Ahwahnee_HSR_1.2011_pgs_46-85.pdf

ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUPStatement of Signifi cance

Histor ic Structures Report

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Overview of Significance of The Ahwahnee

Potential Significance of The Ahwahnee under Criterion A Historically, Th e Ahwahnee is important for its role in the development of tourism, national parks, and the concessions industry. Specifi cally, Th e Ahwahnee has played a role in the development of Yosemite Valley. Th e Ahwahnee Hotel Developed Area is a contributing area within in the Yosemite Valley Historic District under Criterion A. Th e Ahwahnee is important for its role in the then-emerging appreciation of American citizens for the National Park System and the great outdoors, for its stature among the great lodges of the West, and as a representation of the developing resorts that attracted wealthy visitors in the country’s new National Park System. An increase in tourism to Yosemite Valley in the early part of the 20th century was supported by the expanding railroad and road system in Mariposa County. More visitation to Yosemite Valley refl ected the overall mobility of a public with increasing access to automobiles. Park concessioners capitalized on these trends with the construction of luxury hotels catering to elite visitors at the country’s most scenic parks. Th e nascent National Park Service’s infl uence over these changes, evident in Mather’s drive to create the YP&C Co., helped create a dynamic process that generated new development responsive to the demands of the American public yet sympathetic to natural surroundings.

Other events of historic importance in which Th e Ahwahnee was pivotal include the WWII wartime use as a naval convalescent hospital (further discussed below) and as host to dignitaries throughout the 20th century. Th e Ahwahnee has played a part in the debate of the appropriate role of recreation in the national parks as its stewards sought a balance with contemplative enjoyment of nature and development.

In other areas of historic importance, Th e Ahwahnee’s management acted as innovator infl uencing other parks and the NPS itself. Th e Olmsted Brothers’ landscape plan to showcase park vegetation by planting wildfl owers and shrubs native to the Sierra region resulted in a Wild Flower Preserve at Th e Ahwahnee, the fi rst in the National Park Service. As a “splendid example of a naturalistic landscape in the wilderness,” the Preserve infl uenced NPS landscape designers and encouraged other concessioners to plant wildfl owers and natives.5

Potential Significance of The Ahwahnee under Criterion B Although not designated for signifi cance under Criterion B, Th e Ahwahnee is associated with numerous nationally renowned Americans who made great contributions in their fi elds; landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.; Steven T. Mather, fi rst director of the National Park Service; and Horace Albright, Mather’s right-hand man and his successor as the second director of the NPS. In line with Mather’s vision, Th e Ahwahnee was the fi rst hotel built for a specifi c clientele with a goal of gaining public support for the Park

5 Linda Flint McClelland, Building the National Parks: Historic Landscape Design and Construction (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998) 270.

Figure 47: Birthday celebration for Stephen Mather at the sixth fl oor Sun Porch, July 1928. (Source: Sargent, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Classic Hotel, 23.)

Summary of Previous National Register Nominations

Nomination Date of Listing

Signifi cance Level

Signifi cance Criteria

Period of Signifi cance

Contributing Resources Documented within Nomination

National Register of Historic Places

1977 National C 1925-1927 Th e Ahwahnee hotel exterior, interior, and ancillary buildings

National Historic Landmark nomination

National and Regional

C 1925-present Th e Ahwahnee Hotel exterior, hotel interior, meadow, stone gate house, parking lots, pond and walkways north of Porte Cochere

Yosemite Valley Historic District nomination (Th e Ahwahnee Hotel Developed Area)

2006 National A, C 1855-1942 (entire district)

Th e Ahwahnee hotel, Ahwahnee Guest Cottages, Ahwahnee Hotel Guest Cottage Linen Building, Entry Road, Gate Lodge and Post, West parking area, pond, paths to Cottages, footbridge to Cottages, footbridge near Merced river, bridle trail ford, drainage ways, tennis courts, terrace

Yosemite Valley Archeology District

1978 D Not disclosed.

Statement of Signifi canceARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP

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System. In this way, Th e Ahwahnee is important for its association with Mather, a keen advocate for the Park System and its grand lodges. Olmsted, Jr.’s continual advocacy for Yosemite had profound and wide-ranging eff ects.

Th e Ahwahnee is associated with Dr. Donald B. Tresidder and Mary Curry Tresidder who were responsible for management of the hotel and provided continuity from the start. With a private in-house apartment, their ties to Th e Ahwahnee were deeply personal, and their style of management tended toward the familial. Long-standing traditions, like the Bracebridge Dinner, and relationships with individuals, infl uential and otherwise, who cared about Yosemite, were cultivated by the Tresidders for the benefi t of the place. Th e Curry family tradition of hospitality at Yosemite predated Th e Ahwahnee and was carried on by Mary Curry Tresidder who oft en invoked her mother’s words to Camp Curry employees, “Anyone who comes here, I consider to be a guest in my own home, and I expect them to be treated accordingly.”6 While a distinctly corporate, rather than familial, undertaking, Th e Ahwahnee has long been cloaked in traditions, held dear, and attitudes established by the Curry Family before its construction.

Significance of The Ahwahnee under Criterion C Primarily signifi cant for architectural merit, under National Register Criterion C, Th e Ahwahnee is still considered the greatest of the national park lodges, the last lodge built to such loft y levels of artistic signifi cance and achievement.7 Previous designations, specifi cally the National Historic Landmark nomination, note the rustic monumentality of Th e Ahwahnee’s architecture. Exhibiting indigenous materials and tenets of the rustic style, but on a grand scale, Th e Ahwahnee is signifi cant for its site, setting, materials, highest-quality design and artistic values, and craft smanship. Th e Ahwahnee acts as a counterpoint to the architecture of nearby Yosemite Village, which is smaller in scale and densely enveloped by trees. Th e hotel is sited in the vast plain of the Great Meadow, 6 Obituary of Mary Curry Tresidder, San Francisco Chronicle, 1970.

