The Vermont Division of Historic Preservation Advisory Council unanimously approved Mad River Glen’s nomination to the state historic register on March 22; the application now moves to the federal level for review by the National Register of Historic Places.
Mad River Valley Planning District (MRVPD) executive director Joshua Schwartz expects the final decision to be announced by the end of May.
If approved, Mad River Glen will be the first ski area in the nation on the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic preservation advisory council also expressed an interest in expanding the project’s significance from regional to state significance. Extending the significance, according to Schwartz, will require expanding the relative historic background research statewide and would require more future funding for an amendment. Extending the period of significance up to 1972 (in 2022) will also require an amendment.
If and when the national historic register status is granted, there will be additional steps.
Mad River Glen Ski Area Historic District is an alpine ski facility located on a land area encompassing 700 acres on the eastern slopes of General Stark Mountain in Vermont's Green Mountain Range. Principal entry to the ski area is from McCullough Turnpike (Vermont Route 17).
The final application (available on MRG co-op’s website) calls attention to the historical significance of the ski area’s trail design and preservation of the natural landscape.
“Yet most of Mad River Glen’s carefully placed trails become visible only to those who are descending the mountain. The design of those trails is historically one of the ski area’s most important qualities. These trails define the skiing experience and are much less intrusive to the face of the mountain than the broad, open swaths visibly apparent at other ski resorts, notably Glen Ellen (now Sugarbush North) which borders Mad River Glen to the south. Mad River Glen's trails were hand cut and were not created with large bulldozers, machines, or dynamite. The trails follow the contours of the mountain and little effort was made to alter cliffs, rocks, or other natural features."
The application also outlines MRG’s forest management plan and conservation efforts.
To view the full application, visit www.madriverglen.com.
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