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Shaw volunteers preserve history at Poinsett Range

  • Published
  • By Judy Lewis
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Volunteers with the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron here are preserving history by renovating structures on Poinsett Range that were built in 1936 by an organization unique in America's history.

The Rosemary Fire Tower and accompanying ranger's house were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, an agency designed in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs for unemployed Americans following the Great Depression. According to the History of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC built bridges, roads, state parks, fire towers and planted three billion trees to reclaim the nation's decimated forests.

Shaw Air Force Base's Poinsett Range complex is home to a gunnery and electronic training range, the red cockaded woodpecker (an endangered species) and numerous natural and cultural sites. The Rosemary Fire Tower complex is a part of the cultural sites.

The two buildings were showing age and disrepair, said Terry Madewell, 20th CES Natural and Cultural Resources Flight chief. The fire tower was re-modeled according to State Historic Preservation Office guidelines; however, the ranger house still needed repair, Mr. Madewell said.

"It's great to see the enthusiasm for a project like this," said Ronnie June, cultural resource manager for Shaw. "We asked for help in different skill areas and the response was overwhelming."

It's a great reflection on the team spirit of Shaw, both military and civilian, to combine forces on the restoration of an important piece of our nation's history, Mr. June said.

Both the fire tower and ranger's home are eligible for the national historical register and keeping the repair work true to original is a primary concern, Mr. Madewell said. The flight is working closely with the South Carolina Historical Preservation Office to ensure everything they do meets guidelines for historical structures, Mr. Madewell said.

While the fire tower now sprouts electronic emitters, used by the 20th Operations Squadron in F-16 training, it is allowed because the structure originally had antennae for a radio communications system.

The 20th CES volunteers have installed a new roof, scraped off old paint, applied new paint, removed windows and replaced them with new, and repaired wall boarding. While not all of the work has been completed, the volunteers jump-started the project. Additional workdays are being planned.