DOUTHAT & FAIRY STONE STATE PARK CABIN RENOVATIONS

Modern Approach Breathes New Life Into Historic Cabins

This transformative project for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation involved the complete renovation of over 50 guest cabins at Douthat and Fairy Stone State Parks. At 4,545 acres, Douthat State Park is Virginia’s second largest park. Fairy Stone State Park was established in 1936 and is the largest of Virginia’s six original state parks. PMA partnered with Stemann | Pease Architecture and a team of supporting engineers to renovate the parks' log and concrete masonry cabins, which are listed in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

“Great care in design and construction was taken to appropriately strip away much of the later 20th century floor and wall coverings and design new kitchens and baths that reveal the log walls,” says lead architect Jeff Stodghill. The renovations provide 21st century campers with modern accommodations while carefully integrating new baths and kitchens appropriately into the historical context. Two cabins at each park are designed to be handicapped accessible.

In response to the small footprint of the cabins, the design team opened the kitchen to the living area and incorporated banquette seating, flexible bed options, appliances and furniture scaled for smaller spaces, and an improved bathroom layout. Other modifications included plumbing, HVAC and electrical upgrades, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, new windows, and exterior renovations.

In a message to Fairy Stone State Park guests, Virginia State Parks Visitor Services Director Nancy Helman announced, “We are excited that the first phase of cabin renovations has been completed. The results are beautiful! We have worked hard to keep the character of the original facilities but make sure they will last at least another 85 years.”

The project began with precision 3D laser scanning to document existing conditions and to create the building models from which renovation plans were developed. Following the design, PMA provided Bid and Construction phase services which allowed the architects to monitor construction and to see the project evolve from beginning to end. 

Read More

With work wrapping up at Douthat State Park and Fairy Stone State Park, PMA Architecture is embarking on a similar project to upgrade the guest lodging offered at First Landing State Park and Westmoreland State Park.

The cabin renovations at Douthat and Fairy Stone State Parks were selected to receive the 2023 Gabriella Page Preservation Award for Outstanding Preservation Project. 

PMA's Interior Designer, Cara Adams, and her family traveled to Fairy Stone State Park in June 2023 to visit the newly renovated state cabins. Click here to view on YouTube.