Grand Junction Sites

The Devils Kitchen Picnic Shelter in Colorado National Monument was built by  the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1941. It is unusually large, with three sandstone fireplaces, and includes a comfort station (restrooms). The shelter was built in National Park Service Rustic style. Much of the material came from Rim Rock Drive construction. Construction was carried out by CCC enrollees from Camp NM-2-C in the monument and led by LEMs (Local Experienced Men) with the requisite craft skills, reputedly stonemasons of Italian descent.      

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive from one end of the Colorado National Monument to the other.  It is a remarkable road that winds along the top of the cliffs, with spectacular views of the Colorado Plateau countryside below. Construction of the road was a risky undertaking, with three tunnels through the cliffs, the longest of which is 530 feet.  Apparently, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) also participated in the construction of the road and the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding to the National Park Service for the road, but that needs further confirmation. Rim Rock road...

"The Saddlehorn Caretaker's Residence and Garage are located at the intersection of Rim Rock Drive and Saddlehorn Loop Road, approximately 5 miles from the west entrance of Colorado National Monument. Both buildings are rectangular, one-story structures designed by the National Park Service and constructed of native red sandstone masonry by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and 1936. The style exemplifies National Park Service Rustic Architecture. The buildings are in good condition and maintain integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association from the historic period.

"Built by the CCC in 1937, to accommodate the recreational needs of visitors to Colorado National Monument, the station is significant for its association with ...  relief programs during the Great Depression. It is a strong example of National Park Service Rustic style architecture." (www.historycolorado.org)

"Significant for its association with the CCC and WPA, the district includes four good examples of National Park Service Rustic style architecture. The structures were constructed of locally quarried sandstone by the CCC with Emergency Conservation Works funding. The 1937 Roads and Trails Shop, 1938 Oil House, and 1941 Open Storage Building functioned as garages, warehouses, storage facilities, and maintenance buildings for the park. Completed in 1942, the Building and Utilities Shop housed the primary administrative offices for Colorado National Monument until 1963, when a Visitor Center was completed."   (www.historycolorado.org) The utility area is located at the intersection of Rim Rock...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a caretaker’s cottage in Lincoln Park in Grand Junction, Colorado.

"The three-story Italian Renaissance Revival style building was constructed as a post office in 1918. James A. Wetmore served as the supervisory architect. The walls are of Indiana limestone, and the tall first floor windows are set in rounded arches. A 1940 addition, funded by the PWA, extends from the rear of the building. In 1972, Congress renamed the building in honor of Wayne N. Aspinall who had a distinguished career as a U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1949 to 1973."   (www.historycolorado.org)

Crescent shaped oil on canvas, 5' x 7'9". " The Harvest", by Louise Emerson Ronnebeck (1901-1980), portrays a young man and woman working together harvesting peaches provided by the rich Colorado soil. A water/paddle wheel in the background represents modern irrigation which made the abundant harvest possible. The mural also depicts the Ute Indians leaving the valley on the right side and the white settlers pushing them out from the left. By 1973, the mural was in need of a cleaning. It was shipped to Washington DC for restoration and subsequently forgotten. Until 1991, its whereabouts were unknown. The building manager...