Purple Point-Stehekin Ranger Station House, Ranger residence in Stehekin, Washington, United States
The Purple Point-Stehekin Ranger Station House is a 1+1⁄2-story wood-frame residence with a concrete foundation, a jerkin-head gable roof and two brick chimneys. Its 26-by-30-foot footprint holds 1,170 square feet of interior space, and a full-length porch on the west side faces Lake Chelan. The exterior weatherboard is painted light green to merge with the surrounding forest.
This house was constructed in 1926 after rising water levels made the original 1910 station unusable. It became the headquarters for the Stehekin Ranger District and remains a testament to how forest agencies adapted to changing conditions in remote areas.
The station embodies how forest management is organized in remote mountain regions and shows how agencies implement conservation work on site. Visitors can observe how such stations shape daily life in isolated communities.
Stehekin has no road connection to the outside world; access is by a fifty-mile boat ride up Lake Chelan or by horse trail. The house stands at Purple Point above the lake near Stehekin's boat landing, with the main entrance and full-length west porch overlooking the water. The back door is on the south side under a small shed roof.
The building received major renovations in 1975, 1991, and 1995 to meet changing operational needs. These updates demonstrate how a historic structure remains functional and relevant while maintaining its original character.
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