James A. Kell Visitor Center - Derry, Pennsylvania - Nature Centers on Waymarking.com

This visitor center was originally on the property of the Keystone Coal & Coke Company, which was the prior owner of the property. The park was the brainchild of James A. Kell Jr. who told his father James A. Kell Sr. who was the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters (today's DCNR) who said of the company's desire to turn the lake to developers in the 1940s

The Lake, originally of a wooden conduit dam breast was known by the locals for the large-mouth bass. At the time, there were no other venues for such activity in the area and Secretary Kell sought for and was able to acquire the land for the state park in 1950 and the park was developed around 1955 with lands for boating, fishing, picnicking, and camping, although facilities have since improved greatly since then.

As part of the land acquisition for the new Keystone State Park this building a stone bungalow, known as the "Stone Lodge" as it was used by the coal and coke company for entertaining well ado individuals from the Greensburg area was part of the deal. It was converted to a visitor center for the park to not only tell its story, but to serve as a base for park programming by its environmentalist and some park rangers. There are sanitary facilities inside and some exhibits are outside as well.

Open Year Round?: no Interpretive Programs?: yes Live Animal Displays: no Hours: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Visitors should visit the Nature Center and post a photo of themselves (or GPS unit) either inside or outside of the nature center visited. Logs without photos WILL be allowed if a lenghty description of one's visit and a mention of what they learned is included.

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