Historic Structure Report: Rangers' Dormitory Building #21, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Hennebery Eddy Architects

The Rangers’ Dormitory (Building 21), now known as the Headquarters Building, is located within the boundary of the Mount McKinley Park Headquarters Historic District approximately three miles from the park’s entrance on the 92.5-mile Denali Park Road. The Ranger’s Dormitory is one of 17 resources contributing to the original historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service in 1987. Following a boundary expansion in 2016, the historic district now encompasses 37 resources (26 contributing and 11 non-contributing) and a network of connected roads, including the Park Road’s own historic district. The Rangers’ Dormitory was designed by the National Park Service (NPS) and constructed by park personnel and contracted labor in 1934-35. One of multiple buildings developed at this location for park administration and staff, the building initially served as a bunkhouse for park rangers but was converted in 1952-54 to the park administrative headquarters providing office space for park administrators. Design Guidelines for the historic district were established in 1985 and amended in 2016. A Cultural Landscape Inventory was completed for the district in 2004 and a Cultural Landscape Report was published in 2008. These documents outline areas and period of significance for the district, provide guidance for repair, alteration, and new construction within the district, and recommend landscape rehabilitation. This Historic Structure Report (HSR) was prepared as a planning and management document for Denali National Park and Preserve to inform future rehabilitation and maintenance projects at the Rangers’ Dormitory (Building 21), now the park administrative headquarters. It provides historical, architectural, and long-term stewardship information. The primary purpose of this HSR is to: document the property; identify the significant character-defining features of the building and site; assess current conditions; and provide guidance for immediate treatment and long-term use and stewardship. Additionally, the park is specifically interested in considering improvements to building accessibility at entrances, restrooms, and the second floor.

Historic Structure Report: Rangers' Dormitory Building #21, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Series