Civilian Conservation Corps Garages
The Civilian Conservation Corps equipment sheds and the associated boulevard lie on both sides of the wide median in the maintenance yard. Construction of the sheds began in 1941. The sheds were originally built to store the heavy equipment used to maintain the Going to the Sun Road. They contain ten 12-panel/three-light metal vehicular doors that dominate the front elevations. These sheds initiated the second phase in headquarters development. The monotony of the yard itself would be broken by a row of three (later two) oval-shaped tree islands located down the center line. These sheds are still standing, as are the trees on the farthest south of the two tree islands. This phase of headquarters development made sure that the housing, maintenance, and administrative buildings were grouped together in separate locations. As you can see, the small area that you walked today on the tour continues to be the working operation and housing center for the park. As such, it contains cultural resources from some of the major eras of National Park Service history and architecture. From pre-park establishment and American Indians‟ relationship to this special place, to the creation of the park - the roads and bridges, trails, park housing, fire management, and administrative office space -there have been many changes in the past 100 years. These cultural resources are protected and preserved as a record of the human component of national park operations. We can only wonder at what changes, needs, and issues may affect this area and the human side of operating a national park in the next 100 years.
