Madulce Guard Station and Site
Why it's listed
Madulce Guard Station is a small white-painted frame cabin built in 1929 in Pine Canyon, deep in Los Padres National Forest north of Santa Barbara. It replaced a deteriorating log cabin, itself a rebuild of a structure left by a recluse known as Old Marlo, and was designed as a seasonal outpost serving as both ranger's house and office. Its steep roof, redwood shiplap siding, tongue-and-groove pine interior, pantry, storeroom and seven doors resemble ordinary town cottages of the period, with materials packed in by mule. The station sits near four important trails, and its listing rests mainly on that setting and on its continuing role as shelter for trail crews, hikers and riders after Forest Service use ended. The form also treats it as an example of Forest Service construction policy in the early twentieth century. It remains essentially unaltered, in fair condition, and draws roughly 200 visitors a year.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cabin is significant for its relationship to a group of major backcountry trails and for its long use by trail crews, hikers and riders. It also illustrates Forest Service building policy of the era, which favored ordinary town-style cottages over structures fitted to their settings. The form concedes the building has little architectural merit in itself.
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 79000547, listed December 11, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 40 mi. N. of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Barbara County |
| Listed | December 11, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000547 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Designer anonymous; possibly a contractor or master carpenter employed by the Forest Service. Materials were packed to the site by mule. |
| Architectural style | Simple frame cottage, relating to New England-style cottages; no decorative motifs |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition fair; essentially unaltered since construction. Used by Forest Service trail crews and visited by hikers and riders, about 200 visitors a year. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 34.70310, -119.57932 (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 79000547.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.