Bagby Stationhouse, Water Tanks and Turntable
Why it's listed
Three surviving pieces of the Yosemite Valley Railroad, a stationhouse, a pair of wooden water tanks and a hand-pushed turntable, now stand at El Portal on the edge of Yosemite National Park. They originally served the railroad at Bagby, in the Merced River canyon, until the rising waters of Lake McClure threatened the site and the structures were moved in 1966. The two-story, shiplap-sided depot dates from 1907 and is the last stationhouse left from a line that carried visitors and freight between Merced and El Portal from 1907 to 1945. The twin gabled tanks differ from the usual single cylindrical-roofed tank. The gallows-frame turntable, built of heavy timbers and iron rods, is a type once common on branch lines and may be the last of its kind in the country. They were listed as the most important surviving reminders of the railroad, even though they no longer stand on their original sites.
Significance in brief: The stationhouse, built in 1907, is the only remaining stationhouse of the Yosemite Valley Railroad, and the twin water tanks are of a distinctive design. The turntable is a rare surviving manual gallows-frame type, possibly the last of its kind in the United States. The structures were moved to avoid inundation by a reservoir and were judged significant despite the loss of their original site.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000316, listed April 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | CA 140, El Portal |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | April 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000316 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1907 |
| Architect / builder | Yosemite Valley Railroad |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved to El Portal in 1966; the stationhouse is in good condition but lacks its platform and exterior stairs, and is planned for restoration as a transportation museum exhibit. The turntable and water tanks are partially dismantled. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.67414, -119.78063 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000316.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4841500
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.