7 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 8:42.

somewhat isolated to the east, to capture many of Yosemite’s iconic sights, including Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Glacier Point.

Sited below the Royal Arches rock formations, the setting is integral to its design and expression. With the solid massing of a rock pile buttressed by fl ared stone piers, the seven-story structure was designed to refl ect the surrounding natural conditions and materials.

Th e building’s design quality and detailing are such that it represents a type, period, and method of construction emblematic of its era, the extravagant 1920s, when big ideas reigned. Th e building’s architectural signifi cance is tied to its craft smanship and use of materials such as rough-cut granite, poured concrete imitating wood, and local Sierra logs. Construction technologies focused on a fi re-resistant building, a concrete and steel-frame building, masked by a naturalistic stone exterior.

Representing the work of prolifi c master architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, Th e Ahwahnee was built in quick succession to his other successful park hotels: the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge, Bryce Canyon Lodge, and Zion Lodge. Having recently honed his skills in the rustic style, Underwood next designed Th e Ahwahnee. With an understanding of Park Service philosophy and goals, Underwood, with the YP&C Co. and their contractor, James L. McLaughlin of San Francisco, executed the project under impossibly challenging circumstances related to unfi nished road construction, transport of materials to a remote location, travel, weather, owner indecision and change orders, project timeline, and logistics.

Th e National Historic Landmark nomination calls out Th e Ahwahnee interiors, in addition to its monumental exterior expression, stating, “Inseparable from that architecture is the period art work and interior design so carefully executed throughout the building.”8 Apart from its architecture, Th e Ahwahnee is associated with the importance of its interior design carried out by numerous professionals and artists. Th ese include Dr. Phyllis Ackerman and Arthur Upham Pope, authorities on Persian art, rugs, and tapestries who directed the interior design; Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and horticulturalist

8 Soulliere Harrison, National Historic Landmark Nomination, 8:1.

Figure 49: Overall view of the Great Lounge, c. 1927. (Source: Yosemite National Park Research Library, RL 12604)

Figure 48: Elevator Lobby stairs, c. 1930s. (Source:

Yosemite National Park Research Library, RL 15384)

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Carl Purdy; artist Jeannette Spencer and architect Ted Spencer who oversaw projects at Th e Ahwahnee over decades; and various young artists who participated in the original decoration and went on to important careers, Robert Boardman Howard, Dorothy Wright Liebes, and others.

Arthur Upham Pope and Dr. Phyllis Ackerman led a group of designers and artists who created interiors of unmatched sophistication, refi ned yet comfortable. Th e rubber tile fl ooring, stained glass windows, timber logs, and decorative paint schemes, color and material achieve a warm interior and enhance the structure’s rustic yet refi ned atmosphere.

Importance of The Ahwahnee Property under Criterion D Th e Ahwahnee hotel facilities and associated built environment are not signifi cant under Criterion D. However, important archeological features and sites are present in the vicinity of Th e Ahwahnee, and these resources are signifi cant under Criterion D, as documented in the Yosemite Valley Archeological District nomination. Th e important archeological features and sites are documented and managed as part of the Yosemite Valley Archeological District and the proposed American Indian Traditional Cultural Properties nomination. Th e archeological sites within Th e Ahwahnee area remain from previous occupations, including American Indian settlements, early European-American settlers’ homesteads and farms, and the Kenneyville stables.

Figure 50: Early advertisement for Th e Ahwahnee, undated. (Source: Yosemite National Park Archives, YP&C Co. Collection, Box 565-2)

Archeological and Native American Cultural Influences on The Ahwahnee Design Th e public interest in the archeology of the West evidenced in the 1920s played an important role in the development of Th e Ahwahnee.

Th e site was well-known as a Native American settlement at the time of the building’s construction, and public interest and intrigue with Native-American culture likely played a role in the hotel site’s selection9. Th e Ahwahnee site, particularly the meadow, continues to have importance for Native Americans’ cultural practices. Th e choice of a Native-American name for the building is refl ective of the building’s relationship to the site’s previous occupants. Th e decorative stylized Native-American motifs used in stencils and murals throughout the building tie the hotel to the material culture of diff erent Native-American cultures of the region. Th e collection of Indian basketry and textiles originally displayed within the building refl ected the national interest in the archeological ruins and artifacts of Native-American people.

9 Th e Bibby 1994 archeology report discusses the historic village of Wiskahlah, which appears to have been located at the site of Th e Ahwahnee. For the 1994 report, Bibby cites two archeology documents that were written prior to Th e Ahwahnee’s construction: the 1877 Powers report and the 1911 Bunnell report.

Statement of Signifi canceARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP

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Period of Significance Defined for This Document A building’s period of signifi cance is defi ned as the span of time in which a property attains the signifi cance for which it meets the National Register criteria. For previous designation eff orts, Th e Ahwahnee’s period of signifi cance has been defi ned diff erently (see table Summary of Previous National Register nominations). Th e years 1925 through 1942 mark the period of signifi cance of Th e Ahwahnee.

Th e year 1925 corresponds to the initiation of the hotel’s design and planning phase in addition to site selection. By 1942, the design and construction of the hotel and grounds, which continued to be refi ned aft er the hotel’s inauguration in 1927, were complete, representing the building’s apex in terms of original design concept and integrity. Th e design and development stopped because of the commissioning of the naval hospital in December 1943.

