Castolon Historic District

Castolon is a cluster of mostly adobe buildings on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park, Texas. It has two main parts: Old Castolon, with a store, cafe and residence, and shed, and the Castolon Army Compound, also called Camp Santa Helena, which has barracks, officers quarters, a recreation hall, latrine and granary. The Alvino Residence dates to about 1903 and is probably among the oldest structures in the park. The compound was built to garrison U.S. Cavalry patrols during border unrest linked to the Mexican Revolution and World War I, but tensions eased as it was completed, and the Army made little use of it. Commercial activity began around 1903 with a store, later run by Howard Perry and Wayne Cartledge under the name La Harmonia Enterprises, serving people on both sides of the border. The district was listed for what it shows of border relations, military history and local trade.