The Iron Springs Recreation Area is a roadside picnic area on Arkansas Highway 7, north of Jessieville in the Ouachita National Forest. The area has three shelters for picnicking, vault toilets, and an accessible trail for viewing the springs in the area. The facilities were largely built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, with two shelters and the nearby dam listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Iron Springs Shelter No. 1 | |
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| Nearest city | Jessieville, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°45′41″N 93°4′9″W / 34.76139°N 93.06917°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1933 |
| Built by | Civilian Conservation Corps |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | Facilities Constructed by the CCC in Arkansas MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001091[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 20, 1993 |
Setting and history
editThe Iron Springs picnic area is set on the west side of Arkansas Highway 7, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Jessieville, between the road and the Middle Fork Saline River. The river is impounded by a low fieldstone dam, built by the CCC in 1933, which features alternating chutes and steps, and impounds enough water to form a modest swimming hole.[2]
The picnic area includes three covered shelters, two of which were built by the CCC in 1933. The first is about 24 by 14 feet (7.3 m × 4.3 m), built with open log construction and topped by a gable roof. The north and south sides of the shelter have log balustrades, while the other two sides are open; a picnic table is set under the shelter.[3] The second is more square in shape, with a pyramidal roof, but also has balustrades on the north and south sides.[4]
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CCC dam at Iron Springs, 2014 -
Trail up the mountain, 2014 -
Picnic area, 2014 -
Iron Springs Shelter No. 1, 2016 -
Iron Springs Shelter No. 2, 2016
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Iron Springs Dam". Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Iron Springs Shelter #1". Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Iron Springs Shelter #2". Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved October 10, 2015.