Windsor State Forest - Windsor MA

State:: MA
Site Type:: Forestry and Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, Paths and Trails, Picnic and Other Facilities
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Started:: 1933
Completed:: 1938
Marked:: Yes
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

The Civilian Conservation Corps completed work at the Windsor State Forest in Windsor MA, between 1933 and 1938.

“Located deep in the rolling hills of the Berkshires, Windsor State Forest is known for its beauty. Visitors can experience the cascading waterfall at Windsor Jambs, and the Windsor Jambs Brook winds through a wide gorge with 80-foot granite walls.” (https://www.mass.gov/locations/windsor-state-forest)

“In 1933, CCC Camp SP-9 (Company 115) was established at Windsor State Forest. The first year was spent on building roads and on forestry work, as well as improvements at Windsor Jambs where a trail, parking lot and picnic area were constructed…. Other projects included foot trails, vista clearing and new recreation facilities near Windsor Jambs and at Cedar Brook. In 1935 a log dam with masonry piers was constructed at Steep Bank Brook across the Westfield River from the CCC camp to create a swimming area. The town road from the forest to Route 9 was improved including construction of a truss bridge over the Westfield River with a 45-foot span….” (https://ia800902.us.archive.org/10/items/civilianconserva00berg/civilianconserva00berg.pdf)

Source notes

Windsor State Forest (https://www.mass.gov/locations/windsor-state-forest)

The Civilian Conservation Corps, Shaping the Forests and Parks of Massachusetts, A Statewide Survey of Civilian Conservation Cops Resources
"Enclosed in this report is a complete inventory of those surviving buildings, landscapes, sites
and structures within the state Forests and Parks system which serve as a visible reminder of the
legacy of the CCC."
(https://ia800902.us.archive.org/10/items/civilianconserva00berg/civilianconserva00berg.pdf)

Days Gone By: Images of Windsor from The Eagle's Archives. (https://www.berkshireeagle.com/history/days-gone-by-windsor-mass/collection_30a3a52e-d883-11eb-aa3f-a7cb9c7fa83c.html#43)

Site originally submitted by Ken Black on January 22, 2023.