By Michelle Price
UCBJ Managing Editor
PALL MALL – State officials from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Department of Environment and Conservation gathered at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall to celebrate recent improvements.
Tennessee State Parks has invested in recent ADA upgrades at the York gristmill including new restrooms, sidewalks, restored shelters and an interpretive kiosk to provide a high-quality experience for visitors.
“Sgt. York Historic Park continually makes improvements. For the last four years, there has been a tremendous amount of effort that has went into that park,” said Leann Smith, Fentress County Chamber Executive Director. For the visitor it really creates not just a better overall experience but there are a lot of things that you just don’t see at other parks.”
In addition to these improvements, the Tennessee Department of Transportation assisted in constructing a new 150-yard ADA-accessible trail that enables visitors to cross Highway 127 safely. The new trail will pass underneath the bridge on Wolf River and connect the York Home, red barn and interpretive displays to the Visitor’s Center.
“What was once a park that you just drove through has become more of a destination where you can spend hours or an entire day,” Smith said. “From the Gristmill to the historical home and even on to Sgt. York’s grave site, it’s really a well-rounded park and quite a unique historical experience.”
