When establishing Buffalo National River in 1972, Congress recognized the need to preserve Boxley Valley’s culture as well as its free-flowing river. In Boxley Valley, a traditional farm community is being perpetuated within the borders of Buffalo National River through a long-term plan created by the National Park Service and local citizens to keep the valley privately owned and retain its historic integrity. The community spirit that has endured for more than 150 years is now preserving Boxley Valley for generations to come. Boxley Valley is entered on the National Register of Historic Places not only for its more recent cultural heritage but also for evidence of 12,000 years of human occupation. Descendants of the valley's 19th-century settlers still work the land of their forefathers, and after the Civil War, frame dwellings began to replace log homes.