Paradise Historic District

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Paradise Historic District
Paradise guide dorm 1.jpg
The Guide Service Building at Paradise
USA Washington location map.svg
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LocationMt. Rainier National Park, Paradise, Washington
Coordinates 46°47′11″N121°44′4″W / 46.78639°N 121.73444°W / 46.78639; -121.73444
Area10 acres (4.0 ha)
Architectural styleRustic style
MPS Mt. Rainier National Park MPS
NRHP reference No. 91000174 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 13, 1991

The Paradise Historic District comprises the historic portion of Paradise developed area of Mount Rainier National Park. The subalpine district surrounds its primary structure, the Paradise Inn, a rustic-style hotel built in 1917 to accommodate visitors to the park. The Paradise Inn is a National Historic Landmark. Five other buildings are included in the district. The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1991. It is part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District, which encompasses the entire park and which recognizes the park's inventory of Park Service-designed rustic architecture. [1]

Contents

District

The Paradise area had been burned by an 1885 forest fire that left a great deal of standing timber in a "silver forest", primarily Alaska Cedar. Much of this timber was harvested to build park structures, particularly the Paradise Inn. The area's chief attractions are the wildflower meadows above the built-up area. The development of the area was undertaken by the Rainier National Park Company, which built the Paradise Inn in 1917 and added the annex in 1920, as well as the Guide House the same year. Three other buildings were built by the National Park Service. [2] [3]

The Paradise area formerly included a group of 215 frame cabins built in 1930, served by the Paradise Lodge of 1931, which were open year-round. The cabins were sold in 1942 to be used to house defense workers. As part of the Mission 66 program, the Paradise area was proposed as a day-use area, with the inn to be demolished. Public pressure resulted in the preservation of the inn and its renovation. [2] [3] The Paradise Lodge was intentionally burned on June 3, 1965 to make room for parking for the new Paradise Visitor Center. [4]

Buildings

The 1917 Paradise Inn is a large hotel with a prominent dormered roof, built in an "alpine" variant of the National Park Service Rustic style. The inn's interior features exposed log structure, with a high lobby housing handcrafted log furniture. Fourteen doors open off the lobby to the northeast, flanked by log buttresses that follow the slope of the roof to the ground, carrying the local snow loads. The inn was designed by Heath, Grove and Bell, of Tacoma. [2] Twenty-eight guest rooms were in an attached wing above the dining room, with a further wing housing suites and rooms. [3]

The Paradise Inn Annex was built in 1920, slightly downhill from and parallel to the main inn's lobby. The 3+1⁄2-story timber-frame building is connected to the main inn by a multi-story bridge. Designed by Seattle architect Harlan Thomas, the version finally constructed was scaled down from the originally-proposed structure, which was to be 300 feet (91 m) long with a central stone pavilion and exposed log framing. The portion that was built was to have been the south wing, and construction was simplified to plain framed construction, measuring 44 feet (13 m) by 125 feet (38 m). [5]

The Guide Service Building is a 3+1⁄2-story timber-frame structure opposite the Paradise Inn. It was built by the Rainier National Park Company in 1920 features a distinctive gambrel roof to house mountain climbing guides. The basement contains a small auditorium and stage, while the ground floor houses offices. The upper levels are dormitory spaces. [2] [6]

The Paradise Ranger Station is a small 1+1⁄2-story building with a steeply pitched cedar-shingle roof. The ranger station was completed in 1922 to a design by the National Park Service Landscape Engineering Division. The roof, supported on rubblestone walls, was designed to shed the heavy winter snowfall typical of the Paradise area. [7] A system of cables anchored to the hillside resists the downhill pressure of the snow load. [2]

The Paradise Comfort Station is a public toilet facility. It was built in 1928 to a design by the Park Service Western Region Branch of Plans and Designs, supervised by Thomas Chalmers Vint. In contrast to the ranger station, the comfort station features a strongly built low-pitched roof built in reinforced concrete. The walls were clad in stone veneer. The roof was designed to resist a 35 feet (11 m) snow load weighing 35 pounds per cubic foot, for a 1225-pound-per-square-foot loading. [8]

The Paradise Ski-Tow Powerhouse was built to house a portable ski-tow system. Paradise was a significant skiing venue during the 1930s, but the Park Service did not permit a permanent ski lift facility. The ski-tow house was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps with a steeply pitched roof similar to that of the ranger station. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Park Service rustic</span> Style of architecture developed in 20th century for the United States National Park Service

National Park Service rustic – sometimes colloquially called Parkitecture – is a style of architecture that developed in the early and middle 20th century in the United States National Park Service (NPS) through its efforts to create buildings that harmonized with the natural environment. Since its founding in 1916, the NPS sought to design and build visitor facilities without visually interrupting the natural or historic surroundings. The early results were characterized by intensive use of hand labor and a rejection of the regularity and symmetry of the industrial world, reflecting connections with the Arts and Crafts movement and American Picturesque architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise Inn (Washington)</span> United States historic place

