Hungry Mother State Park Historic District
Also known as: Hungry Mother State Park; DHR Number: 086-0015
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Why it's listed
Hungry Mother State Park occupies a valley in the Allegheny Mountains of Smyth County, Virginia, around a 108-acre lake created in 1934 by damming Hungry Mother Creek. The park grew from the Civilian Conservation Corps program of the 1930s, when three companies of 200 men built its dam, roads, cabins, log picnic shelters, restaurant and staff housing. Designs and plans came from the National Park Service, working with the Virginia Commission on Conservation and Development. The district follows rustic park design principles, with roads shaped to the terrain and hand-cut stone culverts, bridges and retaining walls. Parking curbs are shaped like construction tools. Later additions include a 1999 visitor center, mid-century campgrounds and the former Hemlock Haven and Camp Burson areas, which are not counted as contributing. The park was one of Virginia's six original state parks and keeps most of its CCC-era buildings and original plan, which is the basis for its listing for architecture, landscape design and recreation history.
Significance in brief: It was one of the six original state parks planned in Virginia and was built with Civilian Conservation Corps labor using National Park Service design concepts. It retains most CCC-era buildings and its original park plan. It is significant for its association with the CCC and state park development, and for its park plan and buildings.
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 07000303, listed April 12, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2854 Park Blvd., Marion |
|---|---|
| County | Smyth County |
| Listed | April 12, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000303 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1933-1942 |
| Architect / builder | E. L. Myers, Jr.; National Park Service; Virginia Commission on Conservation and Development; A. C. Barlow; Mattern and Mattern; Thomas B. Staley; Lee H. Williamson |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements; Modern Movement |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Park still in use for camping, cabins, restaurant, recreation and trails; many CCC-era resources retained alongside later additions. |
| Acreage | 2215 |
| Coordinates | 36.88326, -81.53455 (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 07000303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5943531
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.