Mount McKinley National Park Headquarters District facts for kids
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Mount McKinley National Park Headquarters District
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Superintendent's residence, Denali National Park
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Boundaries of Mount McKinley National Park Headquarters District
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| Location | Mile 3.4 McKinley Park Highway, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA |
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| Area | 11.91 acres (4.82 ha) |
| Built by | National Park Service; Civilian Conservation Corps |
| Architect | National Park Service |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000975 (original) 100002397 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 23, 1987 |
| Boundary increase | May 10, 2018 |
The Mount McKinley National Park Headquarters District in Alaska, USA, was once the main office for what is now Denali National Park. This special area has many old buildings. They were mostly designed in the 1930s by the National Park Service in a style called "National Park Service Rustic." This style uses natural materials like wood and stone to help buildings blend into the wild landscape.
Contents
History of the Headquarters
When Mount McKinley National Park was first created, it needed a place for its staff to work and manage the park. In 1920, the park finally got money to hire people and set up an office area.
Moving the Park's Main Office
At first, the park's main office was in a town called Nenana. But in 1922, the Alaska Railroad reached the park. This made it easier to get to the park. So, the park headquarters moved closer to the new train station inside the park.
A few years later, in the fall of 1925, the headquarters moved again to where it is today. By 1927, there were nine buildings in this area. Some of these buildings were even moved from the earlier sites!
Building with the Civilian Conservation Corps
The headquarters area grew over time with careful plans. During the Great Depression, a program called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped a lot. The CCC was a group of young men who worked on conservation projects across the country.
Starting in 1938, the CCC did many jobs in the park. Most of their work focused on the headquarters area. They built important things like sewer and water pipes, roads, and many of the buildings you can still see there today. Their hard work helped shape the park's main operations center.
Important Buildings at the Headquarters
The historic district has 14 important buildings. They were built between 1926 and 1941. The area was made even bigger in 2018. These buildings show how the park was managed in its early days.
Here are some of the key buildings:
- Office Building (also called the Old Museum), built in 1926.
- Warehouse (now the Museum), built in 1928.
- Barn (also known as the Old Sign Shop), built in 1928-1929.
- Dog Feed Cache and Sled Storage (where they kept dog food and sleds for the park's sled dogs), built in 1929-1930.
- Electric Light Plant (Power House), built in 1930-1931.
- Garage (also called the Ranger Cache), built in 1931.
- Comfort Station (sometimes called the "John House"), built in 1932.
- Boiler House (also known as the Plumbing Shop), built in 1932.
- Rangers' Dormitory (also called the Administration Building), built in 1934-1935.
- Employee Residences (two buildings), both built in 1938.
- Superintendent's Garage, built in 1939.
- Garage and Repair Shop (also called the Carpenter Shop), built in 1939.
- Employee's Residence (also known as the Superintendent's Residence), built in 1940-1941.
Images for kids
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Dog feed cache and sled storage building