Historical Importance of The Ahwahnee as Related to the Period of the Naval Hospital Commissioned for use as a naval hospital between 1943 and 1945, the building and grounds at Th e Ahwahnee were substantially transformed to accommodate the demands placed on the facility due to its remote location and intensive use. Th e total number of patients treated at the hospital between 30 May 1943 and 15 December 1945 was 6,752, with as many as 853 at one time.10 Th e use of Th e Ahwahnee as a hospital by the Navy during WWII was a unique event in Yosemite National Park’s history and may be important in the development of military medical treatment philosophy and facilities. Th e use of Th e Ahwahnee by the Navy during WWII fi ts within the broader historical context of the American armed services’ use of National Park Service resources during wartime. Th e national signifi cance of the naval era has not yet been established.

Th e Employee Dormitory and the concrete slab at the storage and service area east of the Cottages are the only remaining features from this period in Th e Ahwahnee’s history.11

10 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 57.

11 See Th e Ahwahnee Cultural Landscape Report for more information on the temporary Navy buildings constructed on Th e Ahwahnee grounds.

Th e use as a naval hospital is an important moment in the history of the site. While the Navy period has not been included within the period of signifi cance, the Employee Dormitory and remaining site features still portray this important era of the site. As such, they may contribute to the overall history of the site and should be retained.

Th e signifi cance of this time in Th e Ahwahnee’s history should be further studied and considered when the NHL nomination is updated.

Figure 51: Dining Room during military use of Th e Ahwahnee as a hospital, c. 1944. (Source: History of the United States Naval Special Hospital, Yosemite National Park, California, 11.)

Figure 52: Navy nurses taking a break on the fi ft h fl oor balcony, c. 1944. (Source: Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme California)

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Chronology of Historic EventsARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP

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C H RONOL O G Y OF H I STOR IC E V E N T S

Th is section is presented as a chronology of historic events that had an impact on the establishment, development, and management of Th e Ahwahnee, making note of relevant key points in Th e Ahwahnee’s history.

1856 Yosemite Valley’s fi rst inn, the Lower Hotel, opens.1

1864 Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. and his party camp opposite Yosemite Falls for three weeks.2

30 June 1864 Yosemite Grant signed by Abraham Lincoln, deeding Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove to the State of California for public use in perpetuity.3

1890 Yosemite Grant designated a national park.

1899 Camp Curry established in Yosemite Valley by David and Jennie Curry.4

1914 Start of Donald Tresidder’s association with Yosemite with his employment at Camp Curry.5

June 1915 Desmond Park Service Co. granted permit to operate lodging in Yosemite, developing the former Army Camp Yosemite, which eventually became Yosemite Lodge.6

1916 National Park Service established.7

1 Shirley Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers: Th e Story of a Great Park and Its Chief Concessionaires (Yosemite, Calif: Ponderosa Press, 2000) 4.

2 McClelland, Building the National Parks, 41. Carr et al., National Register of Historic

Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley..

3 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 4.

4 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 47.

5 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 48.

6 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 39.

7 McClelland, Building the National Parks, 124. Carr et al., National Register of Historic

Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 30.

1917 Steven T. Mather named fi rst Director of the new National Park Service.8

1919 Desmond Park Service Co. reorganizes as the Yosemite National Park Co.9

January 1920 Mary Curry and Donald Tresidder marry.10

January 1920 Prohibition goes into eff ect, making the sale and manufacture of alcohol illegal. (Th e Ahwahnee was originally designed during the period of Prohibition without any facilities for alcohol service.)

1925-27 Span of time during which roads providing access to the stables at Kenneyville were removed for construction of Th e Ahwahnee; new road constructed across Th e Ahwahnee Meadow. Kenneyville stables relocated and other Kenneyville buildings demolished for Th e Ahwahnee site.11

21 Feb. 1925 Yosemite Park & Curry Co. (YP&C Co.) formed through merger of Yosemite National Park Co. and the Curry Camping Co.; Donald Tresidder named President.12

3 April 1925 Agreement reached by YP&C Co. selecting the Kenneyville stables as location of new hotel.

May 1925 YP&C Co. signs a 20-year contract with the Department of the Interior allowing a regulated monopoly on services in Yosemite Valley with requirement to build a modern, fi reproof hotel.13

8 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 63.

9 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 46.

10 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 61.

11 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 23.

12 Memorandum for the Press by Department of the Interior, 6 February 1926, YP&C

Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 660-5.

13 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 8.

1926 Completion of Highway 140, the “All-Year Highway.”

1 August 1926 Offi cial opening of the “All-Year Highway” and cornerstone ceremony for the new hotel held simultaneously.

14 July 1927 Steven T. Mather is Th e Ahwahnee’s fi rst registered guest.14

1927-1972 Span of time during which Ted Spencer served as company architect and Jeannette Spencer as the interior designer at Th e Ahwahnee.

1928 Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. heads 3-member advisory panel to oversee Yosemite National Park management and address controversies.15

Late 1920s Yosemite National Park visitation soars.16

1929 Steven T. Mather retires from National Park Service.17

1930 Death of Steven T. Mather.18

1933 Th e 18th Amendment is repealed and Prohibition ends.

1941 U.S. enters WWII.

January 1948 Death of Dr. Donald Tresidder while on company business in New York City.19

February 1948 Mary Curry Tresidder elected President, YP&C Co.20

14 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 61.

15 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 66.

