Curry Village, California

Not to be confused with Camp Currie.

Curry Village
—  Unincorporated community  —
Curry Village, Yosemite National Park
Curry Village Location in California
Coordinates: 37°44′13″N 119°34′22″W / 37.73694°N 119.57278°W / 37.73694; -119.57278Coordinates: 37°44′13″N 119°34′22″W / 37.73694°N 119.57278°W / 37.73694; -119.57278
Country	United States
State	California
County	Mariposa County
Elevation[1]	4,003 ft (1,220 m)
Camp Curry Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location:	Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California
Area:	48 acres (19 ha)
Built:	1924
Architectural style:	Bungalow/craftsman, Other, Rustic
Governing body:	Federal
NRHP Reference#:	79000315[2]
Added to NRHP:	November 1, 1979

Curry Village (also, Camp Curry) is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California.^[1] It is located in the Yosemite Valley of Yosemite National Park 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Yosemite Village, at an elevation of 4003 feet (1220 m).^[1] Curry Village occupies a central position in the Yosemite Valley.

History

A 1921 advertisement for Camp Curry

In 1899 David Curry and Jenny Etta Foster opened a tented camp so that visitors could enjoy the beauty of Yosemite for a modest price. They advertised "a good bed and clean napkin with every meal" for just $2 a day. Camp Curry celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1999 and it still offers park visitors lodging in the shadow of Glacier Point and Half Dome. Located at the foot of Glacier Point, the complex includes visitor cabins, a store, dining facilities, a lodge and a post office. The camp's structures are rustic wood framed cabins, set on stone foundations with hipped roofs. The camp includes a large number of tent cabins, framed bases with tented roofs, a lower-cost lodging alternative developed in the early 20th century. Significant structures include the 1914 entrance sign, the 1904 Old Registration Office, the 1913 dance hall, now guest lodgings as the Stoneman House, the 1916 Foster Curry cabin and the 1917 Mother Curry's bungalow. Bungalows with en-suite baths were built from 1918 to 1922 and bungalows without plumbing in the 1930s.^[3]

The Camp Curry post office opened in 1909, and changed its name to Curry Village in 1970.^[4] The village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1979.^[2]

Location

Staircase Falls behind Curry Village

Curry Village is in the heart of Yosemite Valley, sitting directly beneath Glacier Point and next to the Merced River with views of Half Dome. Staircase Falls, on Gossamer Creek, drops into the valley directly behind Curry Village from Glacier Point.

Rockfall

Curry Village is built on a talus cone of debris from old rockfalls.^[5] A rockfall occurred in Yosemite National Park at approximately 7:00 am on October 8, 2008, near Curry Village in eastern Yosemite Valley. Park officials estimated the rockfall volume at approximately 6,000 cubic metres (7,800 cu yd), which released near the halfway point up the granite face above Curry Village. Three visitors received minor injuries during the incident. All three were treated and released. The rockfall destroyed an estimated seven visitor cabins; two hard sided, and three tent cabins. At least three other cabins received partial damage. Curry Village visitors were evacuated immediately. ^[6] Following a study by geologists, 233 visitor accommodations and 43 concessioner housing units were permanently closed in November 2008, approximately a third of the units available in Curry Village. 36 units reopened.^[7] Following a three-year study, the National Park Service announced in August 2011 that 72 buildings will be removed from Curry Village. The structures will be documented and historic materials will be salvaged.^[8] Most of these are hard-sided structures, including the Foster Curry Cabin.^[9]

See also

• Yosemite Park & Curry Company

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Curry Village, California
2. ^ ^{a b} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
3. ^ Kaiser, Harvey H. (2002). An Architectural Guidebook to the National Parks: California, Oregon, Washington. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. pp. 108–109. ISBN 1-58685-06-0. 
4. ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 753. ISBN 9781884995149. 
5. ^ Wieczorek, Gerald F.; Snyder, James B. (1999). "Rock falls from Glacier Point above Camp Curry, Yosemite National Park, California". U.S. Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/ofr-99-0385/. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
6. ^ "Rockfall in Yosemite National Park". NPS. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/rockfall1008.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
7. ^ "Geologic Assessment of Recent Rockfalls in Curry Village Completed". National Park Service. November 21, 2008. http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/cvrockfall.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
8. ^ "Yosemite aims to remove Curry Village cabins over rockfall concerns". KFSN. August 9, 2011. http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/state&id=8298311. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
9. ^ "Curry Village Rockfall Hazard Zone Structures Project Environmental Assessment". National Park Service. http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=29566. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 

External links

• Curry Village - Official Web page
• VirtualGuideBooks.com - Panoramic Photo of Camp Curry Accommodation (Apple QuickTime required)