The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation has been working diligently to renovate and reintroduce a Fort Jackson favorite - Alpine Lodge. Alpine Lodge is a rustic cabin that has been on Fort Jackson for more than 60 years. The recreation area and cabin are located on Heise Pond Road, nestled between three small ponds and a plethora of picturesque pines.
“It’s a beautiful, old-style log cabin and it overlooks a small, little lake. It’s really pretty,” said Kristin Wilcox, DFMWR outdoor recreation manager . In the past, this area was used for holiday parties, baby showers and even a few weddings have also been held in the wooded, chalet-style lodge.
Many facilities used for gatherings and social functions were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alpine Lodge included. However, this allowed a unique opportunity for the DFMWR team to commit some extra care and attention to this cozy, country cabin. The work has taken the better part of the past three years.
“All of the labor was done in house by our MWR maintenance team,” Wilcox said. The maintenance team worked to replace the floors that were cracked and contained asbestos, painted the walls, and even replaced the door frames and light switch plates throughout the kitchen. The only work not completed by the maintenance team was the roof replacement, which was replaced during the pandemic by an outside contracting team. A new composite deck that overlooks the lake was installed.
Other new additions to the facility include a rolling kitchen island to add counter space and a new refrigerator for the kitchen area is also in the works.
“It does come with tables and chairs,” Kristin said. “We purchased new chairs with cushions for when people want to have meetings, parties, or other events.” Anyone that is a part of the Fort Jackson community that is a Department of Defense ID card holder can use the facility. This includes retirees and family members. A new regulation has recently been passed allowing civilians outside of DOD ID Card holders to use Class-C DFMWR facilities. These are facilities that generate revenue such as the movie theater and bowling alley. If the Alpine Lodge is included on this list is yet to be determined, but anyone with questions about using the Alpine Lodge or any other DFMWR facilities can contact the DFMWR Outdoor Recreation Team for more information at 751-3484 or visit their website at https://jackson.armymwr.com/.
Date Taken: | 02.23.2023 |
Date Posted: | 03.01.2023 15:02 |
Story ID: | 439502 |
Location: | FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
Web Views: | 55 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Alpine Lodge set to reopen after renovations, by Emily Hileman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.