16 Carr et al., National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Yosemite Valley, 65.

17 National Park Service, History E-Library, Directors of the National Park Service, available from http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/directors.

htm; internet; accessed 31 July 2009.

18 Ibid.

19 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 138.

20 Minutes of Executive Meeting of YP&C Co., 28 February 1948, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives.

C hronology of H istoric Events

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10 Oct. 1948 Death of Jennie Foster Curry, Founder of Camp Curry and longtime board member of the YP&C Co.21

1961 Death of architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood.22

1969 Death of Arthur Upham Pope, Isfahan, Iran.23

1970 Death of Mary Curry Tresidder at Th e Ahwahnee, Yosemite.24

1971 U.S. Natural Resources Co. acquires YP&C Co..25

August 1973 U.S. Natural Resources purchased by the Music Corporation of America (MCA).26

July 1977 Th e Ahwahnee’s 50th Anniversary commemorated.

December 1997 Merced River fl oods the Valley; Th e Ahwahnee closed until following Spring.

July 2002 Th e Ahwahnee’s 75th Diamond Anniversary commemorated.27

21 Sargent, Yosemite’s Innkeepers, 141.

22 Wilson and Starr, National Register Nomination: Th e Ahwahnee Hotel.

23 Encyclopaedia Iranica Online, Arthur Upham Pope, 20 February 2005, available from www.iranica.com; internet; accessed 24 July 2009.

24 Obituary of Mary Curry Tresidder, San Francisco Chronicle, 1970.

25 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 51.

26 Ibid.

27 Ibid., 61

Figure 53: Walter M. Sontheimer, AIA drawing and photographs for exterior restoration, 1977. (Source: Yosemite National Park Archives, YP&C Co. Collection, Box 565-2)

Chronology of Building and Site Development and UseARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP

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CHRONOL O G Y OF BUILDING AND SI TE

DE V E L OP M E N T A N D U SE

Th e following information summarizes the physical construction, modifi cation, and use of the building and is presented as a chronology of changes and modifi cations with a direct impact on the physical fabric of Th e Ahwahnee. Th e information presented is based on historical documentation, analysis of historical photographs, and visual inspection.

Modifi cations, maintenance, and updates for guest comfort and with regard to interior design have occurred on a regular basis, many of which are not documented.

Changes to the building for which documentation is not available are noted and explained at the end of the chronology.

July 1925 Firm of Gilbert Stanley Underwood, Architects and Engineers, selected to design new hotel.

March 1926 Plans for the new hotel approved by the National Park Service.

April 1926 Start of site preparation and layout for the new hotel.

Builders used 299 trees in the construction of Th e Ahwahnee, all cut from thickets where the thinning was benefi cial. Some of the trees, such as those used for the raft ers in the Dining Room, came from Hazel Green, on the edge of the park. In the early 1900s, the Curry Camping Company erected a small sawmill for manufacturing shakes at Hazel Green1, but terminated operations at the request of the National Park Service.2

2 June 1926 Agreement made with contractor, James L.

McLaughlin, San Francisco for construction of hotel.

1 Hazel Green is located on the west side of Yosemite National Park. Parts of the site fall within and out of the park boundary.

2 Greene, Yosemite, the Park and Its Resources, 931.

1 August 1926 Cornerstone ceremony for the new hotel held simultaneously with offi cial opening of the “All-Year Highway.”

12 Oct. 1926 New hotel formally named “Th e Ahwahnee” by action of the YP&C Co. Board.

December 1926 Phyllis Ackerman and Arthur Upham Pope hired for interior design services.

April 1927 Procurement of Sweet Shop display cases, 17-foot long Candy Wall Case, Cigar Counter, other cabinetry, and 27-foot long Soda Counter with all accoutrements, all of “Prima Verra” mahogany, from the Home Manufacturing Company of 552 Brannan Street, San Francisco, for a cost of $3,333.3

May 1927 YP&C Co. Board authorizes the construction of twenty-fi ve bungalows at an estimated cost of $2,000 per room.4

14-16 July 1927 Offi cial opening days for Th e Ahwahnee.

Christmas 1927 First Bracebridge Dinner held at Th e Ahwahnee.

1927-1928 Construction of Th e Ahwahnee and Cottages forced the abandonment of Camp 8, which had been located on the site. Th e Olmsted Brothers’ fi rm developed a landscape plan to preserve and enhance existing vegetation and conditions as a “Wild Flower Preserve” (Olmsted’s preferred term) at Th e Ahwahnee. Plants in the preserve were to include wildfl owers and shrubs native to the Sierra region: evening primroses, godetias, mariposa lilies, and other wildfl owers. Most of the fi rst plantings were destroyed by grazing deer

3 Agreement to Furnish Cabinetry to Sweet Shop by Home Manufacturing Co., Inc., dated 30 April 1927, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1

4 Minutes of Executive Meeting of YP&C Co. dated 19 May 1927, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 648-2 and elk. Until a fence could be built, Olmsted, Jr.

recommended planting ferns, bay trees, azalea, spruce, and pine – native plants that would not appeal to deer.

Olmsted, Jr. advocated grading the lawns on the south, east, and west sides of the hotel for the appearance of a natural knoll setting.5

1927 YP&C Co. met with “vigorous resistance” to deer fencing on the part of the National Park Service.6

1928 To protect the plants from deer, the YP&C Co.

constructed an eight-foot decorative split-chestnut hurdle fence imported from France.

