Mesker Park Shelter House – Evansville IN

Description

Center was expressed breezeway with wide openings on E and W side. Hewn wall plate forms lintel, surround and sill of 10″ timber pegged together, breezeway openings have wood brackets. W of bldg, brick cove lime with firebrick inside, faux stone succo outside, large grill inside of iron bars, tall chimney in rear, pier holding up gable roof in front. Facility built on small leveled plain on hillside, on S and E side, there is a retaining wall of limestone cobbles on the hillside, this shelter house and oven appears to have been built by 2 “negro” Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) companies, company # 1565, a group of WWI veterans and Junior company #539, a company of African American youth, in 1936. These companies had barracks on the far east side of the park.