Bandelier Historic Structure Report: CCC Buildings

THE BUILDINGS (continued)

B-1, Comfort Station

The building (figures 48 and 49) was originally constructed as the comfort station to serve the old campground in the canyon. When the campground was phased out, the showers and laundry facilities were removed, but the building continued to be used as the comfort station for the picnic and day use area.

Construction on the building started in 1934 and ended in March 1935. The walls had cement mortar, and then the joints were raked back 1-1/2 inches and pointed "with local mud" — undoubtedly the Pojuaque mud mortar. The service room in this building originally had a coal or wood heater and hot-water tank for the showers. [62] At least one larger, oil-burning heater was added in 1940-41 [63] Although the schedule varied with funding, the concrete floors were usually painted every six years. In 1953 the two main rooms of this building received asphalt tiles. [64] The maintenance staff closed this building during the winters and drained the pipes. [65]

The building was partially banked into a hillside, and proper drainage of roof and groundwater was a problem. In April 1944, a "seep into the building" caused water damage in which much of the interior plaster fell off. The plaster was replaced and painted at that time, and some of the exterior walls were given an "asphaltic treatment" to prevent a recurrence. [66] At some point, a concrete block retaining wall was added behind the structure to divert roof and ground runoff away from the building. Also at an unknown time, the rear wall parapets and the front elevation vigas were removed. No written information on the modifications appeared in the records.

A pumice block partition installed in the men's shower in 1959 was treated with liquid tile. The women's shower, too, received the treatment. Then both were painted with Intertol, a mildew-resistant paint. A new shower head and valves were installed in the men's comfort station, and the custodian complained that they had to chip through a concrete wall to get to the plumbing (figure 50). [67] In the early 1960s the monument staff removed the showers in the men's and women's sections. They installed an additional bank urinal in the men's section and a water closet in the women's section. The concrete floors received ceramic tile at the same time.

The building received additional work of a basic maintenance nature — painting, re-roofing, replacement of vandalized towel dispensers, replacement of screens, and the like. Most of the information in the records was not specific about materials and colors, with one exception. In 1967, the monument staff painted the doors and windows "Santa Fe Blue." [68] Without an original painting schedule for the building or an analysis of paint samples, there is no way to determine if this was replacement of original color that had continued through the years, or just an aberration.

B-1 was the first building the CCC constructed at Bandelier. The stonework on this building was not as refined as on the others, both because of the architect's intent and because of the newness of the CCC's skills. Jared B. Morse, who was the resident landscape architect at the time, designed the building.

Morse remained on site during the construction of the building, and Project Superintendent Hub Chase noted that although the building was small, "it shows our quality and style of work and Architect Morse has continually appeared pleased and satisfied and at no times offered any criticism." [69] Chase's comment, then, indicated that the architect intended to use the rough stonework for effect. The successful completion of this simple building led to the approval to proceed with the rest of the building program in Frijoles Canyon. [70]

Figure 48. Plans for campground comfort station (B-1), 1934 (drawing 315/3006, sheet 1). Project Superintendent Hub Chase was quite pleased with his crew's quality and style of work on this building. The completion of the simple structure led to the approval to proceed with the rest of the Bandelier building program. Everyone was convinced that the CCC had the capabilities.

Figure 49. Comfort station, B-1. Note the somewhat rough stonework. (Photo: Harrison for NPS)

Figure 50. Interior view of men's side, B-1. (Photo: Copeland for NPS)