Exit78 Photo of the Day #77
In 2011, we visited the Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park. Closed in 1963 and reopened for limited use in 1976 as the Bicentennial Travel Center after escaping a proposed demolition, the main lodge building was later rehabilitated and restored, opening as a museum and bookstore in 2006.
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (park structure now with museum and gallery space as well as park information), Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, October 9, 2011 (Pentax K-r)
The original building from the early 1920s, was known as the Stone Tree House because of extensive use of petrified wood in its construction. Today’s adobe facade dates to the 1930s redesign and renovation of the Painted Desert Inn by builders and artisans of the the Civilian Conservation Corps over 1937 – 1940. (Wikipedia)
The CCC used ponderosa pine and aspen poles cut from nearby Arizona forests for roofing beams and smaller crossbeams (savinos). Light fixtures were hand-made from punched tin, and wooden tables and chairs were given American Indian designs. The beautiful skylight panels were hand-painted by the CCC workers, designs of prehistoric pottery. Concrete floors were etched and painted with patterns based on Navajo blanket designs. (National Park Service)
Series notes:
- The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
- Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
