| Meramec State Park | |
|---|---|
 A stalactiflat in Fisher Cave | |
  Location in MissouriShow map of Missouri Meramec State Park (the United States)Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Franklin, Crawford, and Washington counties, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°13′00″N 91°04′40″W / 38.21667°N 91.07778°W / 38.21667; -91.07778 |
| Area | 6,896.33 acres (2,790.85 ha) |
| Elevation | 571 ft (174 m) |
| Established | 1927 |
| Administered by | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Visitors | 369,762 (in 2023) |
| Website | Official website  |
| Meramec State Park Lookout House/Observation Tower | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Nearest city | Sullivan, Missouri |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1934 (1934) |
| Built by | CCC; NPS |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000530 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1985 |
| Meramec State Park Pump House | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Nearest city | Sullivan, Missouri |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1934 (1934) |
| Built by | CCC; NPS |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000531 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1985 |
| Meramec State Park Shelter House | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Nearest city | Sullivan, Missouri |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1935 (1935) |
| Built by | CCC; NPS |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000532 |
| Added to NRHP | February 26, 1985 |
| Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. Historic district | |
| Nearest city | Sullivan, Missouri |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built by | National Park Service |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001772 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1991 |
Meramec State Park is a public recreation area located near Sullivan, Missouri, about 60 miles from St. Louis, along the Meramec River. The park has diverse ecosystems such as hardwood forests and glades. There are over 40 caves located throughout the park, the bedrock is dolomite. The most famous is Fisher Cave, located near the campgrounds. The park borders the Meramec Conservation Area.
History
The park was acquired by the state in 1927, then saw active development by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1935. At that time, trails were laid out and numerous buildings constructed including a dining hall, recreation hall, concession building, and shelters.
In the late 1970s, as part of the Meramec Basin Project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on a dam in the park to impound the river. The resulting reservoir would have permanently flooded much of the park and imperiled many different species, including the endangered Indiana bat. However, in response to direct citizen action against the dam, the project was halted, marking a victory for the environmental movement.
Historic sites
Three surviving CCC-era structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985:
- Meramec State Park Lookout House/Observation Tower: The rustic-style stone and trussed timber octagonal lookout tower was built about 1934.
- Meramec State Park Pump House: The rustic-style stone pump house (well house) on the Lodge Trail has a medium-pitched front-gable roof with small cupola. It was built in 1934.
- Meramec State Park Shelter House: The rustic-style shelter house on the Lodge Trail measures 12 feet by 16 feet and has a hipped roof supported by heavy wooden posts and brackets. It was built in 1935.
In 1991, the Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District was also added to the list. The historic district encompasses four contributing buildings, three contributing structures, and one contributing object. They include the picnic shelter, stone restrooms, water fountain, pump house, and stone steps.
The bottom southeast corner of the park includes the old Hamilton Ironworks, after which the Ozarks fiddle tune "Hamilton Ironworks" is named. The Hamilton Iron Works Trail has interpretive signage about the history the blast furnace that once operated "around the clock, seven days a week."
Activities and amenities
In addition to cave tours, the park offers hiking trails, fishing, swimming and boating on the Meramec River, and a campground. The visitor center houses an exhibit hall with a video presentation and information about the history and ecology of the area.
References
- ^ "Meramec Park Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Data Sheet: Meramec State Park" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
- "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- "Meramec State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. December 10, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ^ Denny, James M.; Wright, Bonita Marie (November 7, 1984). "Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Architecture in Missouri State Parks, 1933-1942, Thematic Resources" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. Missouri Department of Natural Resources (includes photographs). p. 322–338. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- Watkins, Connor (2006). "The Meramec Basin Project: A Look Back 25 Years Later". Conor Watkins' Ozark Mountain Experience. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- Bonnie Stepenoff (June 1991). "Meramec State Park Beach Area Historic District" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016. (includes 8 photographs from 1991)
- Lohraff, Kevin (2009). Hiking Missouri. Human Kinetics. p. 139. ISBN 9780736075886.
- Beisswenger, Drew; McCann, Gordon (2008). Ozarks Fiddle Music. Mel Bay Publications. p. 186. ISBN 9780786677306.
Cecil learned "Hamilton Ironworks" from Gene, who learned it in the 1950s from Roy Wooliver.
- "Hamilton Iron Works Trail" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
- "Visitor Center at Meramec State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. February 10, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
External links
- Meramec State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Meramec State Park Map Missouri Department of Natural Resources
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Missouri | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lists by county |
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| Other lists | ||
- State parks of Missouri
- Civilian Conservation Corps in Missouri
- Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
- Protected areas of Franklin County, Missouri
- Protected areas of Crawford County, Missouri
- Protected areas of Washington County, Missouri
- Protected areas established in 1927
- 1927 establishments in Missouri
- Caves of Missouri
- Show caves in the United States
- Landforms of Franklin County, Missouri
- Landforms of Crawford County, Missouri
- Landforms of Washington County, Missouri
- Observation towers on the National Register of Historic Places
- National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places in Crawford County, Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Missouri
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
- Tourist attractions in St. Louis