County of structure: Carter County
Location of structure: Pea Vine Rd. & Big Spring Pavilion, Big Springs National Park
Prefered structure name: Big Springs Cotton Plaque
Number HS-472
Admin Unit: Ozarks National Scenic Riverways
LCS ID: 007347
National Register Status: Determined Eligible - SHPO
"Period of Significance: 1925-1950. Big Spring Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for its architectural values and landscape design and under Criterion A for its association with the development of tourism and recreation in Missouri.
"Big Spring Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as an outstanding example of architecture and engineering completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s in Missouri. The district is the most successful setting, arrangement, and design of park structures in the state. The buildings remain in their original setting and have received continual maintenance and use. The park, with its cabins, campsites, and picnic areas centered about Big Spring, displays high levels of integrity in location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
"South-central Missouri is a picturesque region characterized by rolling tree-clad mountains and clear, swift streams. Early in the 19th century settlers established farms in the small valleys. Due to the nature of the country, farms and towns were small and isolated and roads were tracks following river and stream beds.
"In the 1920's paved roads and efficient automobiles precipitated a major social revolution in the United States. Americans traveled the country, creating demand for public recreation facilities. In Missouri, revenue from hunting and fishing fees was set aside for the purchase of land and eight parks were acquired, one of them centered around Big Spring, a natural wonder that had long awed visitors. Governor Sam A. Baker dedicated it July 17, 1926.
"In 1933 various federal agencies, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and National Park Service (NPS) gave direct assistance to the state parks of Missouri. NPS provided planning and CCC provided labor. This was a major period for the development of American public parks and gave rise to rules for forms and function. The style is generally known as "rustic." It uses natural materials to achieve sympathy with surroundings and the past. Structural elements are logs, timber, rocks and stone. Mountainous areas called for the use of "bold" statements; "softer" settings have “softer” designs. Each building and structure is conceived as part of the whole development. Park structures merge with their environment by landscaping, placement, and the use of natural colors - browns, tans and gray. Rock and stone footings give the buildings "that agreeable look as having sprung from the soil." Horizontal rather than vertical lines predominate. Whenever possible, local stone and wood were used. Structures were carefully grouped according to function: cabins, dining and meeting lodges, recreation facilities, and service buildings.
"The arrangement and design of buildings at Big Spring State Park is an excellent example of such planning. A system of all-weather roads used Missouri Highway 103 as its axis. This highway is routed west-east through Spring Valley to Big Spring, the focal point of park visitor interest. A quarter of a mile east of the entrance, a road circles a large cleared "playfield" and picnic area. Screened by landscaping to the west are park service buildings. East, overlooking the spring branch is the dining lodge. Cabin groupings are scattered in a forest along a winding road atop a bluff south of the playfield and on the east bank of the spring branch, adjacent to the Big Spring is a recreation area. All buildings are built of rough cut limestone and dark-brown stained timber.
"On January 1, 1970, the State of Missouri ceded the park to the United States to become part of Ozark National Scenic Riverways. It remains a popular tourist destination as well as an important example of CCC design and construction.
"This memorial is dedicated to Dr. & Mrs. T.W. Cotton, their daughter, Dr. Thelma Cotton Buckthorpe, and son, George S. Cotton, who donated land for for development of the park. The Cottons were early settlers in area, The monument is a contributing element to the historic landscape of the park and thus eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C." ~ List of Classified Structures _ National Park Service