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Identification:
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Preferred Structure Name:
| Willow Park Patrol Cabin
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Structure Number:
| HS-0027
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Other Structure Name(s):
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Other Structure Name(s)
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1.
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Willow Park Cook and Mess Hall
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2.
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Willow Park Ranger Station
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Park:
| Rocky Mountain National Park
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Historic District:
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Historic District
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| No records. |
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Structure State:
| Colorado
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Structure County:
| Larimer
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Region:
| Intermountain
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Cluster:
| Rocky Mountain
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Administrative Unit:
| Rocky Mountain National Park
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LCS ID:
| 010515
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Historical Significance:
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National Register Status:
| Entered - Documented
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National Register Date:
| 01/29/1988
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National Historic Landmark?:
| No
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Significance Level:
| Local
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Short Significance Description:
| Significant under criterion A for its association with Trail Ridge Road and under criterion C for its NPS rustic architecture (1870-1941).
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Long Significance Description:
| The Willow Park Patrol Cabin is significant for its rustic design and its association with Trail Ridge Road. In 1915, Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act to preserve the beauty of Colorado's north park. In order to accommodate a growing number of visitors--thanks in large part to the popularity of the automobile--the park built various ranger stations in the backcountry. The park built these stations to reflect a burgeoning philosophy of rustic design.
Stephen Mather and Horace Albright advocated rustic design within the National Park Service as early as 1918 believing that buildings should blend with their natural surroundings. By utilizing log construction, the cabin follows this design philosophy. The backcountry cabins share the rustic style, although materials vary from stone to log depending on the environment. The cabins and stations are frequently found in remote locations, which increases the rate of deterioration. Despite the extreme environment and the isolated conditions, the cabins and stations are, for the most part, well maintained by the rangers and visitors. The Willow Park Patrol Cabin (#0027) and the adjacent stable (#0258) originally served crews maintaining Fall River Road. As the park's popularity grew, Fall River Road proved inadequate to handle the number of visitors who congested its route each summer day.
To remedy this, the park built Trail Ridge Road between 1927 and 1933. W.L. Lafferty, United States Highway Engineer, supervised the construction by C.A. Colt and Sons (on the east side) and L.T. Lawler (on the west side). It was an engineering feat: eleven miles of its route lies above 11,000 feet and four miles lies above 12,000 feet. Still, the grade does not exceed seven percent. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous highway in the nation and contributed to the development of the National Park highway/parkway system.
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Construction Period:
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Construction Period:
| Historic
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Chronology:
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Physical Event
| Begin Year
| Begin Year AD/BC
| End Year
| End Year AD/BC
| Designer
| Designer Occupation
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1.
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Built
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1923
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AD
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Hull, Daniel P.
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Architect
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2.
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Preserved
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2001
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AD
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2002
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AD
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NPS
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Function and Use:
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Primary Historic Function:
| Patrol Cabin
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Primary Current Use:
| Patrol Cabin
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Structure Contains Museum Collections?:
| No
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Other Functions or Uses:
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Other Function(s) or Use(s)
| Historic or Current
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1.
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Ranger Station
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Historic
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2.
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Dormitory (Bunkhouse)
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Historic
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3.
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Road-Related
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Historic
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Physical Description:
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Structure Type:
| Building
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Volume:
| 2,000 - 20,000 cubic feet
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Square Feet:
| 512
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Material(s):
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Structural Component(s)
| Material(s)
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1.
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Foundation
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Stone
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2.
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Framing
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Log
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3.
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Walls
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Log
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4.
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Roof
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Shingle
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Short Physical Description:
| One-story, rectangular plan log building with a side gable roof covered with wood shingles. Saddle-notched logs have sawn ends. The building has two doors, both accessed by dimensional lumber stoops (not historic). Wood sliding windows are divided into six lights.
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Long Physical Description:
| The one-story, log building is rectangular in plan. The gable roof is covered in wood shingles that double every fifth course. The logs are double saddle-notched with sawn ends. Rustic details--such as exposed rafter tips and a fieldstone foundation--characterize the exterior. The building has divided light wood windows. Two doors on the front façade provide access to the two interior rooms that are separated by a log partition. Stairs lead to a small landing in front of the doors. Rustic features in the interior include split-sapling chinking.
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