Old NPS Housing Historic District: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Bryce Canyon National Park, National Park Service

Mardorf, Carrie; Miller, Katie; University of of Arizona College of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Planning

The Old NPS Housing District is currently located at the center of a loop of roadways in the heart of a more visitor‑focused area of Bryce Canyon National Park. The site is situated at the base of a low timbered knoll about one quarter mile west of the Bryce Canyon Historic District and Paunsaugunt Plateau rim. The existing landscape reflects to a great extent the development of NPS housing within the National Park Service in its existing “Rustic” style buildings. The site consists of a relatively small grouping of residential units, surrounded on all sides by visitor amenities such as the Bryce Canyon Lodge, the Rim Trail and Sunrise Vista. It is physically isolated from the other NPS housing and maintenance areas. Natural buffers such as stands of Ponderosa pine forest and sagebrush meadows help to visually separate the buildings themselves from the visitor areas, and help to create a unified sense of place. The area is defined by the Rim Road to the west and the Lodge Loop Road to the north, south and east. It also includes the Utah Parks Company Service Station building. The Old NPS Housing Historic District is representative of park development characterized by principles in park planning that had been formalized by the National Park Service between the years of 1916‑1942. This time frame is closely aligned with the end of World War I (1914‑1918) and the beginning of World War II (1939‑1940). During this period, the national park system was extensively developed and modernized, with landscape architects and architects employed to create service villages within the parks that reflected a consistent “Rustic style” character and appearance. This aesthetic has had an impact on the way that visitors experienced, and expected to experience, the scenery and recreational amenities of the national parks. Between the establishment of Park facilities in 1924 and America’s entry into World War II in 1941, the concessionaire and administrative facilities developed within the Old NPS Housing area were deliberately planned to compliment the Park’s natural environment as well as to provide for the needs of a wide range of visitors. The Old NPS Housing Historic District period of significance is listed as 1932‑1944 with a beginning date reflecting the date of construction. This time frame is characterized by work programs established during the New Deal era; improvements were made in Bryce Canyon National Park as well as many other national parks throughout the country. The Old Housing Historic District is associated with the development of NPS administrative infrastructure in Bryce Canyon National Park, and is included in the property type that contains all improvements initiated by the NPS. Areas of significance include architecture, government, and recreation. The site is continued to be used as an NPS housing area and retains integrity relating to the period of significance.

Old NPS Housing Historic District: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Bryce Canyon National Park, National Park Service

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