Cooperating for the Community's Good

Cooperating for the Community's Good. . During the Great Depression, low-income South Carolinians suffered greatly. To provide paying jobs and affordable recreation, President Roosevelt established various programs, some of which built new parks. At Kings Mountain State Park, work was done by men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) along with dozens of local workers hired under the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act. Between 1936 and 1942, these local men built this bathhouse and many other structures in the park., The construction features local stone and timber. These materials were inexpensive and easy to get, and they contributed to "parkitecture," a style that complements natural surroundings., (captions) , Workers with the CCC and the other jobs-creation programs offered the country long-term benefits: reforestation, erosion control, parks, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges., In addition to the actual building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this bathhouse was thoughtfully landscaped to emphasize native plants. As indicated by the arrows on this 1939 plan drawing, attention was also paid to scenic vistas of the lake., Kings Mountain is one of only 46 Recreational Demonstration Areas (RDAs) in the entire USA. Among the many projects launched to lift America out of the Depression. RDAs were designed to transform worn-out farmland into recreational facilities to benefit low-income individuals and communities.