Altair Campground Community Kitchen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Altair Campground Community Kitchen
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Altair Campground Community Kitchen in October 2015
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Along Elwha River, about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) south of Elwha, in Olympic National Park |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | Civilian Conservation Corps |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | Olympic National Park MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000732 |
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 2007 |
The Altair Campground Community Kitchen is a special historic building. It is located in Olympic National Park in Washington state. This kitchen was built in 1935 to help campers at the Altair Campground. It's a great example of old park architecture.
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What is the Altair Campground Community Kitchen?
The Altair Campground Community Kitchen is an open, rectangular building. It was designed to be a place where campers could cook and gather. It was built in a style called National Park Service Rustic. This style uses natural materials like logs and stone.
Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
The kitchen was built by people from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was a program during the 1930s. It helped young men find work during the Great Depression. They built many parks and buildings across the United States. The workers who built this kitchen came from the Elwha River Camp.
What Does it Look Like?
The kitchen is near the Elwha River. It is made from peeled logs. It has a roof made of cedar shakes. Inside, there is a large stone fireplace for cooking. The building is about 28 feet (8.5 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide. The fireplace is in the middle and its chimney goes up through the roof.
Over the years, some parts of the building have changed. The bottom parts of the log columns were replaced with concrete. This was done because the original logs started to wear out. Also, the original log railings around the kitchen are no longer there.
A Bit of History
The Altair Campground Community Kitchen is one of only two such buildings left in Olympic National Park. The other is the Elwha Campground Community Kitchen. The Altair campground itself was named after a ship, the USS Altair. The crew of this ship often used the campground in the 1920s and 1930s.
Because of its history and unique style, the kitchen was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This happened on July 13, 2007. Being on this list means it is an important historical site.
The River's Impact
In 2014, all the dams on the Elwha River were removed. This was a big project to help the river flow freely again. However, in November 2015, the river flooded. Both the Altair and Elwha Campgrounds were badly damaged by the water.
The National Park Service has decided not to rebuild these two campgrounds. It is not clear what condition the kitchen building is in now.
