A slice of the past will be preserved, and a larger slice removed, under Great Smoky Mountains National Park's plans for restoring the Elkmont Historic District.

The park's final environmental impact statement reviewing the proposed restoration was published May 1 in the Federal Register. Within 30 days the National Park Service can finalize those plans by signing a Record of Decision.

Under the final EIS, 18 of the 74 structures in the district, which is located about eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, would be restored and preserved, while the others would documented and then removed.

The 74 buildings were built as vacation retreats during the 1910s and 1920s. Among them is a home that belonged to David Chapman, a leader in the movement to create the national park. Also to be preserved is the Appalachian Clubhouse and the Spence Cabin along the Little River.

The plan is the result of a five-year public process that evaluated the natural, cultural, and cost impacts of six alternatives ranging from removing all the buildings, which was the action called for in the park’s 1982 General Management Plan, to preserving all the buildings for use as concession-operated lodging and a restaurant.

“This proposal retains 18 buildings for use as an historic district with exhibits for public interpretation of the Elkmont story from its days as a logging camp through its life as a summer resort community, says Great Smoky Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. "It includes restoration of the Appalachian Clubhouse, which would be made available for public rental for day-use events on a reservation basis, much as we do with five of our picnic pavilions.”

Once the buildings targeted for removal are taken away, the rest of the buildings would be removed and the landscape returned to its natural appearance, the superintendent said.

Under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the NPS may execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 days following the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

You can review the final EIS by going to this site.