Bandelier Historic Structure Report: CCC Buildings

THE BUILDINGS (continued)

B-3, Maintenance Warehouse

This structure was designed as the warehouse and office for the maintenance yard. The maintenance yard is defined by four buildings — B-3, B-4, B-5, and B-6 — all of which incorporated the surrounding wall that screened it from the visitors' view (figure 58.) The building (figures 59-61), constructed in 1935, is at the northwest end of the maintenance yard. Because of the gradual slope of the hillside, the building had deep footings at one end (northeast) and footings meeting natural grade on the other end (southwest). The building contains 191 cubic yards of masonry, 87 cubic yards of which were the footing buried for the uniform floor line. The stone walls had cement mortar to approximately 2 feet above grade. The remainder of the walls were laid in Pojuaque mud mortar to viga height, where the cement mortar began again. [91]

The building has undergone a number of changes. In 1939 the monument staff built a wood frame and metal lath partition across the warehouse space. The partition, which had a plaster finish, divided the interior space. An additional double window was installed on the east elevation. The "attendant's room" in the northeast corner of the building was Project Superintendent Hub Chase's office. When the monument staff needed additional office space in that building — possibly because of increased numbers of maintenance personnel — they partitioned off one portion of the warehouse room and added windows for adequate lighting. The windows and door came from the old ranger residence (pre-NPS). [92] Beginning in 1945, the northeast end of the building was used as a two-room apartment. It was still being used as an apartment when the monument staff installed a propane gas stove and water heater in 1953. [93] Other than a corner fireplace in the attendant's room, no other original heating system for this building appeared in the drawings or the specifications. Additional heat sources such as wood stoves may have heated the building. A natural gas, forced-air furnace was installed in 1971. [94] (It may have replaced an earlier gas furnace.) Additional heaters were installed in 1979, and a swamp cooler was added in 1980. [95] In 1983 and 1984, the building received new wiring and replacements of water and sewer lines and natural gas service.

Lyle N. Barcume designed the building. Interior changes made in 1939 were designed by a person with initials "J.M.E.," probably ranger James M. Eden.

Figure 58. Plans for the maintenance yard retaining walls (partial elevations of B-3, B-4, B-5, and B-6), 1935 (drawing 315/3024, sheet 2).

Figure 59. Plans for the maintenance warehouse (B-3), 1935 (drawing 315/3022, sheet 1).

Figure 60. In this photograph of B-3 shortly after construction (probably 1936), the thin mud-plaster finish is evident. (Photo: Bandelier)

Figure 61. In this 1982 photograph, the Pojuaque plaster has weathered off the building entirely. (Photo: Copeland for NPS)