Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin – Big Stone Gap VA

Description

In 1938, the Bullitt Park municipal park was founded along with the building of a log cabin by the National Youth Administration (NYA). The building was a collaboration of the Richmond District Girl Scouts and the NYA boys, and was used for the training of NYA girls. The Girl Scout cost was $1000 and was raised by donations. The building cost was $3800. Many locally and nationally known citizens were contributors to the cabin, including VA governor, Lynwood Holton’s mother, A.L. Holton, and grandmother of Mrs.Tim Kaine; author, John Fox, Jr.; Congressman C. Bascom Slemp; and outdoor drama “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” founder Clara Lou Kelly. The cabin is on The National Register of Historic Places and has currently been used for community gatherings.

Note: The author of this submission compiled this information from newspaper research and personal conversations with former girl scouts and other individuals associated with the cabin. The author was prompted to write this submission by the fact that the town planned to tear down the cabin to build an assisted living facility in the park. “Concerned citizens took the town to court to prove the land was designated for recreational use. After citizen’s won the suit, we worked to get it on the National Register of Historic Places with the help of the VA DHR.”