The Grand Canyon Park Operations Building was built in 1929 on the South Rim of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

. It is significant as an example of a

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

building designed to blend harmoniously with the natural surroundings, in the

National Park Service Rustic 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 ...

style. The Operations Building was designed to replace the Superintendent's Residence as the park headquarters. It was in turn replaced by a newer building in 1967, and presently functions as the headquarters for park law enforcement. The building was designed by the National Park Service Landscape Division under the direction of

Thomas Chalmers Vint Thomas Chalmers Vint (August 15, 1894 – October 26, 1967) was a landscape architect credited for directing and shaping landscape planning and development during the early years of the United States National Park System. His work at Yosemite ...

, and has been designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

for its design significance.

Description

The Park Operations Building is a two-story structure, with rubble Kaibab

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

construction to the sill level of the first floor and wood-frame construction above. The building is dominated by massive battered rubble piers extending to the second floor sill level, with three large peeled log corner posts at each corner. It is crowned by a shallow-pitched roof with deep, bracketed eaves. A 1938 restroom addition is constructed in a similar manner, with sympathetic use of form and materials. The gabled roof runs back from the principal elevation, which features a ribbon of windows at the second floor and a central entrance door flanked by windows at the first floor. Little remains of the original interior, which was substantially renovated in 1938 and several times later. The lobby, however, remains substantially intact, with a large stone fireplace whose chimney supports log ceiling beams. The Operations Building is one of the earliest and largest examples of Park Service rustic design at the Grand Canyon, part of the largest developed area in a U.S. national park. The Grand Canyon Village ensemble was developed with a consistent and original design theme in a style unique to the Park Service, in opposition to the eclectic style of park concessioners at the

El Tovar Hotel The El Tovar Hotel, also known simply as El Tovar, is a former Harvey House hotel situated directly on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. The hotel was designed by Charles Whittlesey, Chief Architect for the Atchison, ...

Historic designations

The Park Operations Building was declared a

on May 28, 1987, reflecting its status as a prominent example of rustic construction in the national parks. It is included in the Grand Canyon Village National Historic Landmark District.

References

External links

Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study: Grand Canyon Park Operations Building, by Laura Soullière Harrison, 1986
at National Park Service.

Parkitecture in Western National Parks {{NRHP in Arizona by county Buildings and structures in Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon Government buildings in Arizona Government buildings completed in 1929 Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona National Historic Landmarks in Arizona 1929 establishments in Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona National Park Service rustic in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Grand Canyon National Park Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Arizona

Description

Historic designations

See also

References

External links