Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Moose, Wyoming |
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| Architect | NPS Branch of Plans & Design |
| MPS | Grand Teton National Park MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000610 |
| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1990 |
The Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District is a special area in Grand Teton National Park. For many years, from the 1930s to the 1960s, this was the main place where visitors came to get information. The district is located near Jenny Lake in Wyoming.
The buildings here are a mix of new structures and older ones that were changed for use by the National Park Service. For example, the ranger station started as a cabin built by Lee Mangus around 1925. It was moved and rebuilt around 1930 for the Park Service. All the buildings were designed in a style called National Park Service Rustic. This style uses natural materials like logs and stones to help buildings blend into the park's environment.
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Exploring the Jenny Lake Ranger Station
The ranger station building was originally a cabin. It was built by Lee Manges around 1925. The National Park Service bought it in 1930. Then, they moved it to its current spot.
This small, rectangular cabin is made of logs. It has a front porch with log poles. The front gable, which is the triangular part of the wall under the roof, has a cool V-pattern made from half-logs.
Discovering the Crandall Photo Studio
The Crandall Photo Studio was first built in 1925-1926. It was located just east of String Lake. In 1931, the Park Service bought the land where it stood. So, the studio was moved to the Jenny Lake site.
Harrison Crandall was the owner of this studio. He was from Kansas and came to Jackson Hole in 1921. He and his wife, Hildegarde, started a homestead near where the Jenny Lake Lodge is today. Crandall sold beautiful pictures of the Teton mountains. He also took souvenir photos of visitors at the many dude ranches in Jackson Hole. Crandall was also a painter. His artwork appeared in magazines and was collected by famous people like John D. Rockefeller, Jr..
The studio worked at Jenny Lake until 1958. After that, it became a book and gift store. Today, it also works as a small visitor center. The building itself is long and deep. It has two main rooms and a high, open ceiling. Light comes in through special windows called clerestory windows. These windows are placed high up in the roof.
Understanding the Comfort Stations
The comfort stations are restrooms for visitors. They were built in 1934 and 1935. These buildings followed standard plans from the National Park Service.
The work was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was a program during the Great Depression that put young men to work on conservation projects. The workers who built these stations were based at the Jenny Lake CCC Camp NP-4.
Current Use of the Historic District
The Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District still welcomes visitors today. However, it is no longer the main visitor center for the park. Newer facilities were built at Moose, Wyoming, starting in the 1960s.
The Crandall Studio is now a book and gift shop. It also serves as a small visitor center. The ranger station building is used by climbing rangers. They help climbers and issue permits for climbing in the park. The comfort stations are still used by visitors.
This historic district was officially recognized as important on April 23, 1990. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
