STATE PARK WONDER

In Harmony with Nature

Palmetto’s refectory uses local materials to blend with surroundings.

by Russell Roe

When the Civilian Conservation Corps set out to build parks across Texas in the 1930s, it adhered to a set of building design principles that emphasized harmony with nature. The success of this design style is most notable at Palmetto State Park, where a magnificent refectory made of native sandstone boulders appears to blend with the surrounding landscape.

Set along a bend in the San Marcos River, Palmetto State Park harbors verdant tropical features — swamps, dwarf palmettos and bottomland forests adorned with Spanish moss — seemingly out of place for its location.

The architect, Olin Smith, took inspiration from the lush vegetation and unique wetlands in the area when designing the refectory. Using rock from local Reklaw Formation sandstone, he created a design with tumbled stones at the base of the walls that made the sandstone walls of the building seem as if they were naturally emerging from the soil, a seamless blend between nature and architecture. To further enhance the natural look, the building’s original roof was thatched with palmetto fronds, complementing the wispy moss hanging from nearby trees and completing the illusion of an organic structure growing out of the ground.

“The intention was to merge a building form with natural form,” says Texas Parks and Wildlife Department historical architect David Vesica. “I think it represents an extremely mature design perspective on coexisting with and enhancing and working with nature.”

The CCC’s rustic designs emerged from the National Park Service practice of using native wood and stone to create visually appealing structures that seemed to fit naturally within the landscapes.

Palmetto’s refectory, also known as the combination building or concession building, was built as a social gathering space. The large open area inside hosted gatherings and dances. An outside terrace complemented the indoor space and overlooked the river. The thatched roof was replaced after a couple of decades with a wood shake roof.

“The designers of this park took great pride in their design — how it seems to rise out of the ground and how the palm fronds for thatching tie it into the unique nature of the park itself,” says Dylan Gielow of TPWD’s historic preservation group. “It’s one of the buildings that we as Texas State Parks as a whole should take great pride in.”