{"nrhp_refnum":"87001414","name":"Rangers' Club","other_names":["See Also: Yosemite Village Historic District"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Yosemite Valley","address_restricted":false,"city":"Yosemite National Park","county":"Mariposa County","state":"CA","lat":37.74722273800006,"lon":-119.58795583835467,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-05-28","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1987-05-28","areas_of_significance":["Conservation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-a-half story rustic chalet-style wood frame residence for unmarried park rangers in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, built around 1920 and designed by architect Charles Sumner (Charles Sumner Kaiser).","why_significant":"The nomination argues it represents Stephen T. Mather's commitment to an architectural style fitting park lands. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, paid for and donated the building. It is also cited as regionally significant in conservation through its link to Mather and its continued function as housing for unmarried rangers. Its strong rustic character is called unique in the National Parks.","narrative":"Built around 1920 in Yosemite Valley, the Rangers' Club is a U-shaped, two-and-a-half story wood frame lodging for unmarried park rangers. Redwood shingles, board-and-batten gable ends, steep roofs, jigsawn balcony railings and peeled log pilasters at every corner give it the look of a rustic alpine chalet. Inside, dark paneling, chevron-trimmed beams, built-in bookcases cut with fir tree designs and sequoia plank tables create an Arts-and-Crafts warmth. Stephen T. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, hired San Francisco architect Charles Sumner and paid for the building himself before donating it to the Service. It was the first major structure in his new development on the north side of the valley. The building reflects Mather's push for park architecture that harmonizes with the landscape, and its close link to him and its rustic design are described as unique among national parks. It still houses rangers today.","period_of_significance":"1920-Present","architect_builder":"Charles Sumner (Charles Sumner Kaiser)","architectural_style":"Rustic modified chalet with Arts-and-Crafts interior","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as a government residence for unmarried rangers; altered, with kitchen and bath updates, a fire detection and suppression system, and preservation work on the south elevation.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.801305-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/87001414_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001414/2c1becdc2c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001414/2c1becdc2c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Almonroth","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rangers%27_Club-2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Almonroth</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rangers%27_Club-2.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04001159","name":"Yosemite Valley","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/california/yosemite-valley-04001159/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857964","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangers%27_Club","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7292787"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/mariposa-county/rangers-club-87001414/"}