Mormon Lake Guard Station gets facelift from HistoriCorps volunteers
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., April 24, 2018, For Immediate Release — The Coconino National Forest marks its 110th anniversary this year, and one of its original ranger
station cabins is getting a facelift, thanks to a special group of volunteers.
HistoriCorps volunteers are helping to restore the Mormon Lake Guard Station, which has served as home to hundreds of Forest Service employees over the years.
The current project involves re-roofing, replacement of exterior siding and modification of the porches. Three teams of 8-10 volunteers from all over the country are onsite for weeklong sessions through May 6. Future
phases will tackle foundation repair and interior rehabilitation. It is hoped that the repair and preservation work on the building will lead to its inclusion into the ‘Rooms with a View’ Arizona Cabin Rental Program sponsored by the Forest Service, which
is a program that offers historic buildings to the public for daily/nightly rental.
HistoriCorps is a nonprofit organization that provides volunteers of all skill levels with a hands-on experience preserving historic structures on public lands across America. This is the second historic building
renovation project the Coconino NF has partnered with the organization, and only the fourth such collaboration on national forests in Arizona.
“To save this history, it’s critical to partner with like-minded organizations such as HistoriCorps,” said Jeremy Haines, archeologist on the Flagstaff Ranger District. “The Forest Service benefits, the local community
benefits, future users benefit, and the wonderful volunteers benefit knowing their hard work matters to give new life to this old structure.”
The old Mormon Lake Guard Station has a rich history, as one of first ranger stations built on the Coconino National Forest in 1908. For over 100 years, the station served as a Forest Service base of operations in
the Mormon Lake area.
The building served for decades as both a ranger station and modest residence for rangers and their families. Operating out of this building, rangers managed timber sales, grazing permits, homestead entries, and
strategized the suppression of wildfires.
By the 1970s, a new modern Ranger Station building was constructed closer to Flagstaff, and the station grounds were repurposed as the Mormon Lake Guard Station. This guard station functioned as a compound for wildland
fire-fighters, and the old residence building was used to house seasonal crew members, including the fledgling Mormon Lake Hotshot crew.
Over time, the Ranger Residence building was referred to by the fire crews as the ‘Cook Shack’ and was used as a communal location for crews to convene and prepare meals. A new modular crew building was constructed
nearby in 2002, and the Ranger Residence fell into disrepair. Many training sessions and staff gatherings were held there. This place still holds a strong connection for many people who live in the area and worked on the Coconino National Forest.
For more information about HistoriCorps, see
https://historicorps.org/. For more information about the Arizona National Forests “Rooms with a View” Cabin Rental Program, see
https://bit.ly/2FebFDU
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Photo Captions:
Mormon Lake Guard Station #1: Volunteers from HistoriCorps help replace and repair the roof and siding of the old Mormon Lake Guard Station. Photo by Karen Malis-Clark.
Mormon Lake Guard Station #2: A volunteer with HistoriCorps gets ready to help in the restoration work of the Mormon Lake Guard Station in the background. Photo by Karen Malis-Clark
Mormon Lake Guard Station #3: Group shot of the HistoriCorps volunteers currently helping restore the Mormon Lake Guard Station. Photo by Karen Malis-Clark
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Brady Smith, MBA
Public Affairs Officer
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Forest Service
Coconino National Forest,
Supervisor's Office
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p: 928-527-3490
bradysmith@xxxxxxxxx
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1824 S. Thompson Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
www.coconinonationalforest.us
  
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Caring for the land
and serving people
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