Several parks across Pennsylvania are getting some much-needed improvements as Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects works with the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
If you find Architect Bruce Johnson working in the middle of the woods, without a building in sight, what could he possibly be doing there? It’s a good question, Johnson says, chuckling. While most people correlate Architecture with historic preservation or towering city structures, the design expertise of an Architect can also be of value when it comes to Pennsylvania State Parks.
“I think the key is that Architects have a vast knowledge in dealing with a wide range of disciplines,” Johnson says. “An Architect can design a beautiful building, but an Architect also orchestrates a lot of other elements to create a cohesive project.”
That range of expertise is giving Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects a chance to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to make improvements to State Parks as far as Ryerson Station in Green County to Gifford Pinchot in M&D’s hometown of York County.
Those improvements are coming at a time when more and more people are turning to nature for recreation and relaxation.
Restoring natural features
Nestled into the southwest corner of the state, Ryerson Station State Park is primarily known for a dam that failed about a decade ago. With the feature of the park’s lake no longer there, DCNR has been working hard to bring the park back to its glory.
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects was brought onboard to help with stream restorations at the park. Johnson has been working alongside experts in civil engineering and geomorphic specialties who can help restore the stream and its natural habitat. Years of mining on the property mean the ground has dropped in places where there is no longer support underneath it. In some places, where the ground drops under a stream, it impacts waterflow.
The end result will mean restored streams for kayaking and a new pond stocked and ready for fishing. Other amenities will also be added to complement the existing swimming pool at the park, including picnic areas, new restrooms, kayak launches, and playgrounds.
‘Functional yet beautiful’
Visitors are drawn to Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County for its beautiful waterfalls. When PennDOT started to realign a road in the area, they added an underpass for kayakers to access the waterway. That meant demolishing a 1970s boaters change house and rebuilding a new one nearby.
The changing areas in the new building open to the sky with walls around it, and the space includes an enclosed restroom and shower house behind that. It’s a basic enclosure to get in and out of wet suits, but that simplicity allowed for some interesting design elements.
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“We didn’t let that simple task of creating these functional spaces define the project,” says Patrick Ness, Associate at M&D. “We could have very easily just given them a restroom. But we ended up with a rigorous design process and finding the best way to arrange the spaces, so they were functional yet beautiful in that simplicity.”
The design of the Change House showcases two wings of the building that shift apart from each other, allowing one of the restrooms to be outside of the building and the others inside of it. This was important so the Park could have one restroom operable year-round. An interior lobby allows the interior restroom space to be sealed off, so the Park can control how the spaces is heated or cooled.
Preserving history
Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County also needed a hand with bringing older structures back to life. The Park was created by the Civil Conservation Corps, which employed unmarried men during the Great Depression. The workers were dropped off at the site and paid to build cabins, dining halls, a washhouse, and other features. They built 260 buildings in eight camps throughout the site, mostly using hand tools so they could employ more people, Johnson says.
M&D’s primary task is to preserve and restore three dining halls by renovating the kitchen, reroofing the structures, and doing some exterior work with siding and windows. At least one of the camp buildings, which was built on pier footing posts that have rotted and settled into the ground, will involve a house mover to jack up the structure and build a new foundation.
“It’s definitely unique from other projects in our office,” says Architect Rebecca McCormick. “A lot of it is understanding the history of the buildings and the Park in general. There are some things we need to consider, such as adding down spouting and a metal roof, which were never part of the initial design of the structures, but also trying to honor the history and natural materials of these structures.”
Repairing, replacing, and refreshing
Susquehannock State Park in Lancaster County is where visitors will find the home of James B. Long, who was one of the last manufacturers of the Drumore Sickle. The 1850 stone house was used to harvest grain. While the home is not open for tours, DCNR wanted to do what it could to preserve the building until it can restore it at a later time.
The work will include repairs to the slate roof, support to a limestone wall that has started to sag, and replacing the wood enclosures on the windows.
Not far from Susquehannock is Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County. Here, Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects will work to refresh several identical washhouses built in 1976. Four of those will be brought up to ADA accessibility standards, including provision of accessibility parking nearby.
“Each of these parks have a unique need because they offer something unique to the people who visit them,” Johnson says. “I’ve always believed that State Parks provide immense value to our livelihoods. We’ve seen that now more than ever. I’m excited to see our work contribute to the visitors who visit these parks.”
The memorial’s groundbreaking took place in June, and the dedication is set to take place on November 11, 2024, or Veterans Day.