Northeast Entrance Station facts for kids
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Northeast Entrance Station
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 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
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| Location |  US 212 – Yellowstone National Park, Montana |
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| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | NPS Branch of Plans & Design; George Larkin |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001435 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1987 |
| Designated NHL | May 28, 1987 |
The Northeast Entrance Station is a special building at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Montana. It's a rustic log building, meaning it's made from natural logs, and it looks like it belongs in the wilderness. This station was built in 1935 by the National Park Service.
It sits right over U.S. Route 212, which is a main road leading into the park. Near the entrance station, there's also a building that serves as both a ranger station and a home for park rangers. All these buildings were constructed by a builder named George Larkin.
What Does It Look Like?
The Northeast Entrance Station is unique because it stretches across the road. Imagine driving through a building to get into the park! It has a main section in the middle with an office and two windows where park staff can check visitors.
On each side of the main section, there are smaller parts, each with another checking window. A long, sloped roof connects all these sections, making it look like one big structure. Each part of the building has its own smaller, pointed roof called a cross gable.
The walls are made from lodgepole pine logs. These logs were cut right inside Yellowstone Park. They are joined together in a special way called saddle-jointed corners. The roof is covered with shingles and supported by more log poles. The whole station sits on a strong foundation made of local stone. There's also a stone chimney for heating.
Ranger Residence
Close by, there's a matching log building where park rangers live. This building is rectangular and has a small extra room for an office. It's a one-story house with seven rooms. It was built with insulation, which was unusual for its time. This helped keep the house warm and prevented ice from building up on the roof.
Why Is It Important?
The Northeast Entrance Station is very important because it's a great example of "National Park Service rustic" design. This style uses natural materials like logs and stone to help buildings blend in with the beautiful park environment.
The National Park Service even featured this station in a special book called Park and Recreational Structures. This book showed how park buildings should be designed. It was very popular in the late 1930s when many parks were being built or improved. This was often part of projects to create jobs during tough economic times.
The design of the entrance station might have also been inspired by the nearby town of Silver Gate. This small community decided in 1932 to build all its new buildings using log construction.
Historic Landmark Status
Because the Northeast Entrance Station is such a perfect example of its design style, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1987. At the same time, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site that should be protected.
