Horseshoe Lake Ranger Station
Also known as: Building No. 56; Quarters No. 56; Patrol Cabin; Fireguard Build
Why it's listed
Horseshoe Lake Ranger Station is a small log residence built in 1934 in the back country of Lassen Volcanic National Park. A Civilian Conservation Corps crew finished it on October 22, 1934, following National Park Service architectural drawings. It was meant to house a fireguard and has also been called a patrol cabin and fireguard station. The building measures roughly 33 by 23 feet and is made of peeled horizontal logs on a mortared stone foundation, with a hand-split shake roof, a stone fireplace and chimney, and a gabled front porch. Its only notable change is the conversion of the rear porch into a storage room. A matching frame barn has been removed. The station was listed because it is a well-preserved example of the rustic style that park architects used to make buildings blend with their surroundings, and because it shows what CCC crews could build. It is still used in summer.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local architectural significance as an outstanding, essentially unaltered example of an NPS-designed rustic back-country log ranger station from the 1920s and 1930s. It also has local significance in social/humanitarian endeavor because it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It keeps its integrity of design, material and site, and blends into its forest setting.
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 78000292, listed May 5, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Chester in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Shasta County |
| Listed | May 5, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1934 |
| Architect / builder | National Park Service and CCC |
| Architectural style | NPS rustic-style log building |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent overall condition and essentially unaltered. It is still used as a summer fireguard residence, and the form checks unoccupied status. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.47301, -121.33101 (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 78000292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5906051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.