HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Idaho State Parks & Recreation
Preserving historical structures is a delicate balance of honoring the past while ensuring safety and functionality for the future. Tamarack Grove Engineering (TGE) has undertaken this challenge across several of Idaho’s state parks, providing meticulous evaluations and innovative solutions for historical preservation. Historic preservation must be conducted in a methodical and consistent approach and TGE performed the painstaking process of evaluating physical conditions as well as the quality of materials and possibility of reuse or salvage. Each parks’ historical structures were markedly different in regard to the preservation required and the condition of each building.
CHALLENGE
Efforts at preserving our storied past in our state’s park system illustrate the significance and complexity of these challenging projects. Challenges encountered on three preservation projects for Eagle Island State Park, Harriman State Park, and Bayhorse Ghost Town and Trail System include:
› Current condition of existing structures: level of deterioriation, materials used, and construction methods
› Area topography
› Accessibility
› Federal funding and budget constraints
SOLUTION
The varying degrees of deterioration came into play at Eagle Island State Park, a former prison farm. The prison dorm had a partially collapsed roof and insufficient lateral support. TGE designed cross-bracing to preserve the walls while ensuring the building’s stability. Visitors can now view the unique and historically significant construction techniques employed by prison labor in 1949. Another equally important historical evaluation project was the former cattle ranch now known as Harriman State Park located in a remote area with heavy snowfall limiting access. To connect the TGE team with contractors and historical preservation architects located throughout the state TGE established extensive communication protocols while conducting comprehensive surveys on 33 structures.
The Bayhorse Ghost Town and Trail System, located in a mining ghost town and listed on the Historic Registry in 1977, has been
TEAM MEMBERS
abandoned for 100 years. The site is inaccessible during peak snow periods and the aging timber constructions have suffered from severe weather conditions. TGE identified three buildings deemed worthy of preservation, determining reuse or salvageability of materials and establishing if removal might cause further damage to structures. At every step along the way, TGE respected the historic record told by each building with every material removed or dismantled being meticulously numbered, logged, and assessed. Per historic guidelines, the team maintained the required percentage of original materials maintaining historical integrity.
TGE’s projects in Idaho’s state parks exemplifies the challenges and rewards of historical preservation. Through meticulous evaluation and innovative solutions, they ensure these significant structures are preserved for future generations while balancing modern safety and accessibility requirements.
For more information on Tamarack Grove’s work on historic structures, please contact Doug Hardin, PE and Will Workman, PE and visit our website at tamarackgrove.com