Paradise Inn is a historic hotel built in 1916 at 5,400-foot (1,600 m) on the south slope of Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, United States. The inn is named after Paradise, the area of the mountain in which it is located. The Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and the 1920 Paradise Guide House are also at this location. The inn and guide house are where many climbers start their ascent of the mountain. The inn is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a major component of the Paradise Historic District. Additionally, it is part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District, which encompasses the entire park and which recognizes the park's inventory of National Park Service rustic architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Muir</span> United States historic place

Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, accessed through the Paradise Entrance. The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,188 ft (3,105 m) elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier. Camp Muir is the most-used high camp for those attempting to climb to the mountain's summit. Camp Muir is between the Nisqually and Paradise Glaciers.

The Sunrise Comfort Station (S-310) is a comfort station in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. Built around 1930, the building was designed by Thomas Chalmers Vint of the National Park Service in association with landscape architect E.A. Davidson. The structure was part of a planned ensemble at what was then called Yakima Park, high on the northern flank of Mount Rainier. Similar structures may be found at the Ohanapecosh, Longmire and White River campgrounds in the park. The low building is framed in peeled logs on a stone foundation, set into a hillside and surrounded by native landscaping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Falls Bridge</span> Bridge in Paradise, Washington

The Christine Falls Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge in Mount Rainier National Park, spanning Van Trump Creek at Christine Falls. The bridge was built in 1927–1928 by contractor J. D. Tobin of Portland, Oregon, who built the Narada Falls Bridge at the same time. The arch has a three-centered profile and spans 56 feet (17 m). The bridge is 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. It was faced with rubble stonework and is an example of National Park Service Rustic design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderland Trail Shelters</span> United States historic place

The Wonderland Trail is an approximately 93-mile (150 km) hiking trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, United States. The trail goes over many ridges of Mount Rainier for a cumulative 22,000 feet (6,700 m) of elevation gain. The trail was built in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narada Falls Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Narada Falls Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge in Mount Rainier National Park, spanning the Paradise River above Narada Falls. The bridge was built in 1927–1928 by contractor J. D. Tobin of Portland, Oregon, who built the Christine Falls Bridge at the same time. The arch spans 36 feet (11 m). The bridge is 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, with an additional 3.5 feet (1.1 m) on either side for sidewalks. It was faced with rubble stone masonry and is an example of National Park Service Rustic design. The bridge is not open for public traffic, and leads to the Narada park utility area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narada Falls Comfort Station</span> United States historic place

The Narada Falls Comfort Station was built in Mount Rainier National Park by the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1941–42. The public toilet building is close to Narada Falls in the south central portion of the park. Initial work by the Park Service encountered substantial rock excavation, with the subsequent cost overrun requiring the Park Service to use CCC labor to complete the project. The building features stone masonry walls to window sill level, woor framed upper walls, and a timber framed roof. The interior comprises a waiting room and a toilet facility. The design was by the Western Region Landscape Engineering Division, with plan approval by Thomas Chalmers Vint, NPS Chief of Planning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edith Creek Chlorination House</span> United States historic place

The Edith Creek Chlorination House is a historic structure in Mount Rainier National Park, built by the National Park Service in 1930. The rustic structure was built as part of the water supply system to the Paradise area. The low concrete building with stone veneer cladding was built to withstand very heavy snow loads. It was fed by a small dam on Edith Creek, which was replaced in 1970. The chlorination house contained equipment to chlorinate the water from this source and to regulate the level of the reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake George Patrol Cabin</span> United States historic place

The Lake George Patrol Cabin was built in 1934 by the National Park Service in Mount Rainier National Park as a backcountry patrol station and hiker's shelter. The single-story wood-frame building measures about 26.5 feet (8.1 m) by 12 feet (3.7 m). Initially intended as a horse barn, it was converted for ranger accommodation, replacing a 1921 structure. The first cabin survived until 1969, when it was destroyed by a falling tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout</span> United States historic place

The Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout is one of four fire lookout stations built in Mount Rainier National Park by the United States National Park Service (NPS) between 1932 and 1934. The two-story structure houses a lookout station on the upper level and storage at ground level. The design was prepared under the supervision of Edwin A. Nickel of the NPS Branch of Plans and Designs. The newly completed structure lost its roof to a windstorm and had to be repaired. It is secured against strong winds by cables attached to deadmen. The wood-frame structure is used as a visitor contact point on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tipsoo Lake Comfort Station</span> United States historic place

The Tipsoo Lake Comfort Station was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in the National Park Service Rustic style and built in Mount Rainier National Park by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. The design was supervised by Park Service Chief Architect Thomas Chalmers Vint, and is similar to the Sunrise Comfort Station in the central portion of the park. Located near the park's northern entrance, two comfort station were planned to be part of a developed area in the vicinity of Tipsoo and Chinook Pass, which was never developed beyond the toilet facilities and an entrance arch. One of these survives and remains in use. The public toilet facility features rough stonework to window sill level, with a framed wall above and a log-framed roof with cedar shingles.

The Tahoma Vista Comfort Station was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in the National Park Service Rustic style and built in Mount Rainier National Park by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1931. The design was supervised by Park Service Chief Architect Thomas Chalmers Vint, and site selection and development were undertaken by Park Service landscape architect Ernest A. Davidson. The comfort station serves the Tahoma Vista Overlook, also designed by Davidson. The 14-foot (4.3 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) public toilet facility features rough stonework to window sill level, with a framed wall above and a log-framed roof with cedar shingles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Fremont Fire Lookout</span> United States historic place

The Mount Fremont Fire Lookout is a fire lookout in the northern region of Mount Rainier National Park at an elevation above 7,000 feet (2,100 m), the highest in the park. One of four fire lookouts remaining in the park, the lookout is used for visitor services during summer weekends. The building is about 14 by 14 feet, and was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and designs under the supervision of Acting Chief Architect Edwin A. Nickel. It was built in 1933. The two-story structure features a balconied lookout on the second level, with storage on the ground level. Cables secured to deadmen keep the lookout from blowing over. The Park Service was assisted during construction by the Emergency Conservation Works Association. The lookout was extensively damaged in a 2006 storm, along with the park's Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout. They've since been repaired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nisqually Entrance Historic District</span> Historic district in Washington, United States

The Nisqually Entrance Historic District comprises the first public entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The district incorporates the log entrance arch typical of all Mount Rainier entrances, a log frame ranger station and checking station, a comfort station and miscellaneous service structures, all built around 1926, as well as the 1915 Superintendent's Residence and the 1908 Oscar Brown Cabin, the oldest remaining structure in the park. The buildings in the district conform to the principles of the National Park Service Rustic style that prevailed in park design of the 1920s and 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Andrews Creek Bridge</span> United States historic place

The St. Andrews Creek Bridge was built in 1930-31 as part of the West Side Road in Mount Rainier National Park. The bridge spans 26 feet (7.9 m) and is almost 34 feet (10 m) wide, carrying a two-lane road on a stone-faced concrete bridge. The West Side Road was planned to link the Nisqually and Carbon River entrances to the park, but only 13 miles (21 km) were completed in six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shriner Peak Fire Lookout</span> United States historic place

The Shriner Peak Fire Lookout is a fire lookout tower in Mount Rainier National Park. Built in 1932 to a standard design by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs, the wood-frame lookout features a ground-floor storage room and an upper-level lookout and living space with windows on all four sides. A balcony extended around the perimeter of the upper level. The Shriner Peak Lookout is one of four surviving lookout stations in the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longmire Campground Comfort Stations</span> United States historic place

The Longmire Campground Comfort Stations were built in the early and mid-1930s in Mount Rainier National Park to provide public toilet facilities to automobile tourists camping in the park at Longmire. Essentially the same in design, the facilities were designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs. Their construction was supervised by park landscape architect Ernest A. Davidson. The timber-frame buildings followed the tenets of the prevailing National Park Service Rustic style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake of the Woods Ranger Station</span> United States historic place

The Lake of the Woods Ranger Station is a United States Forest Service compound consisting of eight buildings overlooking Lake of the Woods in the Fremont-Winema National Forests of southern Oregon. All of the ranger station structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1937 and 1939. Today, the compound serves as a Forest Service work center, and the old ranger station office is a visitor center. The ranger station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architects of the National Park Service are the architects and landscape architects who were employed by the National Park Service (NPS) starting in 1918 to design buildings, structures, roads, trails and other features in the United States National Parks. Many of their works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a number have also been designated as National Historic Landmarks.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kaiser, Harvey H. (1997). Landmarks in the Landscape: Historic Architecture in the National Parks of the West. Chronicle Books. pp. 47–50. ISBN   0-8118-1854-3.
  3. 1 2 3 GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Inn" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  4. ↑ Catton, Theodore (May 1996). "XVI: Mission 66 for Mount Rainier". Wonderland: An Administrative History of Munt Rainier National Park. National Park Service Cultural Resources Program. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Inn Annex" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  6. ↑ GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Guide House" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  7. ↑ GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Ranger Station" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  8. ↑ GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Comfort Station" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  9. ↑ GGF (September 23, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Paradise Ski-Tow Powrhouse" (PDF). Retrieved March 13, 2011.
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