Trail and the Tipple Heritage Area, bringing visitors to these sites
from a different route than the Merrimac Loop. As a result, the visitors to
the park will be divided between both trails, distributing the total park visitors
to separate sections of the park and preventing overcrowding.
As mentioned before, it was suggested at the October 1999 community meetings
that any new park facilities or trails make an attempt to match or link to the
historic building sites or trails. The Mule Trail will do just this. One would
step out of the Front Porch Pavilion area, where a mowed lawn exists as ground
cover. As the Mule Trail begins, from the mowed Front Porch Pavilion area, it
moves into an unmowed natural field. It is recommended that mowing stop two-thirds
of the way down the East End Flood Plain to preserve a section of this plant
community and to lessen the burden of park maintenance of the site. The Mule
Trail will follow the traditional path to the site of the old boiler house,
where an interpretive sign will describe the boiler house. The Mule Trail will
continue past the boiler house and head southeast, where it will end and connect
with the Heritage Bridge in the Tipple Heritage Area. It will also connect to
the Drift Mouth Trail. We recommend that the Mule Trail be constructed at the
same time as the other trails on the south side of the Huckleberry Trail (suggested
for Phase Three).
We recommend that all of the low impact trails in the park be constructed
in a simple manner. Light clearing of obstructive brush and the laying down
of a mulch ground covering is all that is required (this recommendation results
from meetings with Steve Philips and Tom Bain 10/18/99 and Tom Klatka 11/2/99).
Community volunteer groups could be used, for instance local Girl Scout or Boy
Scout troops, along with general community members on a "trail clean up"
day where the brush is cleared and mulch is laid.
Bunker Hill Trail
The Bunker Hill Trail will show a very important aspect of heritage at
the site: the interpretation of the mining family's everyday life. We strongly
recommend that Montgomery County acquire the land that holds the historic site
of Bunker Hill itself, which is currently outside the park boundaries, so that
it can become part of the park. In our current plans, the Bunker Hill Trail
will ascend up the north slope from the Huckleberry Trail, leading to a Scenic
Overlook, with interpretative signage about Bunker Hill, which can be viewed
from the overlook. This will be a low impact trail leading up the slope along
the bed of the old tramline. The use of the old tramline is strongly recommended
in order to minimize destruction to the archaeological landscape on the north
side of the park.
The Bunker Hill Trail will stop at a Scenic Overlook site where the entire
Merrimac park can be seen. At this overlook, a transparent sign will be placed
with a marked "viewing spot". As a visitor stands on the "viewing
spot," they can look through the transparent sign at the landscape below,
and see photographic images of the old mine industrial buildings that are superimposed
on the landscape. This will allow the viewer to "see" the historic mine industrial
complex pictured in its full glory, including the tipple, boiler house, combined
shops, and other industrial buildings. (The photographic images will be compiled
from historic pictures, as discussed in Chapter 3.)
As mentioned before, it was suggested at October 1999 community meetings that
any new park facilities or trails make an attempt to match or link to the historic
building sites or trails. The Bunker Hill Trail will branch off of the north
side of the Huckleberry Trail at the Tipple Heritage Area, just below the hoist
house and will turn uphill to the northeast to meet the historic tramline, where
it will follow the path of the tramline until the park boundary is reached.
The Scenic Overlook provides an interesting destination at the end of the trail.
Later, if the area of Bunker Hill is incorporated within the park, the Bunker
Hill Trail will be extended along the tramline through Bunker Hill itself.
Visitors walking the Bunker Hill Trail will be immersed in the disturbed
forest regrowth area where multiflora roses and various other opportunistic
plants have grown to overtake the once open mine area landscape. An interpretive
sign will be placed here to orient the visitor to the three zones of plant communities
that the trail will intersect as it ascends the hill slope: first, the open
Huckleberry Trail landscape, followed by the disturbed historic and industrial
landscape, and finally the early natural pin-oak and chestnut forest. (See Chapter
6 for a description of these zones.) Once at the top of the trail, the visitor
will be able to stop and take a breather on the trail benches provided at the
Scenic Overlook described above.
We recommend that the Bunker Hill Trail be constructed at the same time
as the other trails on the north side of the Huckleberry Trail (we’ve suggested
this during Phase Four of park development) along with the Miner’s House Trail.
