Yosemite Transportation Company Office
Also known as: Wells Fargo Office
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 in Yosemite Valley, this small rustic office served as a terminal for horse-drawn and later motor stages linking the railroad depot at El Portal with the valley. The Yosemite Valley Railroad Company provided the funds and design. The 1½-story frame building uses unpeeled logs, vertical posts and horizontal beams, with panels of cedar bark and thin logs laid in herringbone patterns beneath a steep shingled roof. During the stagecoach years it also handled telegraph and express business, which is how the name "Wells Fargo" became attached to it. After the all-year highway opened in 1927, the transportation company moved its business to lodging front desks, and in the late 1930s the vacant building became an employee residence. Marked for demolition in 1959, it was instead moved to Wawona, restored to a circa 1912 appearance and opened to visitors. It is valued as a rare early example of rustic design meant to blend with the natural surroundings, and for its link to park transportation history.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an exceptional and rare example of the early Rustic Style in the Yosemite region, with decorative cedar bark and log infill panels. It is also significant for its use as a horse and motor stage terminal, and as a telegraph and express office that became known as the "Wells Fargo" office. Its significance is rated local, in architecture and transportation.
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 78000355, listed June 9, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Wawona in Yosemite National Park, Wawona |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | June 9, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000355 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910 |
| Architect / builder | Yosemite Valley Railroad Co. |
| Architectural style | Rustic Style |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1959-60 to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, restored to a circa 1912 appearance and opened for interpretive use; receives preservation maintenance. Form marks it occupied and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.53893, -119.65564 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78000355.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8055938
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.