Chronological History

Chronological History 1909 •

1932 •

1933 •

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1934 •

The Forgotten Colonel Joseph Hyde Pratt o Head of North Carolina Geological Survey o 1909-“envisioned a recreational road on top of the mountains” o Called it “Crest of the Blue Ridge Highway o Had short section built near Altapass, NC; WWI halted construction Herbert Hoover o Rapidan Camp in the Shenandoah National Park o Wanted to build a road so all people could venture up into the mountains o Set aside funds in 1932 FDR comes into office o The “New Deal” public works projects o Created the CCC • Men ages 18-25 • From surrounding areas, into mountains to work o CCC begins construction on Skyline Drive in 1933 • Uses already in place dirt roads • As well as scouted out route for Appalachian Trail o FDR visits Skyline Drive construction • Is proposed a route linking Smokies and Shenandoah • Planning/landscape design begin Dec. 26, 1933 Stanley W. Abbott o Acting Superintendent and Resident Landscape Architect • Cornell Grad • Influenced by Frederick Law Olmstead • NY Central Park, Biltmore Surroundings • Worked with Westchester County Parks program o Wanted to create park-like environment to showcase: • Panoramic views, agriculture, streams and forests, and local folkways • Avoided monotonous ridgeline parkway Planning a route o VA vs. NC vs. TN  All wanted some share of the road • Provided employment opportunities • Potential for strong future income  Gilmore D. Clarke (Westchester) and Abbott • Evaluate all possible routes

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Considered factors: o Movement/direction of traffic o Scenic character o Recreational advantages o Economic influences  Sect of Interior Harold Ickes • Chooses VA/NC • Resentment from TN o Landscape Architects  Thomas C. Vint • Chief Architect, Branch of Plans and Design  Major Gilmore D. Clarke: consulting landscape architect  Resident landscape architect: Stanley Abbott • Others: Edward H. Abbuehl and H.E. van Gelder were assistant landscape architects  Scouts: H.E. Van Gelger • Would search for best possible route • DIVERSITY pg. 18 o Joint Effort  VA, NC, and Fed. Gov’t work together • States have to purchase land “right of way” for parkway • Feds assign Park Service and Bureau of Pub Roads o Would provide money for construction 1935-1942 o Construction begins September 1935 pg. 33 o Four CCC camps established o Parkway built in non contiguous sections o Priority given to areas most in need o Bridges and Tunnels  Most work done by hand  Modern materials, concrete  Stone work shell  “slope reduction” o Landscape work  Try to blend parkway in to woods pg. 20, 25  Careful selection of tree cutting, etc. o June 30, 1936 placed in National Park jurisdiction o CCC closed in 1942, most men go off to fight o Abbott goes to fight Post War o Parkway becomes a Mission 66 project o Came with recreation center plans  18 developed, 200 acres to 6,000 acres

o Linn Cove Viaduct o Grandfather Mtn.  Completed 1987  1,243’, 153 separate precast segments, double “S” Parkway Today o 92,517 acres o 19,825,000 visitors in 2003 o $13,452,000 budget for 2003