Elkmont buildings including the Spence Cabin are being stabilized and renovated as part of the National Park Service’s plan to make a museum community. Park Service worker Jay Townes works Tuesday on renovation of the Spence Cabin. It will be available this summer for day use.MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Great Smoky Mountains National Park continually looks to the past for guidance on maintaining and preserving its historic structures – many from the 1800s – into the future.
“There are almost a hundred historic structures in the park,” said park spokeswoman Molly Schroer. “We have a very small crew considering the large amount of work that goes into the maintenance and upkeep of these special areas.”
The park holds many buildings from years past — gristmills, schools, churches, outbuildings, barns, houses — that must be preserved or rehabilitated. It takes specialized knowledge, Chief of Maintenance Alan Sumeriski said.
“We have seasoned craftsmen here,” he said. “They have been doing this work for years. We have a small crew. They use a variety of hand tools. Not many power tools in their business.”
Randy Hatten, program manager for historic structures and preservation, manages the historic preservation shop. The park also employs a cultural resource specialist to guide all the evaluation that goes into a design plan. There is research into the date of the structure and to understand construction methods and materials. For example, the park will send a sample of paint to a laboratory for analysis to determine the original color of a building.