Yosemite National Park, Wawona Hotel Modernization & Historic Compliance

In Progress

The Wawona Hotel complex is one of the oldest still standing in a national park, with six buildings constructed between 1876 and 1918 at the south entrance to Yosemite National Park. The complex is both listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated National Historic Landmark. Hennebery Eddy’s Historic Resources Group led a full replacement of the electrical systems – original knob-and-tube wiring that was still in use throughout and overdue for upgrades.

This complex modernization required careful planning and historic compliance to avoid any adverse effects to the historic resource, including archeological monitoring of all ground disturbance. Prior to replacement, we prioritized interior spaces for restoration and identified all impacted character-defining features and finishes to be replaced-in-kind. Our team also used this opportunity to replace incompatible light fixtures that had been added over time and retrofit remaining fixtures for improved energy performance. Working on a tight schedule, we collaborated with the National Park Service and the hotel’s concessioner, Aramark, on a phased construction schedule that allowed the main hotel to open for guests during the peak tourism season.