Coos Forest Protective Association Compound (State Forestry Complex) – Coos Bay OR

Description

In 1937, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees constructed four buildings to serve the Oregon Forestry Department and its work in nearby forests. The buildings associated with the State Forestry Complex, as it was known at the time, included a warehouse building, a crew quarters building, a gas house and a residence.

As is the case with other structures built by CCC workers, the buildings are simple wood structures with limited decoration. The cedar lap siding and board and batten gables provide some texture and definition. Only the “pine tree” logo cutout provides ornamentation. The pine tree became a symbol of CCC construction just as it is associated with US Forest Service buildings nationally as well.

Few changes have been made to the four wood-frame structures except for the replacement of their shake roofs and single pain glass windows. The residence is currently a private home. The renaming of the complex emphasizes the use of the facility by a private, non-profit corporation that provides fire protection to its corporate members and others approved by the State Forester. The compound also houses the State of Oregon Forestry Department’s Coos Bay administrative offices.