Driving Through Time - The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway
See Larger Image
About this Item
| Title | Brinegar Cabin before restoration |
| Date | November 1941 |
| Description | This photograph shows the Brinegar Cabin prior to any restoration done by the National Park Service. Taken by "KCM" in November 1941, at Milepost 238.5. |
| Commentary | The National Park Service acquired two tracts of land associated with Brinegar Cabin and the surrounding area in 1935 and 1937. By 1940, the National Park Service was interested in historical interpretation at the site. From this photograph, it is evident that the cabin would not be in acceptable shape to accommodate nor draw visitors for long. The National Park Service wanted to uphold Brinegar Cabin as a quintessential representation of mountain life prior to the Blue Ridge Parkway. However. this "mountain" way of life represented a past that society was moving away from. After a major restoration in 1975, a more accommodating cabin emerged for visitors. What was sacrificed, however, was historical accuracy. Many features of the cabin as well as the surrounding landscape looked different, and most of the interpretation at Brinegar Cabin involved weaving demonstrations and costumed interpreters. |
| Location |
Location Name: Brinegar Cabin Parkway Milepost: 238.0
Latitude: 36.4187411
Longitude: -81.1456417 |
| Creator Individual | Kenneth McCarter |
| Creator Organization | National Park Service—Blue Ridge Parkway |
| Tags |
Alleghany County (N.C.)
Brinegar Cabin (N.C.) Brinegar, Martin and Caroline Cabins Doughton Park (N.C.) Housing Photographs Tourism |
| Credit | Courtesy National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway |
