White River Entrance

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White River Entrance
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LocationWhite River Entrance, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Coordinates 46°54′8″N121°33′14″W / 46.90222°N 121.55389°W / 46.90222; -121.55389 Coordinates: 46°54′8″N121°33′14″W / 46.90222°N 121.55389°W / 46.90222; -121.55389
Area4.9 acres (2.0 ha)
Architectural styleRustic style
MPS Mt. Rainier National Park MPS
NRHP reference No. 91000177 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 13, 1991

The White River Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is a complex of buildings built between 1929 and 1931 to accommodate visitors arriving on the Yakima Park Highway, in the northeastern portion of the park. Like most of the structures in Mount Rainier, the buildings are designed in the National Park Service Rustic style, using natural stone and log materials. The historic district includes the 1933 Men's Mess Hall and Dormitory, believed to be the only surviving camp structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the park.

The Ranger and Checking Station was built starting in 1929. Access was difficult, since Yakima Park Highway construction had not yet reached the area. Work was not entirely completed until 1931. Design was by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Design, under the supervision of Thomas Chalmers Vint. The station is a one-story T-shaped log structure of seven rooms, with a porte-cochere extending over the road. It follows the prototype of the Nisqually Entrance Station, although the Nisqually station was remodeled to incorporate the porte-cochere first used at White River. The building provided living and working quarters for a ranger, with two bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen bathroom and living room. [2]

Men's and women's "comfort stations," or public toilets, were built nearby in 1931 in a similar style. [2] The district was listed 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]

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Mount Rainier National Park National park of the United States

Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States, preserving 236,381 acres including all of Mount Rainier, a 14,411-foot (4,392 m) stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet (490–4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and 91,000 acres of old-growth forest. More than 25 glaciers descend the flanks of the volcano, which is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow.

National Park Service rustic 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. Architects, landscape architects and engineers combined native wood and stone with convincingly native styles to create visually appealing structures that seemed to fit naturally within the majestic landscapes. Examples of the style can be found in numerous types of National Park structures, including entrance gateways, hotels and lodges, park roads and bridges, visitor centers, trail shelters, informational kiosks, and even mundane maintenance and support facilities. Many of these buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Longmire, Washington United States historic place

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Yakima Park Stockade Group United States historic place

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Longmire Buildings United States historic place

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Cabin Creek Ranger Residence and Dormitory United States historic place

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Historical buildings and structures of Zion National Park United States historic place

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White River Mess Hall and Dormitory United States historic place

The White River Mess Hall and Dormitory is the only remaining Civilian Conservation Corps camp structure remaining in Mount Rainier National Park. The wood-framed building was built in 1933, and comprising 2,185 square feet (203.0 m2), originally containing a kitchen dining room, living room, two bathrooms, a bedroom and a bunkroom, as well as a service porch. The building no longer serves as a residence and is used for storage. It is located at the White River entrance to the park, part of a complex of service buildings.

Wonderland Trail Shelters United States historic place

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White River Bridge United States historic place

The White River Bridge was built in 1929 in Mount Rainier National Park as part of the Yakima Park Road project. The new road was planned to open up access to the northeastern portion of the park. The bridge, spanning the White River, was built by contractor John D. Tobin of Portland, Oregon, who had previously built the Narada Falls Bridge and the Christine Falls Bridges, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans for the bridge were drawn by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in the National Park Service Rustic style, with construction supervision by NPS landscape architect Ernest A. Davidson. The three-centered arch spans 60 feet (18 m), with a stone-faced concrete structure.

Paradise Historic District United States historic place

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.

St. Andrews Patrol Cabin United States historic place

The St. Andrews Patrol Cabin was built by the National Park Service in 1922 as part of a network of stations near the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park for rangers on patrol. The one-room log structure stands on the Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier. The exterior of the cabin features a porch to the front. The interior is finished with varnished logs and tongue and groove flooring. The cabin 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.

Nisqually Entrance Historic District United States historic place

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South Puyallup River Bridge United States historic place

The South Puyallup River Bridge was built in 1930–31 in Mount Rainier National Park as part of the West Side Road project, planned to link the park's Nisqually and Carbon River entrances. The stone-faced reinforced concrete bridge was designed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Public Roads. It spans 42 feet (13 m) and is almost 35 feet (11 m) wide, carrying two lanes of traffic.

Tioga Pass Entrance Station United States historic place

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Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway Historic District United States historic place

The Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway Historic District includes the main roadway developed within Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California from 1925 to 1951. The road was developed to allow tourists access to the central part of the national park, and was designed in accordance with National Park Service design principles for naturalistic road design and the National Park Service Rustic style of design and construction. The new road was intended to supplant existing primitive roads that led into the park from the periphery, cutting straight through the park to its major sights. The road is designated California State Route 89.

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.

Wilkeson Arch United States historic place

Wilkeson Arch is a monumental gateway structure at the west entrance to Wilkeson, Washington. The stone and timber structure was built in 1925 by the Wilkeson Booster Club, at a cost of $2000. It is similar in design to the Chinook Pass, Nisqually and White River entrance arches in nearby Mount Rainier National Park, deriving its style from the National Park Service Rustic style prevailing in the national park structures of the time. The arch was intended to promote tourism and the local products, coal and sandstone.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Toothman, Stephanie (September 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: White River Entrance" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 8 March 2011.