{"nrhp_refnum":"78000353","name":"McCauley and Meyer Barns","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"N of El Portal in Yosemite National Park","address_restricted":false,"city":"El Portal","county":"Mariposa County","state":"CA","lat":37.69842450650006,"lon":-119.75855020752367,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Agriculture","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A group of three historic log-crib and timber-frame barns in Yosemite National Park near El Portal, Mariposa County, California: the McCauley Barn near Foresta and Meyer Barns No. 1 and No. 2 at Big Meadow, built in the late 1870s to 1880s.","why_significant":"The barns are described as the last remaining barns in Yosemite with architectural significance and integrity. They are handcrafted examples of local vernacular building, nearly unchanged from their original appearance. The McCauley barn and Meyer barn 2 are examples of an unusual California type known as the Mormon Pole Barn. They also represent the pioneer ranching history of the area.","narrative":"Three handcrafted barns in Yosemite National Park, near El Portal, preserve the ranching past of the area. The McCauley Barn, about 40 by 80 feet, was built around 1883 by Irish-born trailbuilder and innkeeper James McCauley as part of his winter ranch near Foresta. Two barns at Big Meadow were built by George Meyer, a German-born ship carpenter, one in the late 1870s and the other in the early 1880s. Meyer Barn No. 1 is a saltbox-shaped timber-frame building. The McCauley Barn and Meyer Barn No. 2 have cores of peeled logs for hay storage, surrounded by stalls, and are examples of the Mormon Pole Barn type, unusual in California. They are described as the last remaining barns in Yosemite with architectural significance and integrity, and they remain largely unchanged from their original appearance. They also recall the pioneer ranches once located within the park. Meyer's ranch was a stage stop on the Old Coulterville Road.","period_of_significance":"Late 1870's-early 1880's","architect_builder":"James McCauley; George Meyer","architectural_style":"Vernacular; \"Mormon Pole Barn\" type (McCauley Barn and Meyer Barn No. 2)","criteria":[],"status_note":"The McCauley property has been unoccupied since 1955 and was acquired by the National Park Service in 1974. The Meyer barns stand in Big Meadow, which is used as pasture for horses and mules. The form describes the barns as nearly unchanged from their original appearance.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.750299-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000353.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000353/93c79fdb75-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000353/93c79fdb75-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"MichaelDPhotos","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barns_at_Foresta.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">MichaelDPhotos</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barns_at_Foresta.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859764","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCauley_and_Meyer_Barns","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6800254"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/mariposa-county/mccauley-and-meyer-barns-78000353/"}