Iron Springs Dam and Shelters – Jessieville AR

Description

“The Iron Springs Dam was constructed circa 1933 by members of the 3767th Company of the Arkansas CCC District stationed at the Hollis and Jessieville Camps, both of which were also located on State Highway 7, to the north and south of the Iron Springs Roadside Park, respectively.  It was constructed as part of a small, public recreational complex within the Ouachita National Forest (ONF) as a result of the CCC’s emphasis upon recreational construction.  The extant historic structures within this complex include only this dam and two shelters (nominated separately), all of which allowed the area to function purely as a swimming and picnicking facility, as it continues to do today.  As such, the Iron Springs Dam remains significant through its associations with the contributions to American social history made by the Civilian Conservation Corps, its associations with the emphasis upon outdoor recreation that guided such construction, and its status as an excellent example of CCC recreational architecture in an excellent state of preservation.”