1928 Water system installed on Th e Ahwahnee grounds to irrigate the wildfl ower gardens.

1928 Eight Cottages, designed by new YP&C Co. architect Ted Spencer, constructed on Th e Ahwahnee grounds.

1928 Original ballroom on the sixth fl oor eliminated for conversion of the space to the Tresidder Suite;

Tresidder Suite interiors subsequently remodeled in 1943, 1946, and 1970.

October 1928 Engineer Christopher Henry Snyder submits report to architect Ted Spencer concerning concrete conditions.

1928-1931 Completion of the parking area, realignment of the entry and approach road leading to Th e Ahwahnee according to the Olmsted Brothers plan of 1927.

1929 Wild Flower Preserve established on hotel grounds.

5 Letter from F.L. Olmsted, Jr. to George B. Vaughan, 30 September 1929, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 565-2.

6 Letter from Don Tresidder to Carl Purdy, 6 November 1927.

C hronology of Building &

Site D evelopm ent & U se

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1929 Two new tennis courts constructed by enlarging the existing terraces and erecting awnings, a fence and bleachers at a cost of $775.7

c. 1929 Purchase of redwood fence posts, chicken wire, and galvanized iron wire for the Wild Flower Preserve fence.8

c. 1929 Installation of new auxiliary electric generating system.9

c. 1929 Sixth fl oor porch painted and plastered.10

1930 Pitch-and-putt golf course constructed on hotel grounds.11

1930 New pumping system installed for bringing irrigation water directly from the Merced River.

1930 Modifi cations to Ahwahnee deer guard at a cost of $200.12

May 1930 Construction of outdoor fi replace at Th e Ahwahnee at a cost of $400.13

June 1930 Installation of lights in the Cottage paths, fi replace and Kiddie Kamp at a cost of $400 carried out by Mr.

Carpenter.14

7 Betterment Order No. 5163-A, 21 May 1929, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

8 Betterment Order unnumbered, undated, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 Letter from Yosemite National Park Superintendent to Director, National Park Service, 17 April 1930.

12 Betterment Order No. 5643, 1930, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite

Archives, Box 598-1.

13 Betterment Order No. 5625, 13 May 1930, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

14 Betterment Order No. 5701, 11 June 1930, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

June 1930 Construction of a transformer house, pump house, and bridge on Th e Ahwahnee grounds at a cost of $6,000 for foundation and excavation, buildings, machinery, plumbing, and wiring.15 Footbridge constructed across the small creek near the hotel for golfers. Th e abutments of the bridge housed a transformer and pump that supplied the sprinkling system during low water.

1930 Design and construction of new refl ecting pool and related landscape alterations at the hotel entry by architect Ted Spencer and landscape architect Frederick L. Olmsted, Jr., constructed by Willem “Bill” Kat.16

1930 YP&C Co. constructs a stone gate lodge and gate post with a sign on top reading “Th e Ahwahnee.”17 Work carried out by Bill Kat. Structure to be called “Ahwahnee Gate Lodge” built at an approximate cost of $1,000.18

1931 Electric lighting installed in the parking area west of the hotel.

December 1931 Architect Ted Spencer undertakes inspection of hotel and submits report concerning Dining Room log roof structure.

1932 Trusses over the Dining Room reinforced aft er architectural assessment states structure is minimally designed “for snow loads and earthquake stresses.”19

15 Betterment Order No. 5716B-F, 24 June 1930, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

16 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 50.

17 Memorandum by F.L. Olmsted regarding visit of 24-26 April 1930, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

18 Betterment Order unnumbered, 5 March 1929, YP&C Co. Files, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

19 Soulliere Harrison, National Historic Landmark Nomination: Th e Ahwahnee Hotel, 7:3.

1933 Private Dining Room overlooking main Dining Room converted to a bar coinciding with the end of Prohibition. Later improvements in redecorating the bar done by Jeannette and Ted Spencer in 1935 to create a gold rush-themed bar called the Diggins Bar.20

1933-1935 Eleven guest rooms on the mezzanine level used as YP&C Co. staff offi ces.21

1938 Guest rooms on the mezzanine level refurbished and ready for occupancy aft er construction of offi ce building.22

1939 Sound insulation of Elevator Penthouse designed by architect Ted Spencer.

1942 Main Kitchen minimally rearranged.23

June 1943 Wartime use as the Yosemite Naval Convalescent Hospital required the construction of a rehabilitation and recreation center comprised of eleven temporary buildings in the meadow to the west of the hotel, including an auditorium, pool hall, brig, washroom, bowling alley, enlisted men’s club, therapy quarters, and hobby and craft shops.

June 1943 Interior modifi cations included the conversion of the Diggins Bar to a chapel, and the enclosure of the original Porte Cochere for use as baggage storage for naval personnel.

20 Betterment Order 7844, YP&C Co. Files, 29 April 1935, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 598-1.

21 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1938, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

22 Ibid.

23 Letter from Perry R. Gage to Donald Tresidder, 25 May 1942, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives.

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June 1943 Part of the wildfl ower garden landscaping at Th e Ahwahnee damaged by the construction of temporary buildings east of the hotel.

15 Dec. 1945 Th e Ahwahnee decommissioned as a hospital.24

1946 Th e Ahwahnee rehabilitated following closure of naval hospital at conclusion of WWII. Many temporary Navy structures were removed to Crane Flat. Concrete slabs remain from some of these buildings and are used for heavy equipment storage. Former Navy Supply Building moved from parking area and converted to the Employee Dormitory for Th e Ahwahnee staff .

June 1946 Ted Spencer and Jeannette Spencer hired to direct the post naval occupation rehabilitation.

