Promised Land State Park-Bear Wallow Cabins
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Why it's listed
Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1933 and 1941 at Camp S-139, the Bear Wallow Family Cabin Historic District sits on a knoll at Promised Land State Park in Pike County. It contains twelve contributing cabins in four basic designs, distinguished mainly by their floor plans, including T-plan, L-plan, square and rectangular forms. Several cabins combine stone fireplaces and chimneys with log or clapboard walls, and some have porches supported by stone piers or wooden columns. The cabins were developed on the earlier public campground, which had been established in 1919. The district is regarded as a clear example of rustic architecture, a style favored by the National Park Service, with buildings designed to blend with the natural setting and built from local materials. Its significance also rests on the Civilian Conservation Corps, which employed thousands of young men during the Depression, many of whom had been homeless. The cabins have served as recreational facilities for roughly fifty years.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant for its association with the Civilian Conservation Corps, a major New Deal relief program, and for its rustic architecture, which the National Park Service promoted for parks. The nomination also cites its recreational use for about fifty years and its role as an example of cooperation between state and federal government on state-owned land.
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 87000048, listed February 11, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 10 mi. N of Canadensis on PA 390, Canadensis |
|---|---|
| County | Pike County |
| Listed | February 11, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000048 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1949 |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition with good integrity, used as recreational facilities |
| Acreage | 9.2 |
| Coordinates | 41.31927, -75.21248 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 87000048.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q64827035
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.