Curry Village, California
Encyclopedia
Curry Village is an unincorporated community
in Mariposa County
, California
. 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). Curry Village occupies a central position in the Yosemite Valley
.
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.
The Camp Curry post office opened in 1909, and changed its name to Curry Village in 1970. The village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 1, 1979.
with views of Half Dome. Staircase Falls
, on Gossamer Creek, drops into the valley directly behind Curry Village from Glacier Point.
cone of debris from old rockfalls. 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 6000 cubic metres (7,847.7 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. 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. 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. Most of these are hard-sided structures, including the Foster Curry Cabin.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Mariposa County
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It lies north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,251 up from 17,130 at the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located in the Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Yosemite Village
Yosemite Village, California
Yosemite Village is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California. It is located northeast of Mariposa, at an elevation of 3996 feet ....
, at an elevation of 4003 feet (1220 m). Curry Village occupies a central position in the Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
.
History
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 PointGlacier Point
thumb|right|upright|Glacier Point, as seen from [[Yosemite Valley]]. In springtime, this cliff face is covered with dozens of freshets and tiny waterfalls from the snowmelt, the largest being [[Staircase Falls]]....
and Half Dome
Half Dome
Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located in northeastern Mariposa County, California, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar rock formation. The granite crest rises more than above the valley floor....
. 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.
The Camp Curry post office opened in 1909, and changed its name to Curry Village in 1970. The village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 1, 1979.
Location
Curry Village is in the heart of Yosemite Valley, sitting directly beneath Glacier Point and next to the Merced RiverMerced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
with views of Half Dome. Staircase Falls
Staircase Falls
Staircase Falls is a series of waterfalls located on Gossamer Creek in Yosemite National Park, California. The falls descend a total of into Yosemite Valley over a series of steps. Staircase Falls is relatively ephemeral and only flows after rainfall. It is usually dry by May. The falls are...
, on Gossamer Creek, drops into the valley directly behind Curry Village from Glacier Point.
Rockfall
Curry Village is built on a talusScree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
cone of debris from old rockfalls. 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 6000 cubic metres (7,847.7 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. 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. Following a three-year study, the National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
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. Most of these are hard-sided structures, including the Foster Curry Cabin.
External links
- Curry Village - Official Web page
- VirtualGuideBooks.com - Panoramic Photo of Camp Curry Accommodation (Apple QuickTime required)