McGurk Cabin
Why it's listed
A small log cabin on the edge of McGurk Meadow, south of Yosemite Village, records the era when stockmen grazed cattle in the high meadows of what became Yosemite National Park. The one-room structure measures 14 feet square and is built of round, peeled lodgepole pine logs joined with saddle notches. It has no foundation or fireplace, a dirt floor, a single door on the south side, and a gable roof of wood shingles. It was probably built by Hugh Davanay, who sold the property to Jack McGurk in 1895. McGurk was a cattleman who likely grazed stock here in summer. He was evicted by the Army in 1897 over a title dispute, though his tenure was the longest of any owner, which gave the meadow its name. In 1958 Sierra Club volunteers stabilized the cabin as an interpretive stop for hikers. It was listed for its role in local settlement history and as a surviving late nineteenth-century cabin.
Significance in brief: The cabin is tied to the seasonal grazing and squatter settlement of Yosemite and to the conflict between settlers and federal authority. Jack McGurk, a cattleman, bought the property in 1895 and was evicted by the Army in 1897 over a title dispute. The reviewer also judged it an altered but recognizable example of a log cabin type and one of few late 19th-century cabins remaining in place.
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 79000281, listed June 4, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Yosemite Village, Yosemite Village |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | June 4, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000281 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895-1897 |
| Architect / builder | Hugh Davanay (?) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Stabilized by the National Park Service in 1958 with Sierra Club volunteers; listed as unoccupied and fair in condition, with some alteration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.67788, -119.62516 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79000281.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6801531
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.