Rattlesnake Springs Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Rattlesnake Springs Historic District is part of an isolated unit of Carlsbad Caverns National Park
, surrounding a spring that creates an oasis
in the Chihuahuan Desert
. The area was homesteaded and farmed in 1880 by William Henry Harrison. Harrison, who claimed kinship with U.S. President William Henry Harrison
, established the Harrison ditch system to irrigate the lands, which remains in existence, and which is responsible for the landscaped appearance of the area today. Harrison died in 1930, and the National Park Service
acquired the property as a source of water for the national park, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north and west. The Park Service built a number of structures in the Territorial Revival style.
The Park Service, with assistance from Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) laborers, removed most of the homestead structures and continued to landscape the area. A CCC camp was established at Rattlesnake Springs. During the latter part of World War II, the now-abandoned CCC camp was used as a recreation center for military personnel from a nearby airfield, but was demolished by the 1950s.
Later Park Service structures were designed by Ken Saunders and Del Jones at the Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in Santa Fe
. Notable structures include the 1940 Ranger's Residence and the 1933 Pump House designed by William G. Carnes in the Pueblo Revival style. A fruit orchard established by Harrison and landscaping created by the Park Service also are considered contributing elements to the historic district.
The Rattlesnake Springs district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on July 14, 1988. The area is noted for the number of bird species it supports in the otherwise arid region.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park for most visitors is the show cave, Carlsbad Caverns...
, surrounding a spring that creates an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
in the Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. The area was homesteaded and farmed in 1880 by William Henry Harrison. Harrison, who claimed kinship with U.S. President William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
, established the Harrison ditch system to irrigate the lands, which remains in existence, and which is responsible for the landscaped appearance of the area today. Harrison died in 1930, and the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
acquired the property as a source of water for the national park, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north and west. The Park Service built a number of structures in the Territorial Revival style.
The Park Service, with assistance from Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC) laborers, removed most of the homestead structures and continued to landscape the area. A CCC camp was established at Rattlesnake Springs. During the latter part of World War II, the now-abandoned CCC camp was used as a recreation center for military personnel from a nearby airfield, but was demolished by the 1950s.
Later Park Service structures were designed by Ken Saunders and Del Jones at the Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. Notable structures include the 1940 Ranger's Residence and the 1933 Pump House designed by William G. Carnes in the Pueblo Revival style. A fruit orchard established by Harrison and landscaping created by the Park Service also are considered contributing elements to the historic district.
The Rattlesnake Springs district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 14, 1988. The area is noted for the number of bird species it supports in the otherwise arid region.