| Linn Run State Park | |||||||
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 Interactive map of Linn Run State Park | |||||||
| Location | Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States | ||||||
| Coordinates | 40°09′15″N79°12′48″W / 40.15427°N 79.2133°W /40.15427; -79.2133[1] | ||||||
| Area | 612 acres (248 ha)[1] | ||||||
| Elevation | 1,798 feet (548 m) | ||||||
| Established | 1909 | ||||||
| Administered by | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
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Linn Run State Park Family Cabin District | |||||||
 Cabin #9 | |||||||
| Nearest city | Cook Township | ||||||
| Coordinates | 40°9′14″N79°13′00″W / 40.15389°N 79.21667°W /40.15389; -79.21667 | ||||||
| Area | 13.5 acres (5.5 ha) | ||||||
| Built | 1933 (1933) | ||||||
| MPS | Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Architecture in Pennsylvania State Parks: 1933-1942, TR | ||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 87000107 | ||||||
| Added to NRHP | February 12, 1987 | ||||||
Linn Run State Park is aPennsylvania state park on 612 acres (248 ha) inCook andLigonier Townships,Westmoreland County,Pennsylvania in the United States. The park bordersForbes State Forest. Two smaller streams, Grove Run and Rock Run, join in Linn Run State Park to form Linn Run which has a waterfall, Adams Falls, which can be seen at the park. This state park is just offPennsylvania Route 381 near the small town ofRector.
The ridges of the Allegheny Mountains had once been covered withold-growth forest. These forests wereclear cut during the mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century. The Byers and Allen Lumber Company clear cut the forest that is now Linn Run State Park in the 1890s. Lumbermen took logs to thesawmill where they were cut intolumber. Smaller logs were used to reinforce themine shafts of the manycoal mines throughout southwestern Pennsylvania andWest Virginia. The bark of thehemlock tree was used as a source oftannin at thetanneries of the area. The treetops were left behind and dried.Steam locomotives of thePittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad passing through would ignite this dry brush, causing massivewildfires that swept through the mountains and valleys.[2]
In 1909, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the land from the Byers and Allen Lumber Company. At the time, the land was devoid of timber and wildlife, making it the first major public purchase of denuded forest land in the Ohio River Basin.[2] In his first report in 1909,Forester John R. Williams wrote,
"I should say that fully three-fifths (60%) of the reserve had been burned since the lumbering was done. The fires did great damage to the young growth. Some places were covered with nothing butferns andblackberry bushes."[2]
Scars from these fires can still be seen today in the Linn Run area.[2]
Most of thewildlife in the area was devastated due to the destruction of theirhabitat or over hunting.White-tailed deer were imported fromMichigan andNew York to reestablish what had once been a thriving population of deer. These deer were released throughout Pennsylvania in 1910.[2]
During theNew Deal era, the park was further developed by theCivilian Conservation Corps andWorks Progress Administration. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp operated in the park from 1933 to 1942. Ten rustic cabins, stone fireplaces, and several buildings and bridges were constructed, along with roads, water and sewage systems, and utilities.[3][4]
Today, the area in and around Linn Run State Park is now a thrivingsecond growth forest.
All trails at the park are open tohiking.Mountain biking andsnowmobiling are not permitted on the hiking trails.[1]
Hunting is permitted on about 400 acres (160 ha) of Linn Run State Park. The most common game species aresquirrels,turkey andwhite-tailed deer. The hunting ofgroundhogs is prohibited. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of thePennsylvania Game Commission. Linn Run is atrout fishery with stocked trout and native brook trout.[1]
Linn Run State Park has long been a popular destination for families and church groups for picnicking. There are two mainpicnic areas at the park. Adams Falls Picnic Area is near Adams Falls. It has a selection ofpicnic tables, apavilion,playground and modern restrooms. Grove Run Picnic Area is near Grove Run. It lacks a pavilion but otherwise has the same facilities at the Adams Falls Picnic Area.[1]
The cabin area has been designated as theLinn Run State Park Family Cabin District and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. The older cabins, dating back to 1933, were constructed by theCivilian Conservation Corps during theGreat Depression in an architectural style known asWPA Rustic.[3][5]
There are tencabins at Linn Run State Park. Only one of them is modern with a kitchen and bathroom. The other nine cabins are rustic, meaning that there is no indoor plumbing, but they do have basic furniture (bed, table, chairs) as well as wood-burning stoves, electricity, a refrigerator, oven, stove and microwave. Each rustic cabin has anouthouse andwater pump. There is a modern bathhouse in the area of the cabins.[1]
Municipalities and communities ofWestmoreland County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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