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Pioneer Yosemite History Center, Yosemite

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Pioneer Yosemite History Center, Yosemite National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2011 Pioneer Yosemite History Center Yosemite National Park STATE OF CALIFORNIA – THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN, JR., Governor OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION 1725 23rd Street, Suite 100 SACRAMENTO, CA 95816-7100 (916) 445-7000 Fax: (916) 445-7053 [email protected] www.ohp.parks.ca.gov September 6, 2011 Reply In Reference To: NPS110510A David Louter, PhD Chief, Cultural Resource Programs National Park Service - Pacific West Regional 909 First Avenue, Fifth Floor Seattle, WA 98104-1060 RE: Consensus Determination of Eligibility, Pioneer Yosemite History Center Cultural Landscape Inventory, Yosemite National Park, Californiia Dear Dr. Louter: I am writing in response to your letter dated May 9, 2011, that requested my review and concurrence with the findings of Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) documentation of the Pioneer Yosemite History Center at Yosemite National Park. The CLI serves as a Determination of Eligibility for listing the district on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Consensus agreement on eligibility between the National Park Service (NPS) and my office will result in the district being added to the national databasse of cultural landscapes managed by the NPS. After reviewing the CLI and in accordance with 36 CFR 800.4(b) and (c), I concur that the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is eligible for listing on the NRHP under Criterion A. As indicated on the attached form, I also concur with the period of significance (1956-1964), the historic district boundary, the landscape characteristics identified in the CLI as contributors to the historic character of the district, and with the listedd buildings and structures as contributors and non-contributors. Thank you for seeking my comments and considering historic properties as part of your project planning. If you require further information, please contact Mark Beason, State Historian II, at phone 916-445-7047 or email [email protected]. Sincerely, Milford Wayne Donaldson, FAIA State Historic Preservation Officer Pioneer Yosemite History Center Yosemite National Park Table of Contents Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Purpose and Goals of the CLI .......................................................................................................... 1 Inventory Unit Description .............................................................................................................. 2 Site Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Property Level, CLI Number, Park Information .............................................................................. 4 Hierarchy Description ...................................................................................................................... 4 Concurrence Status Inventory Status ............................................................................................................................... 5 Concurrence Status .......................................................................................................................... 5 Geographic Information and Location Map Inventory Unit Boundary Description ............................................................................................. 6 State and County .............................................................................................................................. 6 Size................................................................................................................................................... 6 Boundary UTMs .............................................................................................................................. 6 Location Maps ................................................................................................................................. 8 Management Information General Management Information ................................................................................................... 9 Adjacent Lands Information ............................................................................................................ 9 National Register Information Existing National Register Status .................................................................................................. 10 Existing NRIS Information ............................................................................................................ 10 National Register Eligibility .......................................................................................................... 11 Significance Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 11 Period of Significance .................................................................................................................... 11 Historic Context Themes ............................................................................................................... 11 Area of Significance ...................................................................................................................... 11 Statement of Significance .............................................................................................................. 11 National Historic Landmark Information ...................................................................................... 13 World Heritage Site Information ................................................................................................... 13 Chronology & Physical History Cultural Landscape Type and Use ................................................................................................. 14 Current and Historic Names ........................................................................................................... 14 Ethnographic Information .............................................................................................................. 14 Chronology .................................................................................................................................... 15 Physical History ............................................................................................................................. 19 Analysis and Evaluation of Integrity Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 30 Spatial Organization....................................................................................................................... 32 Natural Systems and Features ........................................................................................................ 35 Land Use ........................................................................................................................................ 38 Buildings and Structures ................................................................................................................ 40 Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page i Pioneer Yosemite History Center Yosemite National Park Circulation ..................................................................................................................................... 52 Views and Vistas ........................................................................................................................... 55 Small Scale Features ...................................................................................................................... 57 Condition Condition Assessment .................................................................................................................... 62 Stabilization Measures ................................................................................................................... 62 Impacts ........................................................................................................................................... 62 Treatment .................................................................................................................................................... 63 Bibliography and Supplemental Information Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 64 Supplemental Information ............................................................................................................. 67 Pioneer Yosemite History Center Proposed Historic District Site Plan, 2011 Historic Plan for the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, 1959 (Revised 1960 & 1964) Additional Photos, Pioneer Yosemite History Center Proposed Historic District Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page ii Pioneer Yosemite History Center Yosemite National Park Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Summary The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Overview: CLI General Information: Purpose and Goals of the CLI The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI), a comprehensive inventory of all cultural landscapes in the national park system, is one of the most ambitious initiatives of the National Park Service (NPS) Park Cultural Landscapes Program. The CLI is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes having historical significance that are listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise managed as cultural resources through
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