If the additional Bunker Hill property is acquired as part of early park development,
then archaeological survey and investigation, conducted during a Radford University
Summer Archaeological Field School (taught by Dr. Cliff Boyd) could take place
during Phase Three and a more developed use of the entire Bunker Hill property
can be enacted during Phase Four.
Drift Mouth Trail
The Drift Mouth Trail provides four essential and requested possibilities:
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Access to the mine opening. Mine access will allow visitors to "see,
hear, and feel" mining history (interest expressed during the community
meetings 10/21/99 and 10/23/99). As part of the entire trail complex, the
Drift Mouth Trail will distribute visitors to the mine opening along with
the Merrimac Loop Trail above the Drift Mouth itself.
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Access to the archaeological resources of the combined shops area. It is
important that this trail be a low impact trail to limit access and traffic
to these resources, as well as to maintain the safety of visitors in the
park.
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Access to the unique north-facing slope of this area, with its historic,
native, and introduced plant species.
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The archaeological resources in the form of evidence of past structures
are significant. It is recommended that another audio-interpretive station
be placed here at the site of the combination shops.
The area behind the tipple and before the mine entrance that the Drift Mouth
Trail will explore, is ideal for a low impact spur from the ADA accessible Merrimac
Loop Trail for these reasons:
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The landscape is riddled with mine subsidence and underground mine shafts.
The State Archaeologist, the Montgomery County Planning Department, and
others do not recommend grading here.
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The natural plant community is well established and offers a unique opportunity
for the experience of solitude within the park.
The Drift Mouth Trail will split off from the Mule Trail and immediately ascend
the north-facing slope that holds the combination shops site. Once on the level
of the combined shops, concrete corner post markers and interpretive signs will
describe the historic use of the landscape. (See Chapter 3 for a more detailed
description of these signs and marked foundations.) The trail will turn west
and walk along the combined shops site until it reaches the mine opening. A
handout available first at the Heritage Bridge information center, and later
at the Museum/Visitors Information Center, will describe the mine.
We recommend that the Drift Mouth Trail be constructed at the same
time, and in the same manner, as the other low impact trails on the south side
of the Huckleberry Trail (during Phase Three of park development).
Miner’s House Trail
The Miner’s House Trail will start from the replicated Miner’s house (situated
along the Huckleberry Trail) and up the hill to an actual archaeological site
of a miner’s house. It will also provide entrée into the mature pin oak
and hickory forest that holds the huckleberry plants after which the Huckleberry
Railroad was named. The Miner’s House Trail will pass this archaeological site,
and continue along the northern border of the park and meet up with the Bunker
Hill Trail and Scenic Overlook.
As mentioned before, it was suggested at the October 1999 community meetings
that any new park facilities or trails make an attempt to match or link with
the historic building sites or trails. The Miner’s House Trail will ascend the
south-facing slope near the replicated Miner’s House, following the original
driveway bed that led to the archaeological miner’s house site in historic times.
We strongly recommend that the Miner’s House Trail follow the path of the old
driveway in order to minimize disturbance to the archaeological landscape on
the north side of the Huckleberry Trail.
As the Miner’s House Trail leaves the Huckleberry Trail, the visitor is
immediately surrounded be the shaded forest. Plants and trees typical to this
disturbed landscape will be noted on the handout mentioned above (also see Chapter
6 for discussion of environmental education). The trail ascends along the existing
driveway of the former supervisor’s house. At the end of the driveway, the remains
of the supervisor’s house will be seen. Signs asking visitors to not disturb
the archaeological site will be present, along with a brush border placed during
trail development that will discourage entrance onto the archaeological foundation
itself. An additional means of discouraging excessive disturbance to the archaeological
site is to leave existing briars in those areas. The use of brush barriers is
a common technique used in many parks protecting Anasazi ruin sites in the western
United States. A brush barrier is constructed of brush, twigs, branches, and
briars intertwined and aligned in a circle around a site. It will discourage
exploration, while at the same time establish the "legal" barrier
to the site. Such a line is needed to reduce county liability concerns if a
visitor is injured in the "out of bounds" area of the site.
