Saddlehorn Utility Area Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Saddlehorn Utility Area Historic District in Colorado National Monument
comprises a complex of park service buildings, designed by the National Park Service
Branch of Plans and Designs in the National Park Service Rustic
style. The primary designer was National Park Service
architect Kenneth M. Saunders, who employed the local red sandstone
in the buildings, which included shops, fuel shed, repair and storage buildings. The buildings were constructed in 1941 by Public Works Administration
and Civilian Conservation Corps
labor.
The utility area is located at the intersection of Rim Rock Drive
and the Saddle horn Loop, named after a distinctive nearby rock formation. It is separated from the caretaker's house
by a low hill. Construction was carried out by craftsmen, known as LEM's (Local Experienced Men), with suitable skills, reputedly stonemasons of Italian descent. Much of the material came from Rim Rock Drive construction.
The three Saddlehorn National Register properties were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places
as a multiple property submission on the basis of their related design and history. The utility area was built by CCC camp NM-2-C.
Colorado National Monument
- Trails :The Monument contains many hiking trails, with lengths and difficulties to suit all tastes. Summer storms can cause flash floods as well as dangerous trail conditions. Rattlesnakes are found on the Monument, and rough terrain exists everywhere, but most trails are well-maintained...
comprises a complex of park service buildings, designed by 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...
Branch of Plans and Designs in the National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service rustic, also colloquially known as Parkitecture, is a style of architecture that arose in the United States National Park System to create buildings that harmonized with their natural environment. Since its founding, the National Park Service consistently has sought to provide...
style. The primary designer was 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...
architect Kenneth M. Saunders, who employed the local red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in the buildings, which included shops, fuel shed, repair and storage buildings. The buildings were constructed in 1941 by Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
and 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...
labor.
The utility area is located at the intersection of Rim Rock Drive
Rim Rock Drive
Rim Rock Drive is a scenic road in Colorado National Monument. The 23-mile drive follows the upper rim of a series of canyons, extending from the vicinity of Fruita, Colorado in the west to near Grand Junction, Colorado in the east, connecting points only eight miles apart in a straight line...
and the Saddle horn Loop, named after a distinctive nearby rock formation. It is separated from the caretaker's house
Saddlehorn Caretaker's House and Garage
The Saddlehorn Caretaker's House and Garage, also known as the Stone House, the Rock House and the Superintendent's Quarters is a house in Colorado National Monument...
by a low hill. Construction was carried out by craftsmen, known as LEM's (Local Experienced Men), with suitable skills, reputedly stonemasons of Italian descent. Much of the material came from Rim Rock Drive construction.
The three Saddlehorn National Register properties were nominated to 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...
as a multiple property submission on the basis of their related design and history. The utility area was built by CCC camp NM-2-C.
External links
- Saddlehorn Area, Warehouse & Office Building, Maintenance area, Fruita vicinity, Mesa County, CO: 3 photos, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Building Survey