The Roosevelt Arch is a
rusticated triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...
at the north entrance to
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...
in
Gardiner,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Constructed under the supervision of the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
at
Fort Yellowstone
Fort Yellowstone was a U.S. Army fort, established in 1891 at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was designated in 1872 but the Interior Department was unable to effectively manage the park. Administration was transfer ...
, its
cornerstone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over tim ...
was laid down by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
in 1903. The top of the arch is inscribed with a quote from the
Organic Act
In United States law, an organic act is an act of the United States Congress that establishes a territory of the United States and specifies how it is to be governed, or an agency to manage certain federal lands. In the absence of an organ ...
of 1872, the legislation which created Yellowstone, which reads: "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People".
The idea of the arch is attributed to
Hiram Martin Chittenden, who felt that the area surrounding Gardiner was not sufficiently impressive and required an emphatic statement of arrival at the famous park. Before 1903, trains brought visitors to Cinnabar, Montana, which was a few miles northwest of Gardiner, Montana, where people would transfer onto
horse-drawn coaches to enter the park. In 1903, the railway finally came to Gardiner. With the development of the Gardiner train station, the arch was proposed as part of the station ensemble.
Construction
The design of the Roosevelt Arch has been attributed to
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Robert Reamer
Robert Chambers Reamer (1873–1938) was an American architect, most noted for the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their architecture.
Reamer was ...
, who designed the train depot, but documentation is inconclusive.
Construction of the arch began on February 19, 1903, and was completed on August 15, 1903, at a cost of around
$10,000. The archway was built at the north entrance, which was the first major entrance for Yellowstone. President Roosevelt was visiting Yellowstone during construction and was asked to place the
cornerstone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over tim ...
for the arch, which then took his name. The cornerstone that Roosevelt laid on April 24, 1903 covered a
time capsule
A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ...
that contains a
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
, a picture of Roosevelt, local newspapers, and other items. Several thousand people came to Gardiner for the dedication, including
John F. Yancey, who subsequently caught a chill and died in Gardiner as a result.
Description
The arch is constructed of hexagonal blocks of
columnar basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% o ...
, quarried locally. The arch is high. Two towers or buttresses flank the main archway, pierced by pedestrian passages with heavy wood doors. The arch is flanked by curved walls of the same basalt stone, high, ending in short towers. The quote from the Organic Act is set above the arch in a rectangular slab of concrete. Similar panels flank the arch above the pedestrian doors, with "Yellowstone National Park" on the left and "Created by Act of Congress, March 1, 1872" on the right. Original ambitions for the design included a lake and waterfall, which could not be practically constructed in the semi-arid region and were never pursued. Instead, a small pond was built a little way in front of the arch, with unusual landscaping including sequoias from California. The pond and trees eventually disappeared. The north entrance station was located just past the arch from 1921 until it was relocated a substantial distance to the south in 1961.
The arch is listed as a contributing structure to the
North Entrance Road Historic District, and was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
as part of the district in 2002.
[Whittlesey, Schullery, pp. 20-21]
Notes
*
See also
*
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 propert ...
*
Rustic architecture
Rustic architecture is a style of architecture in the United States, used in rural government and private structures and their landscape interior design. It was influenced by the American craftsman style.
According to the National Park Service, †...
*
List of post-Roman triumphal arches
This is a list of post-Roman triumphal arches. Since the Renaissance period, rulers and states have sought to glorify themselves or commemorate victories by erecting triumphal arches on the Roman model. Modern arches have ranged from temporary stru ...
{{coord, 45, 1, 46.1, N, 110, 42, 31.2, W, region:US-MT_type:landmark, display=title
Buildings and structures in Yellowstone National Park in Montana
Gates in the United States
Triumphal arches in the United States
Buildings and structures completed in 1903
Buildings and structures in Park County, Montana
Tourist attractions in Park County, Montana
1903 establishments in Montana