On Saturday, June 25, the Park is inviting former summer residents, land owners, and tenants of the Elkmont area. During this period, students from Western Kentucky University, working cooperatively with the national park, will be at the Appalachian Clubhouse to conduct oral interviews of those individuals who wish to do so. The goal is to capture stories of Elkmont’s golden years as a vibrant resort community. Park officials are also asking them to bring personal photos or mementos to show and have scanned for inclusion in the Park archives. This information will be used to help the Park develop interpretative materials as part of the Park’s management plans for interpreting the history of the structures which are being permanently preserved to tell about the Elkmont Historic District.On Sunday, June 26, the day’s focus is for the general public who will have an opportunity to visit the Appalachian Clubhouse and to attend one of scheduled short interpretative walking tours at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the history of Elkmont and future plans for the area. The clubhouse has been restored by the Park’s Historic Preservation Crew to its original appearance in the 1930s. Now available for public day use rental, it was formerly used for social gatherings by tenants and guests of the Appalachian Club whose members, mostly from Knoxville, built rustic cabins nearby to serve as weekend or summer retreats in the years before the Park was created.
Parking is limited at the Appalachian Clubhouse with only 19 spaces. There are several parking areas located in the Elkmont area at the Little River Trailhead and the Jakes Creek Trailhead, within a 1/4-1/2 mile walking distance of the clubhouse.
Jeff
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