Camp Curry Historic District
Also known as: Curry Village
Why it's listed
Camp Curry, also known as Curry Village, sits beneath Glacier Point at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, among granite boulders and cedars. David and Jennie Curry opened it in 1899 with seven tents, offering an inexpensive, family-style alternative to the valley's hotel. Guests gathered for nightly campfire programs and the firefall, and over time the camp added a registration office in 1904, a swimming tank and auditorium in 1913, and rustic cabins and bungalows. Four early structures remain at the heart of the district: the 1904 Registration Office, the roughly 1914 entrance sign, the 1916 Foster Curry Cabin and the 1917 bungalow built for Jennie Curry. All use unpeeled logs, cedar bark and river stone. Hundreds of tent cabins and later cabins surround them. The district was listed for its role in the Curry family's concession business and the continuing style of park accommodation it established, though fires and newer construction have changed parts of the original complex.
Significance in brief: The district illustrates the founding and early growth of the Curry family enterprise, which became the Yosemite Park and Curry Company, and its low-cost, family-style camp accommodation still offered in national parks. It is described as locally significant in exploration/settlement and commerce. Four surviving structures are cited as important early examples of rustic architecture.
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 79000315, listed November 1, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | November 1, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000315 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1899-1924 |
| Architect / builder | David A. Curry, Foster Curry |
| Architectural style | Rustic style |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good and altered; the site is occupied and in commercial use, with continuing construction and rehabilitation. Several early buildings were lost to fires in the 1970s. |
| Acreage | 48 |
| Within district | Yosemite Valley |
| Coordinates | 37.74275, -119.57180 (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 79000315.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49476674
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.