Last updated: July 19, 2024
Place
Coolidge State Park
Photograph courtesy of Vermont State Parks
Quick Facts
Location:
855 Coolidge State Park Rd, Plymouth, Vermont
Significance:
Entertainment/Recreation, Landscape architecture, Architecture, Conservation, Social History
Designation:
Listed in the National Register – Reference Number 02000281
MANAGED BY:
Coolidge State Park is located in Plymouth, Vermont. The park is named after the 30th president of the United States who was born and sworn into office in the village of Plymouth Notch. Constructed from 1933 through 1941, Coolidge State Park was the third of 21 state parks established by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in Vermont.
Coolidge State Park encompasses the wooded hills to the east and west of Vermont Route 100A in Pinney Hollow, a notch in the northern section of Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont. Agriculture and timber harvesting dominate the region’s economy into the early twentieth century. Much of the land comprising Coolidge State Park was once cleared and tilled farmland and pasture.
By the late nineteenth century, agriculture was declining in Plymouth and across Vermont as farmers sought more fertile lands in the western United States. Much of the state’s forested land was purchased by pulpwood companies who sold the land after clearcutting. Massive deforestation and the resulting erosion was a growing concern, spurring the State of Vermont to begin purchasing and reforesting land, and establishing State forests. In 1925, the state purchased three hundred acres of land in Pinney Hollow and established the Calvin Coolidge State Forest. Perry Merrill, then Deputy Commissioner of Forestry, believed the land in Pinney Hollow would make an excellent park because of its close proximity to the Calvin Coolidge Homestead, a popular tourist destination since Coolidge was sworn into office in 1923. The state continued to purchase land in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. By 1932 Coolidge State Forest encompassed 4,427 acres and the State Forest Service had planted over 100,000 pine and spruce trees. When the CCC was formed in 1933, Merrill was the State Commissioner of Forestry and his plans for Coolidge State Park were put into action.
Coolidge State Park was built by the young men of the CCC’s 145th Company from Rhode Island. The Coolidge Forest CCC Camp, S-52, was located in the Pinney Hollow block and served as the base of operations for over five hundred CCC workers from June 9,1933 to December 14,1941. Although there is no sign of the barracks that once housed the workers, a forester’s house and three storage buildings constructed by the CCC remain at the site.
The CCC accomplished a number of conservation measures within Coolidge State Forest, including the reforestation of depleted woodlands, removal of dead and diseased trees, protecting trees from blister rust (a type of disease), and gypsy moth control. The stands of trees -including Norway spruce, white spruce, red spruce and red pine - over most of Coolidge State Park were planted by the CCC. In addition, the CCC constructed designated hiking trails, roadways and picnic areas that helped protect the area’s natural resources from the impact of park visitors.
Coolidge State Park was built to serve as a recreation destination for tourists. It represents the nationwide enthusiasm for outdoor recreation that began in the late nineteenth century. During the 1890s, the State of Vermont embarked on a vigorous campaign to promote tourism. These efforts led many visitors to the Plymouth area to enjoy the peace and quiet of rural New England. The ascendence of Calvin Coolidge to the Presidency on August 3, 1923 led to a boom in tourism to Plymouth Notch, as visitors flocked to see the site where Coolidge took the oath of office. The popularity of motor touring in Vermont was accompanied by a growing demand for short-term accommodations, less expensive travel, and opportunities to recreate in natural areas. Coolidge State Park, like other state parks in Vermont and across the nation, was designed to meet the demands of the new generation of travelers.
The CCC built a number of day-use recreation areas to enhance the visitor’s outdoor experience at Coolidge State Park. The remnants of a swimming hole are still visible across from the park’s main entrance, and hiking trails meander through the park and around the summit of Slack Hill, with clearings for scenic vistas along the way. A picnic area at the top of Bradley Hill- complete with a picnic shelter, fireplaces, firewood shelters, a playground, and footpaths – was constructed to provide conveniences to visitors while also enabling them to enjoy a western view to the Green Mountains.
