French Creek State Park: Organized Group Camp 4 District
Why it's listed
Located near the park entrance of French Creek State Park, on a small hill surrounded by woods, this district is a group of former Civilian Conservation Corps camp buildings used since the 1930s. Camp SP-17 was one of two CCC camps operating in the French Creek area, active from 1935 to 1942, and was part of the state park's development as a Recreation Demonstration Area. The district contains a mess hall, barracks, an infirmary, a bathhouse, latrines, storage and carpentry buildings, and a large stone incinerator. The buildings use prefabricated panels designed by the United States Army in 1934 that could be erected quickly by unskilled labor. Their listing reflects the Emergency Conservation Work program, which employed thousands of jobless young men during the Depression, and the military design of the buildings. Most original siding has been replaced with clapboards, while the district retains a significant degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The district is regarded as exceptionally significant for its association with the Emergency Conservation Work program of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a major New Deal relief effort. Its sixteen buildings and one structure also exemplify a standardized military architectural system developed by the United States Army for CCC camps in the 1930s, and the nomination ties the district to recreation and conservation history.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87000104, listed February 12, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7 mi. NE of Morgantown on PA 345, Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | February 12, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000104 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1935-1942 |
| Architectural style | Standardized military design |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and integrity as good; the camp is presently used as Organized Group Camp No. 4 and most buildings have replaced tar paper and batten siding with clapboards. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 40.19957, -75.79505 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87000104.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q98895418
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.