Collier Springs Shelter

Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Collier Springs Shelter is located in the Collier Springs Picnic Area in the Ouachita National Forest, about seven miles northeast of Norman (Montgomery County), along Forest Road 177. Constructed in 1939, the shelter was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 20, 1993.

The shelter was constructed by CCC Company 741. The company was formed on May 1, 1933, at Camp Pike and completed numerous projects in the Ouachita National Forest. At the time of the construction of the Collier Springs Shelter, the company was stationed at the Crystal Springs Camp, about twelve miles east. The shelter was the only structure constructed by the CCC at the Collier Springs location.

The shelter is rectangular and constructed of stone. With a stone column located on each corner of the structure, it is topped with a gable roof and composition shingles. The columns support the roof by hewn crossbeams. The foundation of the shelter is also constructed from stone. The only furniture permanently affixed to the structure are stone benches located on the east and north sides of the shelter. A removable wooden picnic table is located in the center of the structure.

The shelter also serves as a cap to the Collier Spring. A small pipe empties the spring into Collier Creek. A stone walkway leads down to the shelter from the road, where a small parking area is located. A set of stone steps leads from the shelter to the exposed pipe.

In the twenty-first century, the shelter remains much as it did when it was constructed. Located in an isolated area of Montgomery County, it continues to serve as a picnic area and is accessible for day use. There is a vault toilet located at the site.

For additional information:
“Collier Springs Shelter.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/MN0026.nr.pdf (accessed April 23, 2020).

Smith, Sandra Taylor. The Civilian Conservation Corps in Arkansas, 1933–42. Little Rock: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 1991. Online at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/News-and-Events/publications (accessed April 23, 2020).

United States Forest Service. “Collier Springs.” Ouachita National Forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ouachita/recarea/?recid=10718 (accessed April 23, 2020).

David Sesser
Henderson State University