Civilian Conservation Corps Cabin Preservation
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President Roosevelt initiated the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a public works relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men as a way to address the poverty of the Great Depression. The project obtained land between Richmond VA and Petersburg VA as a way of opening up the outdoors to people of all social and economic backgrounds, making the outdoors no longer an exclusively rich man's domain.
These young men built over 100 structures in what is now Pocahontas State Park. Most of the structures were group cabin areas. The idea was to enable youth-focused organizations (e.g. church, Scouts, YMCA, etc) to bring their groups to camp outdoors. This would allow them to gain an appreciation for our environment and develop life long skills. |
This vision survived the decades since the 1930’s, as many youth groups continue to use these cabins as a key component of their programs. Many fine adults have camped in these cabins and have fond memories of the experience. These buildings are now part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Given the constant use of these cabins over the intervening decades and the park’s limited maintenance staff, several of them fell into disrepair. The Cabin Work Week project was launched in 2018 with a mission to stabilize these buildings so that today's youth and future generations could have the same experience. For the next 7 years, an annual Cabin Work Week (actually 2 weeks) was held to continue the work to stabilize the 6 Group Cabin sites that had survived. The project work was completed in 2025, and each project year was captured in a video. (See playlist below.)
Given the constant use of these cabins over the intervening decades and the park’s limited maintenance staff, several of them fell into disrepair. The Cabin Work Week project was launched in 2018 with a mission to stabilize these buildings so that today's youth and future generations could have the same experience. For the next 7 years, an annual Cabin Work Week (actually 2 weeks) was held to continue the work to stabilize the 6 Group Cabin sites that had survived. The project work was completed in 2025, and each project year was captured in a video. (See playlist below.)
Youth groups use these cabins as an important part of their program today just as they have since the 1930's. With the efforts of volunteers and generous donations, the project helped stabilize them so that they can continue to help youth gain an appreciation of the outdoors for another 80+ years.
