The Superintendent’s Residence was built in 1932-1933 by the CCC and the National Park Service (NPS) as part of a movement within the NPS toward Rustic Architecture.
The footprint is approximately 32ftx62ft (10mx19m). Two stories, with the lower floor consisting or the entry, living room, dining room, kitchen, and what was once a bedroom with an adjoining bath (now the Library). The second floor has four more bedrooms and two more baths. There is a usable basement, with an outside entrance usable when snow does not cover it up, shown right.
Early image from a NPS report, left.
The outer skin is rustic large stone boulders with a steep cedar shake roof, designed to resist fire and shake off the heavy snows in winter. Beautiful cedar doors
The Superintendent’s Residence at Crater Lake National Park is located within the Munson Valley Historic District. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Above, historic images from before the restoration, some from the 1980’s;
below, the center during restoration; we assisted with Interior Design.
MPF Conservation had the privilege of working on many items from the Superintendent’s house toward the Centennial Opening of the Crater Lake Science & Learning Center, including Interior Design. Many of these will be listed under this page as we load them:
- Superintendent’s Residence (also the “new” Crater Lake Science and Learning Center)
- Superintendent’s Residence Then and Now
- Superintendent’s Residence Design
- Superintendent’s Imperial (Not Monterey) Furniture
- Superintendent’s Imperial Furniture Collection
- Superintendent’s Living Room
- Superintendent’s Dining Room
- Superintendent’s Tilt-table Sofa (coming soon)
- Superintendent’s Strapping Chair (coming soon)
Bottom, image of Crater Lake by Kim Chamales of the NPS, from the official page of the NPS. The island in the center is known as Wizard Island. This park should be on your bucket list: it is breathtaking!
For more information:
- Architecture in the Parks
- Superintendent’s Residence: Historic Structure Report (downloadable book)
- NPS Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2000 (dry reading imo)
- Crater Lake NP (the official page)
- And of course, Wikipedia, though I have seen discrepancies… I correct them, but they do not always take. For instance, Imperial furniture is not Monterey Furniture, but was made during that time period. The only Monterey line is Mason Monterey.
Other projects are located below:
To return to Crater Lake National Park home page, click here.
