Kentucky Camp Restoration - Preservation 50

During the week of November 7, 2016, a diverse group of Forest Service employees and volunteers worked together to continue preservation efforts at Kentucky camp. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1904 as the headquarters of a mining operation in the Santa Rita Mountains, southeast of Tucson. The adobe buildings have been rehabilitated by the Coronado National Forest; one small residence is now part of the “Rooms With a View” Arizona Cabin Rental Program.

One of the week’s primary tasks was to better seal the cabin from entry by snakes, rodents, and other wildlife. Volunteers worked to plug gaps around the door and window frames with adobe mud; they also used a copper mesh in spaces between the floors and baseboards.

Another task was to complete replacement of worn and cracked shingles on the roof of the Headquarters Building. Although shingles on the main roof and portions of the porch were replaced in 2009 as an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, the longest stretch of the porch roof did not get completed. Under the supervision of roof-certified Forest Service staff, two volunteer caretakers, also certified by the Forest Service, were engaged with completing the project.

Finally, volunteers with the Friends of Kentucky Camp were able to install a cell signal booster at the host site, to provide consistent cell service to the remote site as a safety and convenience feature for caretakers.

The November work week was the most recent in a history of Forest Service/volunteer collaborations at the site that now spans 25 years. This project won’t be the last at the site, as a tradition of preservation and collaboration has been established that continues to benefit the agency, the volunteers, the public, and most importantly, the resources.