Historic Valve House at Radnor Lake State Natural Area

Geography students from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) participated in ongoing research at Radnor Lake  State Natural Area (RLSNA).  MTSU has been involved in several research efforts at Radnor over the past decade or so.  These efforts include recording and preserving oral histories/geographies of the lake area, historical field work including the documentation of historic farmsteads and settlement patterns and developing historic trails such as the Historic Valve House Trail.

On February 6th, geography students under the direction of Dr. Doug Heffington continued clean-up operations preparing for the reconstruction of the historic valve house.  The valve house recently fully collapsed after years of water and ice damage. MTSU students are engaged in cleaning and prepping the valve, stabilizing the valve box, improving drainage from the valve box and maintaining the connected drainage system which began on January 30th.

The field activities provide the students first-hand experience in gathering geographical, historical and archeological data dealing with the L & N  industrial complex at Radnor.  This historic archeological site (40DV635) dating to the early 1900s is the very reason for existence of Radnor Lake and its complete story has yet to be told. MTSU geography students will gather additional information to complete the story.  On this workday, MTSU geography students participating in this season’s field work include Dan Phannamvong, Victoria Sullivan, Jennifer Grissom, Ashley Smith and Aaron Carson.  This field work could not be possible without the aid and assistance of the Ranger Staff and the Friends of Radnor Lake.

Special thanks to Friends of Radnor Lake for providing breakfast and lunch for this field day!

We appreciate these students from MTSU for coming out to work with the ranger staff the past two weeks and continuing this partnership between Friends of Radnor Lake, Tennessee State Parks and MTSU Global Studies Program.

Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S. Ward
Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S. Ward

Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S Ward
Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S Ward

Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S Ward
Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S Ward

Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S. Ward
Feb. 6th, 2016 MTSU @ Valve House. Pix by S. Ward