Today, Coolidge State Park remains a well-preserved resource and a fine representation of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Vermont. Over the years, campsites have been added to accommodate more visitors, improved water services have been added to enhance the visitor’s experience, and the forest has matured and filled in some areas that were once open space. The park is open daily to the public.
Coolidge State Park encompasses the wooded hills to the east and west of Vermont Route 100A in Pinney Hollow, a notch in the northern section of Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont. Agriculture and timber harvesting dominate the region’s economy into the early twentieth century. Much of the land comprising Coolidge State Park was once cleared and tilled farmland and pasture.
By the late nineteenth century, agriculture was declining in Plymouth and across Vermont as farmers sought more fertile lands in the western United States. Much of the state’s forested land was purchased by pulpwood companies who sold the land after clearcutting. Massive deforestation and the resulting erosion was a growing concern, spurring the State of Vermont to begin purchasing and reforesting land, and establishing State forests. In 1925, the state purchased three hundred acres of land in Pinney Hollow and established the Calvin Coolidge State Forest. Perry Merrill, then Deputy Commissioner of Forestry, believed the land in Pinney Hollow would make an excellent park because of its close proximity to the Calvin Coolidge Homestead, a popular tourist destination since Coolidge was sworn into office in 1923. The state continued to purchase land in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. By 1932 Coolidge State Forest encompassed 4,427 acres and the State Forest Service had planted over 100,000 pine and spruce trees. When the CCC was formed in 1933, Merrill was the State Commissioner of Forestry and his plans for Coolidge State Park were put into action.
Coolidge State Park was built by the young men of the CCC’s 145th Company from Rhode Island. The Coolidge Forest CCC Camp, S-52, was located in the Pinney Hollow block and served as the base of operations for over five hundred CCC workers from June 9,1933 to December 14,1941. Although there is no sign of the barracks that once housed the workers, a forester’s house and three storage buildings constructed by the CCC remain at the site.
The CCC accomplished a number of conservation measures within Coolidge State Forest, including the reforestation of depleted woodlands, removal of dead and diseased trees, protecting trees from blister rust (a type of disease), and gypsy moth control. The stands of trees -including Norway spruce, white spruce, red spruce and red pine - over most of Coolidge State Park were planted by the CCC. In addition, the CCC constructed designated hiking trails, roadways and picnic areas that helped protect the area’s natural resources from the impact of park visitors.
Coolidge State Park was built to serve as a recreation destination for tourists. It represents the nationwide enthusiasm for outdoor recreation that began in the late nineteenth century. During the 1890s, the State of Vermont embarked on a vigorous campaign to promote tourism. These efforts led many visitors to the Plymouth area to enjoy the peace and quiet of rural New England. The ascendence of Calvin Coolidge to the Presidency on August 3, 1923 led to a boom in tourism to Plymouth Notch, as visitors flocked to see the site where Coolidge took the oath of office. The popularity of motor touring in Vermont was accompanied by a growing demand for short-term accommodations, less expensive travel, and opportunities to recreate in natural areas. Coolidge State Park, like other state parks in Vermont and across the nation, was designed to meet the demands of the new generation of travelers.
The CCC built a number of day-use recreation areas to enhance the visitor’s outdoor experience at Coolidge State Park. The remnants of a swimming hole are still visible across from the park’s main entrance, and hiking trails meander through the park and around the summit of Slack Hill, with clearings for scenic vistas along the way. A picnic area at the top of Bradley Hill- complete with a picnic shelter, fireplaces, firewood shelters, a playground, and footpaths – was constructed to provide conveniences to visitors while also enabling them to enjoy a western view to the Green Mountains.
Today, Coolidge State Park remains a well-preserved resource and a fine representation of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Vermont. Over the years, campsites have been added to accommodate more visitors, improved water services have been added to enhance the visitor’s experience, and the forest has matured and filled in some areas that were once open space. The park is open daily to the public.