Prairie City Ranger’s Cabin – Prairie City OR

Description

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees built the Prairie City Ranger’s Cabin (also known as Building No. 1306) in 1934 or 1935 to serve the Prairie City District of the Malheur National Forest. At the time the cabin would have been the Ranger’s office as well as his residence. As noted in the Oregon Historic Site form, the simple two-room structure resembles the standard Forest Service Plan for a “Two Room Station,” which was designed for District 6 personnel in 1928.

Extensive research on the structure in 2010 established that the simple rectangular building was built at the Prairie City District compound but moved from its original site with expansion of the district property. The interior has also been extensively remodeled to serve different purposes. With construction of a new district office, it became a bunkhouse for seasonal employees. Today it houses guests.

The exterior of the cabin, however, remains much as it was when built as a modest cottage with modest craftsman details. Those details include: a low-pitched roof with wooden shingles, featuring overhanging, open eaves with exposed rafter ends. Plain vergeboards are notched decoratively at the ends. The front gabled porch canopy, supported by 4×4 posts, mimics the decorative elements of the roof.

The cabin was relocated on the Prairie City District property once again when the new district office building was built in 2012