Bandelier Historic Structure Report: CCC Buildings

THE BUILDINGS (continued)

B-2, Visitor Center

Originally, two structures comprised this building: the headquarters office and the museum, connected by an open portal (figures 51-53 and 56). The CCC men constructed the office building first, in April through May 1935, and the museum in 1936. In 1939-40 they enclosed and expanded the space behind the portal and between the two buildings connecting the buildings and creating a large lobby (figures 54-55 and 57). The lobby addition included the construction of portals and a rear patio that was to feature an "ethnobotanical garden, with those native plants also serving the purpose of landscaping." [71] Landscape architect Charles Richey designed a similar interpretive garden for the patio of the new museum at Tumacacori. Although the designer intended to have a garden here, no documentation has been found showing its implementation.

The headquarters office building had three spaces. The principal clerical room had a reinforced concrete basement, and the two side rooms had reinforced concrete slabs. The basement had an exterior, open stairway with two large lightwells. The material excavated for this foundation placement was a soft tuff silt. "Tuff rock in cement mortar" was used in other footings, and this masonry extended 2 feet above ground line. Pojuaque mud mortar was used in the walls to ceiling height. [72] Above that cement, mortar bound the parapet. Floors in this building were tongue-and-groove boards, which were varnished and waxed.

The building has undergone a number of changes. A mud plaster originally coated the interior walls of the offices. In February 1949, a "hard plaster that will be much more durable" replaced the mud. [73] An oil heater was installed in the basement of this building in 1938 to augment the fireplace. [74] A gas furnace was installed in 1968, but the records do not indicate if this replaced another gas furnace, or the oil system. A wood-and-glass partition was built to enclose a separate office for the custodian in 1940. This entire section changed again in 1969, when it was converted into the audiovisual room. [75]

Building details were not always finalized before construction, and the museum was an extreme case. In 1936 the walls already stood at viga height before the various NPS offices agreed on paper not to have windows in the structure. Windows had been included on an early drawing. [76] Boss Pinkley fought to have skylights put in the building to illuminate the exhibits, but the architects turned down his repeated requests. In their view, "skylights . . . as you know, are not appropriate with this architectural style." The architects argued that, besides being inappropriate, the skylights would look bad from some of the trails above and they would be too expensive to install. Also, they felt that the skylights would cause problems with roof drainage and not fit properly into the type of roof construction in the building. Consequently, Pinkley agreed to leave the skylights out under the condition that the architects leave out the window, allowing for more exhibit space. [77] Although the building was completed in 1936, visitors did not begin using all three rooms until 1939, when the exhibits were completed. [78]

The museum building had three rooms and was constructed so that it could be opened for short periods of time and then closed quickly. Because it was expected to receive little use during the winter, the building had no central heating system. The Branch of Plans and Design wrote to the park in 1936, saying that it would be glad to oblige the park and design one when the time came. The only heat source for the building was a corner fireplace in the entrance lobby. The custodian was concerned with this problem and noted: "The cold, clammy atmosphere of the museum was rather a handicap. The visitors would step in and look around, give a little shiver and leave the museum attendant talking to himself. On the other hand, in the summer time, they seek the cool retreat of the museum building after a trip along the cliff houses with the sun bearing down." [79] In 1950, the museum still had no heat, and the custodian noted that the need had been accentuated with increased visitation the monument was receiving. Finally, in 1954, central heating was installed in the museum. A new room was constructed at that time to house the oil furnace. The heating system was changed to a ducted natural gas furnace in the 1960s.

Through the years additional changes occurred. The museum roof was insulated in 1939. "Class A light weight" 2-inch insulation with waterproof backing was placed between the ceiling joists and either cleated or stripped to the joists. [80] Storm windows installed in 1959 replaced "the screens used during the summer months." [81] The portal behind the museum lobby was damaged by water and replastered and painted in April 1950. [82] The museum's stone floors were stained and varnished in 1953, after more than 15 years with no treatment. [83]

The portal between the museum and the office building was originally open so that vehicles could drive through to a small parking lot. This opening was closed in 1938. At that time a large drinking fountain was constructed in the open space and a flagpole was placed in front of the buildings. [84] When the addition linking the two buildings was built in 1939-40, the water fountain was removed. A second road, between the administrative offices and comfort station B-9, was the access to the campground and Mrs. Frey's old lodge.

The large lobby built in 1939-40 was not designed to be a mere enclosure of a formerly open space. Ansel Hall and his assistants in the Park Service's Field Education and Forestry group operating out of the University of California at Berkeley commented on all architectural drawings for museums. Dale King, who commented on the proposal for the Bandelier lobby, wanted the new room large enough to accommodate 100 persons in folding chairs, with a recessed screen for movies, built-in bookcases, and a sales counter. He also wanted "a fireplace, an inside drinking fountain, easy chairs, smoking stands, floor and table lamps." [85] With cheap labor and available materials, Lyle Bennett incorporated King's ideas in the design, and he certainly did so with style. The result was the most decorative room in the monument. Beams, corbels, paneled counters, railings, and bookshelves were carved with Spanish colonial and Native American designs. The prominent corner fireplace, flanked by bancos, warmed the room. Finished with the comfortable and characteristic furniture built by the CCC, the room invited visitors to come in and stay awhile.

In addition to the usual finely crafted furnishings, the museum and visitor center benefited from the federal art project. Pablita Velarde completed a number of paintings for the museum exhibit cases depicting Native American government, seasonal ceremonies, and the use of animals. [86] Pastel artist Helmut Naumer did four scenes of Rio Grande pueblos — one of San Ildefonso, one of Jemez, and two of Tesuque. [87] Sculptor John Raymond Terken completed a series of "heads of the Bandelier types" for the museum, basing them on a "skull here at the office" and information on hair dress from "the old Spanish Reports." He also completed kiva and house models for the museum. [88] Chris Jorgensen painted a watercolor entitled "Desert, Mountains and Cactus," which the staff put on display in the museum. [89] In 1952 the Southwest Parks and Monuments Association donated a Paul Coze painting of Cave Kiva to the monument. Arizona Highways magazine had used the painting as an illustration for an article. [90]

The building has undergone a number of changes in recent years. In 1974-75, an additional exhibit room of concrete block construction was built. New exhibits in that room and the 1930s exhibit spaces contained nearly life-sized replicas of prehistoric pueblo room interiors. This alteration modified the ambience of the 1930s exhibit space. In 1975 the building received an emergency power supply, a lighting system, and a security alarm system. A new security system was installed in 1982. The building was subject to the changes under Package 224, particularly the rehabilitation of water, sewer, electrical, and natural gas services; rehabilitation of wood structural members; and installation of insulated windows and fire alarm systems.

Figure 51. Plans for the headquarters office (B-2), 1935 (drawing 315/3008A, sheet 1).

Figure 52. Plans for the museum (B-2), 1935 (drawing 315/3029A, sheet 2).

Figure 53. Plans for the museum (B-2), 1935 (drawing 315/2029A, sheet 1).

Figure 54. Plan for infill between the headquarters office and the museum (B-2), 1939 (drawing 315/2134, sheet 1).

Figure 55. Plans for infill between headquarters office and museum (B-2), 1939 (drawing 315/2134, sheet 3).

Figure 56. The administrative office (between the portals) and the museum building (without windows) in 1936. Note the CCC barracks structure to the right. (Photo: Bandelier)

Figure 57. The visitor center today. (Photo: Harrison for NPS)