Park Headquarters Siding Replacement Adverse Effect

In 2018, Prince William Forest Park (Park) proposed a project to replace the existing vinyl siding and PVC-coated window trim on the Headquarters Building with a similar vinyl siding material and PVC-coated trim material. The existing siding on the building was deteriorating and needed to be replaced to continue long-term protection of the building from weather elements.

The Park Headquarters Building represents the early development of the park, as the Park was established in 1936 and the current Headquarters was originally built as the park manager’s residence in 1941. In 2012, the Headquarters building was determined to be a contributing structure to the Prince William Forest Park Historic District.

During project planning in 2018, the National Park Service (NPS) determined that the changes to the exterior of the building needed to be reviewed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The NPS consulted with the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which in Virginia is the Department of Historic Resources (DHR), and determined the building is part of the Prince William Forest Park Historic District. Through this consultation, NPS and SHPO found that the project would have an adverse effect on a contributing historic property, since the vinyl siding and trim were not the original siding materials used.

To resolve this adverse effect, the Park and SHPO are working through steps they agreed upon in 2018, including photographing the building and documenting it with a written report. Photographs were taken before and after the 2018 project work; the work was completed in 2019. The Park is planning to produce the report by 2030.

As part of the Section 106 process, the park is notifying the public about this project. For more information, contact Mr. Gregg Kneipp at e-mail us or 703-221-3329.