In late 1935, a crew of young workmen with the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived on the banks of the St. Croix River at Interstate Park, Wisconsin. They were part of a massive government effort during the Great Depression to help the poor, protect natural resources, and develop recreation facilities across the United States.

At Interstate, CCC Company 663 got right to work. Like most such crews, they first focused on building trails and roads, then undertook other projects like bathhouses and other buildings.

In 1938, the CCC built a shelter on the Horizon Rock Trail in the park. They quarried stone from elsewhere in the park, and put on a roof of pine logs and cedar shake shingles. The structure embodied the rustic materials and handcrafted features that made the CCC’s work at parks around the country iconic and immediately identifiable.

CCC Camp Interstate closed in 1940 and the Horizon Rock shelter served for the next 80 years, offering shelter for hikers, a venue for weddings, a favorite picnic spot, and a place to simply admire a beautiful view. Then, in July 2021, the shelter caught fire (the cause was never determined). The thick stone walls survived, but the wood roof was destroyed.

This summer, as Wisconsin Interstate Park turned 125-years-old, a crew of local builders brought the shelter back to its original form. Thanks to a $40,000 gift from the Friends of Interstate Park, along with insurance and state funding, the structure was repaired and a new roof was constructed by Lift Bridge Builders of Houlton. The goal, says Lift Bridge’s owner Rick Vezina, “was to rebuild it as close as possible to the original specifications and details.”

Vezina said it was interesting how the CCC crew was able to use very large pieces of the hard basalt found in the park. Using relatively primitive methods, the workers cut the stone and made smooth masonry joints. They also paid attention to details like tapered stone around the entrance and arched stone over the fireplace.

Following specifications from engineers with the Department of Natural Resources, Lift Bridge’s stonemason cleaned and tuck-pointed mortar that had been damaged by the fire. They also obtained red pine logs for the roof structure, cut in northern Wisconsin, hand peeled and then ripped along one edge.

The roof’s pine decking was put together using tongue and groove technique, the cedar shake roof shingles were split by hand. The flashing is galvanized metal flashing and copper counter flashing around the stone chimney. They also repaired the clay chimney liner and added one new item: a chimney cap, to keep sparks from flying out and potentially starting a fire.

The crew is still putting the finishing touches on the project. They’re working with a local sawmill to get 16-inch wide white pine boards for interior benches, and replacing the brick in the fireplace.

“It is a simple structure, with a beautiful elegance,” Vezina says. He adds that it would be “cost-prohibitive” to build today. This investment by federal workers in the 1930s will continue to serve park visitors far into the future with its new roof and restored stonework.