June 1946 Hedahl-Martin Company of San Francisco hired as “Managers of Construction for Rehabilitation of Th e Ahwahnee hotel.”25

July 1946 New painted mural over the Great Lounge fi replace executed by Frann Spencer (later painted over).26

20 Dec. 1946 Th e Ahwahnee reopens for guests.27

27 August 1946 Memo from architect Spencer concerning the proposed use of the former Porte Cochere space, now enclosed, as potential meeting or convention rooms and to generate revenue.

24 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1945, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

25 YP&C Co. Correspondence, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives.

26 Walklet, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, 57.

27 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1947, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

1948 Fire alarm system installed. Fire escape from mezzanine level designed but not executed.28

1951 Original Porte Cochere space is converted to the “Indian Room” to be used for cocktails, dancing and as a meeting space.29 Designed in accordance with the specifi cations developed by architects Ted Spencer and Wm. Clement Ambrose with interior design by Jeannette Spencer. Subsequently remodeled multiple times. To accommodate a stage and support functions, an addition to the north of the original Porte Cochere was built.

1951 Th e “Dancing Indian” kinetic sculpture by Robert Boardman Howard is commissioned and installed in the new “Indian Room.”

1952 Pine trees cleared to allow a view of Half Dome from Th e Ahwahnee.

1952 Remodel of main Kitchen including new kitchen equipment by Dohrmann Hotel Supply Co.

1953 Re-roofi ng of Th e Ahwahnee, carried out in phases due to cost. Project scope entails removal of all existing slate and installation of new membrane, nailers, and new and salvageable slate under the direction of architects Ambrose and Spencer.30 Slate purchased at a cost of $8,940.31

28 Approved by the Superintendent on 31 July 1947. Construction had not started as of 1 December 1947. Records of the Superintendent, 1910-1953, Yosemite National Park, National Archives and Records Administration, San Bruno, California.

29 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1952, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

30 Correspondence between Ted Spencer, Architect, and Hil Oehlmann, YP&C Co., April 1953, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

31 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1953, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

1953 Th ree Cottages converted to triple occupancy at a cost of $9,877.32

1954 Elevator upgrades designed by Otis Elevator.

1954 Beginning of a 3-year program to add showers over tubs in guest rooms.33

1955 Extension of Employee Dining Room designed by Ambrose and Spencer but never executed.

1956 Major Kitchen overhaul including an upgrade to the outdated refrigeration system.34

1956 Six bathrooms retiled and modernized.35

1956 Heating plant remodel by G. M. Simonson.

1958 Conversion of Th e Ahwahnee elevator to self-service.36

1958 Floor replaced around steam kettle and ranges in main Kitchen (extent unknown) as designed by the YP&C Co. Engineering Department, Maintenance Division.

1959 Original Barber Shop and Beauty Salon permanently closed.

1959 Service bar designed by Spencer and Lee Architects added in Dining Room.

32 Ibid.

33 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1955, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

34 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1956, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

35 Ibid.

36 Interdepartmental Correspondence to Mr. Oehlmann, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

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January 2011

1960 Sweet Shop is reduced in size from three bays to one in order to enlarge the Registration Lobby and draw natural light from east.

1961 Passenger elevator is replaced; new elevator fabricated by the Otis Elevator Company of San Francisco.37 Approved by Spencer and Lee Architects. Elevator car doors were of baked enamel in “Ahwahnee Red.”38

August 1962 Prior to the visit of President John F. Kennedy to Th e Ahwahnee, a “crash program” of redecorating and cosmetic refurbishment of the sixth fl oor was carried out by interior designer Jeannette Spencer.39

1962-1963 Th e Ahwahnee guest room remodeling project undertaken by Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects.

Remodeling includes soundproofi ng of doors by adding panels to each side of door and refurbishment and reinstallation of guest room door hardware.

1964 Small balcony added at northwest corner of sixth fl oor by Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects.

1964 Addition for storage constructed at the end of the east wing, outside the footprint of the original Porte Cochere.

1964 New 2-hour rated vestibule added as part of Spencer, Lee & Busse’s plans to turn the main stair into a smoke-proof stair tower. Vestibule built, but full tower scope not executed.

37 Letter from H.J. Nevin, Otis Elevator Company, to H. Oehlmann, Executive Vice President, YP&C Co., 21 August 1961, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

38 Elevator Approval Sheet by Otis Elevator Company to Spencer & Lee, 11 May 1961, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

39 Letter from Jeannette Dyer Spencer to Stuart Cross, undated, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 644-2.

9 October 1964 Swimming pool measuring 44 feet in diameter put into service.40

1964-1965 East stair added, with associated landscape, mechanical and electrical alterations by Spencer & Lee, Architects.

1967 Ahwahnee Cottages redecorated at a cost of approximately $50,000.41

1967 YP&C Co. concern about concrete peeling at Ahwahnee walls, decks, sills. YP&C Co. seeks treatment advice for temporary patching from manager at Sun Valley Lodge, also designed by architect Underwood.42

1971 Kitchen fl oor fi nish43 in Th e Ahwahnee replaced due to poor condition.44

1971 Men’s Room and Women’s Powder Room remodeled by Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects at a cost of $21,000.45

1971 New guest rooms considered but not carried out.

A scheme by Spencer, Lee and Busse Architects studied the extension of the northeast wing to add 16 additional rooms on the second fl oor and 26 additional rooms on the third fl oor with an expanded ground

40 YP&C Co. Annual Report, 30 September 1964, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co.

Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 641-3.

