Historic Structure Report: Kolb Studio Building and Garage (Bldg. 533), South Rim

The Kolb Brothers' Studio and Garage are located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, at the head of the Bright Angel Trail. They are included within the boundaries of the Grand Canyon Village Historic District. The historical significance of the Kolb Studio is its association as the home and workplace of Emery and Ellsworth Kolb, brothers who carved a niche for themselves as early 20th century explorers and photographers of the Grand Canyon. They were the first to make a motion picture record of the entire river trip down the Colorado River, and also photographed the daily mule trains descending the Bright Angel Trail for more than half a century. The buildings, owned by the National Park Service since 1963, are presently unoccupied, but recommendations for repair, stabilization, and future use have been made to protect them against further deterioration. The 1976 Planning Document calls for adaptive reuse, and the 1984 Proposed Development Plan and Operating Schedule outlines the preferred proposal of the building's use as an Interpretive Center, to be managed by Grand Canyon National Park. This would include a visitor contact station and NHA administrative offices. The Garage can be rehabilitated without adverse effect on the Studio complex. Plans call for the Garage envelope to be preserved and the interior converted into public restrooms to serve the Studio and the adjacent rim area. The proposed uses will be both physically and historically compatible and such occupancy of the structures will greatly enhance preservation of the resource.

Historic Structure Report: Kolb Studio Building and Garage (Bldg. 533), South Rim

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