Guarding the Past

Guarding the Past. Shenandoah National Park. , “In the end, the character of a civilization is encased in its structures.” Frank Gehry, architect, Historic preservation honors and saves our past. Preservation, both natural and cultural, is a mission and mandate of the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS is obligated to preserve, restore, rehabilitate, and reconstruct the objects that link us to bygone times and our heritage – furnishings, buildings, even guardrails., When Skyline Drive was built in the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed barriers at the edges of the road and overlooks. Here at Franklin Cliffs, CCC workers laid a log guardrail. Because it had rotted, the log guardrail was removed in the 1950s. In 2009, as part of a historic preservation project for Skyline Drive, log guardrails were rebuilt along 11 miles of the scenic highway, including here at Franklin Cliffs Overlook., < Sidebar : > , Changing Guards , Architects used various materials, including stone walls and log guardrails, to protect motorists from Skyline Drive’s steep slopes. Original log guardrails were made from the wood of the American chestnut tree., Franklin Cliffs Overlook had no safety barrier after the original guardrail was removed in the 1950s. In 2009 the log guardrail was rebuilt to adhere to current safety standards and to recapture the original 1930s look.