We recommend that the Miner’s House Trail be constructed at the
same time, and in the same manner, as the Bunker Hill Trail on the north side
of the park (during Phase Four). It is possible that an archaeological excavation
of the house site could be planned for Phase Three, directed by Radford University,
and to include community members paying for the excavation training and experience
through the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department. The Parks and
Recreation Department offers classes in numerous other skill, adventure, and
heritage related activities. In this particular class, Radford University staff
would be utilized as paid archaeological instructors to direct the event.
Huckleberry Trail
As described above, the existing Huckleberry Trail will be incorporated
into the park trail system as part of the Merrimac Loop Trail.
CONCLUSION
The Coal Mining Heritage Park embodies the identity of the region. The history
of coal mining, and the way of life that was born from it, runs rich in the
veins of the county’s landscape. The history carries with it the struggles and
celebrations of the lives of past, present, and now future residents. It is
a heritage to be proud of. It is an identity. In an era of rapid change, the
Coal Mining Heritage Park will allow residents to reflect on their shared cultural
identity: the "missing piece" in our ever-fragmented modern lives.
This will not achieved only through heritage interpretation. What our research
team has attempted to design into this park is this: a way that the community
interaction of the past may be reestablished today, by creating the family and
neighborly ties, for the future. As Montgomery County develops this park complex,
its actions will be seen as progressive, insightful, and looking far ahead into
the future. This park will create a meeting place, now, that will have a long-range
effect on the development of the entire area. As mentioned before, development
and preservation can go hand in hand. This park is an opportunity for
Montgomery County to think ahead and begin to nurture this polished jewel of
coal mining heritage and preserve it amidst the hard working engine of surrounding
economic growth and development.
In this chapter, we have discussed structures, pathways, surfaces, and underground
mine shafts. What is at the heart of all this park development, what led us
as consulting anthropologists to come up with these recommendations, is people:
past ancestors, present residents, future descendants. People. This park
has been designed from the start with people in mind. At the center of the greatest
laid plans must be the people for, and with whom, it is being planned. Any successful
park must meet the needs of the users who will spend time in it. In community
meetings, park visits, and class meetings with local residents, it was suggested
that any attempt to put up structures, signs, trails, or displays should answer
one requirement: recreating the sights, sounds, realities, struggles, wisdom,
and triumphs of mining history.
The Community Recreation Area described, in the first half of this chapter,
seeks to do just this. Placing the Museum/Visitors Center above the flood plain
on the northeastern edge of the parking area, allows visitors easy access from
the parking lot to the museum’s interpretive displays, coal mining life history
collections, video displays, and book collections that will detail the history
and richness of coal mining life. Visitors who only seek to venture this far
into the park will be able to easily access the Museum. Further into the park,
down on the open green flood plain, picnic pavilions will allow a place for
community and family events such as reunions, seasonal gatherings, and birthday
celebrations. The open space will allow room for children to play, or for visitors
to have frisbee tosses and football scrimmages. Further into the park, the Front
Porch Pavilion will house any number of cultural and seasonal events and festivals:
bluegrass jam sessions, coal mining storytelling, local guest lecturers on coal
mining or environment education, clogging workshops, and Thanksgiving or Christmas
celebrations to name only a few. The enclosed children’s playground is nearby,
where kids of all ages can play during events at the Front Porch Pavilion or
gatherings at the picnic pavilions. Everyone in the Community Recreation Area
will be linked to the Tipple Heritage Area and Heritage Bridge with either the
ADA accessible Merrimac Loop or the low impact Mule Trail.
The trail complex of high and low impact trails connects a wide variety of
visitors to many sites within the park. It was designed with the needs of several
different types of users in mind: Local residents, school groups, college students,
and elderly visitors seeking heritage interpretation, a quiet walk in the park,
a place to view nature, a place to picture the past, a rugged walk up the hillside
of Price’s Mountain, or a long, but easy, stroll around the entire park. The
planned trails use existing historic roadbeds and trails wherever possible.
Interpretive signs and park facilities allow education on archaeological sites,
historic events and life ways, geographic features, and environmental resources
whenever possible.
The Merrimac Coal Mining Heritage Park Community Recreation Area and trail
complex was designed using input from a wide range of people: from community
members, former miners, Huckleberry Trail users, local secondary school teachers
and administrators, Radford University students, Virginia Tech students, residents
of Warm Hearth, a representative of Friends of the Huckleberry, an archaeologist
from the Roanoke Regional Preservation Office, and parks and facilities management
personnel from Montgomery County.
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