By LeJay Graffious

The small banding building is only used for about 2 months and is assembled and taken apart each year.  The idea for a shelter began in 1979, with Ralph Bell and George Hall discussing with Kathleen Finnegan about the addition of a shelter to be more convenient for the aging banders and more conducive to sharing the process with visitors. I sketched my plans and shared them with the group. The designs were, in turn, approved by Petersburg District Ranger, Jerry Bremer, in May.

In the summer of 1980, I constructed the 6 foot by 8 foot banding shed in my garage. The panels are easily disassembled to be transported in the bed of a pickup truck. Ephe Oliver, then superintendent of the Mon Forest, provided access to a shed at Laneville for storage. Each year we truck from the foot of the mountain to the trailhead, then carry the components to the front and assemble. 2018 was my thirty-ninth trip to set up the banding shed.

I still have the original sketches and materials list. My receipt from General Woodworking of Morgantown shows the total cost was $282.68.