41 Major Capital Expenditures, 1967, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 662-2.

42 Correspondence between E.G. Siemon, Operations Manager, Sun Valley Lodge, and

Stuart Cross, YP&C Co., March 1967, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

43 In 1927, the original fl oor would have been magnasite. Th e material of the fl ooring that was replaced in 1971 is not known, as any prior replacements were not documented.

44 Letter from Frederick J. Farmer, National Park Service Consultant, to Superintendent Wayne B. Cone, Yosemite National Park, 1 December 1970, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 655-3.

45 YP&C Co. Expenditure Proposal, 9 December 1971, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 668-2.

fl oor for use as a convention space, expanded gift shop or to create garden type guest rooms.46

1971 U.S. National Resources purchases YP&C Co.

August 1973 Music Corporation of America (MCA) purchases U.S.

National Resources.

1975-76 Original wood guest room windows replaced with aluminum windows.

1977 Th e Ahwahnee’s 50th Anniversary Year, numerous events and a major restoration and refurbishment undertaken by the YP&C Co.47

February 1977 Th e Ahwahnee Hotel, 35-acre property, and ancillary structures, offi cially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1977 Design and construction of “Exterior Restoration of Th e Ahwahnee Hotel,” by architect Walter M. Sontheimer. Work carried out by Western Waterproofi ng and Western Art Stone.48

1980 Photographer Charles Cramer documents in color many of the fi nishes and features of the hotel including stencils, stained glass windows, stained concrete fl ooring and light fi xtures.

46 Letter from Ted Spencer to Stuart Cross, 22 June 1971, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 644-2.

47 Numerous references and fi les in the Yosemite Archives mention the 50th Anniversary.

48 YP&C Co. Newsletter, 1977, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 644-3.

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January 2011

1979-81 Multiple improvements related to the $425,000 life safety installation to bring the hotel into conformity with the 1980 version of the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 101 Code. Fire standpipes installed. Hotel fi re sprinkler system designed and installed. Exit stair west of the Great Lounge added.49

1981 New generator and generator room added. Wiring in guest rooms is replaced.

1982 “Indian Room” refurbished by Anco Engineers.

Opened for guest use in October.50 Function of room changed from meeting room to bar and the space became known as the Ahwahnee Bar.

1983 Th e sixth fl oor remodeled in anticipation of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England.51

1984 -1985 Boiler room made accessible from the exterior.

Domestic hot and cold water piping is retrofi tted.

1987 Th e Ahwahnee is designated a National Historic Landmark.

1987 Spaces formerly occupied by the Diggins Bar and General Manager’s Offi ce converted to guest rooms by Th ompson Architectural Group.

1988-1989 Porte Cochere structure rehabilitated using Douglas fi r logs in place of the original sugar pine for improved strength; Porte Cochere roof replacement designed by Anco Engineers.

49 YP&C Co. Newsletter, Spring 1982, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 644-3.

50 YP&C Co. Newsletter, Spring 1983, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite Archives, Box 644-3.

51 Sargent, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Classic Hotel, 34.

1988 40 guest room closets remodeled by Th ompson Architectural Group.

1989 Interior remodel of guest rooms, corridors and Cottages by Marian Vantress.52

1990 Hotel plumbing, mechanical and air conditioning systems retrofi tted, including construction of mechanical-room building at Kitchen wing.

c. 1989 Restoration of wrought-iron light fi xtures in Great Lounge.

1990 4-year reconstruction and reroofi ng of all roof areas of Th e Ahwahnee completed at a cost of $2,000,000. Designed by Roof Systems Engineering, Fresno, California with Fryer Roofi ng Company of Fresno as contractor.53 Slate was provided by the original slate supplier, Evergreen Slate Co., of Granville, New York.54

1990 Cottage alterations, including exterior repainting and selected terrace replacement undertaken.

1991 Various hotel alterations undertaken, including replacement of selected rubber tiles with linoleum at Registration Lobby fl oor.

1992 Four hotel guest rooms renovated for disabled access. Men’s Room remodeled by Th ompson Architectural Group.

1993 Porte Cochere roof and log structure replaced by Roof Systems Engineering.

52 Sargent, Th e Ahwahnee: Yosemite’s Classic Hotel, 63.

53 Memorandum, undated, Miscellaneous File, YP&C Co. Collection, Yosemite

Archives, Box 641-2.

54 Ibid.

1993 Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite awarded concessions contract for Yosemite National Park and assumes operation of Th e Ahwahnee.

1994 Fencing placed around refl ecting pond at hotel entrance to limit public access.

1994 Guest bathrooms remodeled.55

1995 Kitchen fl oor replacement designed but not installed.56

1995 Study undertaken regarding removal of Th e Ahwahnee golf course irrigation system.57

1995 Feasibility of enlarging Women’s Room (public) studied.58

1995 One of Th e Ahwahnee Cottages re-roofed.59

December 1995 Cottage interiors refurbished.

1996 Long-term modifi cations to slate roof undertaken.60

December 1996 Sixth fl oor interior furnishings and fi nishes updated.

Late 1996 Shutdown of the federal government results in the closure of the National Parks; Th e Ahwahnee closed through the holidays.

55 Records of Capital Improvement Fund (CIF ) Government Improvement Account (GIA) Trust Projects.

56 Ibid.

57 Ibid.

58 Ibid.

59 Ibid.

60 Ibid.

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January 2011

1997 Page and Turnbull Architects retained by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite to produce a Historic Structure Report for Th e Ahwahnee .

March 1997 Ninety-six guest room interior furnishings and fi nishes updated.

