Comfort Station No. 72 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Comfort Station No. 72
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Comfort Station #4 in Rim Village
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| Location | Crater Lake National Park |
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| Nearest city | Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA |
| Built | 1930 |
| Architectural style | National Park Rustic |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002625 |
| Added to NRHP | 1988 |
The Comfort Station No. 72 is an old building in Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon, United States. It's also known as Comfort Station #4. This building was put up in 1930. Its main job was to give park visitors a place to use the public toilet and take showers.
The building was made in a special style called National Park Service Rustic. This style uses natural materials to help buildings blend in with their surroundings. Because of its history and unique look, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Contents
What is Comfort Station No. 72?
Comfort Station #4 (also called building 72) is found in Rim Village inside Crater Lake National Park. It was built to offer public showers and restrooms for people visiting the park. You can find it on the southwest side of Rim Village, behind the main cafeteria and gift shop.
What Does it Look Like?
This building has one story and is made of wood. It has natural stones on the outside. These stones help it match other buildings in Rim Village, like the cafeteria.
Long ago, an oil-burning heater warmed the water for showers. Today, the building is still an important part of Rim Village. It has changed a bit over time. It used to be a comfort station, but now it's a place for electrical equipment. Because of this, visitors cannot go inside anymore.
Even though its use has changed, the building still looks rustic. This means it keeps its natural, old-fashioned style. This style helps it fit in with the beautiful park area. Its unique rustic look is why it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
A Look Back: Its History
On May 22, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill. This bill made Crater Lake the sixth national park in the United States. The United States Department of the Interior was then in charge of creating places for visitors in the park. In 1927, the National Park Service approved a big plan for developing Rim Village. The plan was managed by the National Park Service's Landscape Engineering Division.
Building Rim Village
For the next 14 years, Crater Lake National Park grew. New buildings and services were added based on the park's master plan. Buildings from this time all shared a similar look. They followed the National Park Service's rustic design style.
Comfort Station #4 was part of this big plan. It was built in 1930 by staff from the National Park Service. Merel S. Sager, the park's landscape architect, led the project. He was a pioneer of the rustic style used in parks.
Today, the six main buildings in Rim Village still show this rustic design. Smaller buildings, like Comfort Station #4, also keep this look. Because of these special design features, Rim Village itself was listed as a historic district in 1997.
Visiting Rim Village
Rim Village is high up in the Cascade Mountains. It sits about 7,100 feet (2,164 meters) above sea level. In this area, winter lasts for about eight months.
You can usually get to Rim Village all year. However, most of the park's services are only open during the summer. This is because of the very heavy snowfall in winter. On average, it snows about 533 inches (1,354 cm) each year!
