Longhorn Cavern Administration Building
Burnet, Burnet County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Longhorn Cavern opened as a state park in 1932. From 1934 to 1942, Company 854 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked here to explore and develop the cavern. Using hand labor and native materials, the CCC workers built this structure in a style now known as National Park Service (NPS) Rustic. Completed by 1936, the one-story stone pavilion served as administrative offices for the park until 1967. An outside stairway leads to an observation terrace. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1989
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When Longhorn Cavern became a state park in 1932, the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived to develop it. Between 1934 and 1942, CCC Company 854 explored the cave and, using hand labor and native stone, raised this rustic pavilion in the style the National Park Service made famous. It served as park offices for decades.
Why it matters
The CCC's Depression-era work reshaped America's parks, leaving behind handcrafted stone-and-timber buildings that still define the way we experience them.
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