June 1997 Southernmost Ahwahnee Maintenance Shop enclosed as Gardeners’ Shop.

c. 1997 New wood fl oor installed in Great Lounge.

December 1997 Ahwahnee closes until Spring 1998 due to fl ooding of Merced River.61

2000 Kitchen HVAC replaced.62

2000 Installation of new wood fl oor in Mural Room planned by architect Clayton Wardle.63

2000 Program undertaken to correct fi re and life safety defi ciencies.64

2000 Program undertaken regarding roof drainage design defi ciencies.65

2002 New wood fl oor in Mural Room installed.

2004-05 Drainage system designed and raft er tails replaced at Dining Room by the architectural fi rm of Lew and Patnaude, Fresno, California.

61 Page & Turnbull, “Historic Structures Report: Th e Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California.”

62 Records of Capital Improvement Fund (CIF ) Government Improvement Account (GIA) Trust Projects.

63 Yosemite National Park Historical Architect fi les.

64 Records of Capital Improvement Fund (CIF ) Government Improvement

Account (GIA) Trust Projects.

65 Ibid.

2005 Re-roofi ng project addresses slate, added snow guards and an ice-melt system.

2007-2008 Mechanical equipment in service elevator replaced.66

2007-2008 Employee Dormitory steam line replaced.67

2007-2008 Remodeling of bathrooms in Cottages designed by Architectural Resources Group.

2008 Four guest rooms (116, 346, 421, 607) remodeled to provide accessible rooms aft er designs by Architectural Resources Group.

2008 Wood radiator covers added to Registration Lobby;

covers recommended by the art conservator working on the Widforss paintings.

2008 Sweet Shop space remodeled including new cabinetry.

5 May 2008 Chimney and fi replaces repaired including cleaning, inspection, and condition assessment by CCS-Canaday Enterprises Incorporated of Soulsbyville, California.68

2009 Architectural Resources Group retained by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. on behalf of the National Park Service to produce a Historic Structure Report and Cultural Landscape Report for Th e Ahwahnee.

2009 National Park Service announces plans to conduct a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan for Th e Ahwahnee.

66 Ibid.

67 Ibid.

68 CCS-Canaday Enterprises Incorporated, Chimney/Fireplace Cleaning;

Inspection; Condition Assessment, May 2008.

Physical DescriptionARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP

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January 2011

P H YSIC A L DE S C R I P T ION

Site Located on a 35-acre site at the east end of Yosemite Valley, Th e Ahwahnee sits at the base of the Royal Arches just north of the Wild and Scenic Merced River. Th e Ahwahnee’s eight Cottages and main hotel building provide accommodations for guests and visitors.

Th e hotel function is supported by four nearby ancillary buildings.

Th ese structures include the Transformer House of 1928 located in proximity to the Cottages, the Navy-era building converted to the Employee Dormitory in 1946, the Mechanical Building dating to 1989, and the Service Yard Maintenance Shops, several of which date to the period of signifi cance. Th e grounds and landscape, including the site’s natural features and systems, land use, vegetation, and visual qualities are described in Th e Ahwahnee Cultural Landscape Report.

Alignment of Views One of Th e Ahwahnee’s most basic design concepts involves the Y-shaped plan and the axial arrangement of the wings in alignment with Yosemite’s natural sites. Capturing views from the hotel was a major consideration in the location of spaces and functions. Th e design intent is clear in the positioning of the Dining Wing in alignment with the views of Yosemite Falls toward the west. Because the South Wing stretches toward the open meadow and has large expanses of glazing on the west, south, and east sides, it captures a range of views from various rooms looking toward are Glacier Point, Staircase Falls, and Half Dome.

Form and Organization At seven-stories, including partial Basement and Elevator Penthouse, the building is a Y-shape in plan, with the lounge wing to the south, the registration wing to the northeast and the dining wing to the northwest. Th e Kitchen wing extends north from the dining wing.

Th e entry wing, consisting of the Gift Shop, Porte Cochere and covered entrance walkway, extends north from the registration wing. Th e central core at the fi ft h fl oor, sixth fl oor and the Elevator Penthouse rises above the wings forming a tower. Balconies extend from each fl oor of the building to take advantage of the views.

Th e ground and fi rst (mezzanine) fl oor house the public rooms and back-of-house areas. Th e guest rooms are located on the second through sixth fl oors and the east wing of the fi rst fl oor. Guest rooms are arranged along double-loaded corridors. Linen and storage rooms are tucked into the interior corners of the building. Th e south ends of the second and third fl oor terminate in guest suites. Th e sixth fl oor, originally designed as a space for entertaining, was converted to the Tresidder Suite in 1928 and later to guest rooms.

Circulation Th e principal stair and elevators are located within the building’s central core. Originally built with one staircase, a secondary stair was added to the east wing in 1964 that rises from ground to second fl oor.

An additional stair was added to the south wing in the 1970s that reaches the fourth fl oor. Th e fi ft h and sixth fl oors have one exit stair.

Analysis of Original Drawings An analysis of Underwood’s design drawings (not as-built drawings) dated September 1926, approximately ten months before the hotel’s inauguration, reveals some variation between the design and the fi nal construction. According to the drawings, a number of interior architectural embellishments were designed but not realized. (See copies of original drawings in Appendix F.)

Th ese features included more elaborate wood elements such as the carved geometric patterns in the balustrades at the north and south mezzanine openings, the openwork wood grilles embedded in stonework and centered over fi replaces, and wood capitals and brackets. Stonework features, such as fi replaces with rough and irregular granite blocks and overscaled keystones, were designed with a more exaggerated expression than existing.