Mission

The Western Center for Historic Preservation (WCHP) is an education and resource center dedicated to the preservation and maintenance of cultural resources.  The WCHP was founded in 2005 in response to a shortage of preservation skills and critical resources imperative to the preservation of rustic architecture in our western parks. 

Goals

1)       Preserve rustic park architecture by addressing the deferred maintenance backlog of historic structures in Grand TetonNational Park and other parks in the Intermountain Region.

2)       Support cultural resource research, including the completion of National Register nominations, historic structures reports, cultural landscape surveys, and historical research for context studies.

3)       Set new standards for the stewardship of rustic architecture within our western parks through research, outreach, and professional skill development.

4)       Create partnerships with local governments and private organizations to achieve these goals.

History

The National Trust for Historic Preservation partnered with the National Park Service to develop a plan to establish the necessary skills and resources required for the stewardship of cultural resources in the Intermountain Region. The National Park Service and National Trust jointly developed a two-part concept for a Western Center for Historic Preservation involving both the creation of a preservation shop and office facility in Moose and the rehabilitation of the White Grass Dude Ranch for use as additional training, office, and lodging facilities. The Moose facility was completed in 2006 and currently serves as the headquarters for the WCHP. The White Grass Dude Ranch rehabilitation project is underway, with a scheduled completion date of 2016.