In the midst of the Great Depression, a group of Amarillo businessmen combined resources and purchased for donation 320 acres of Henry Clay Harding’s Ranch. Located in the upper reaches of Palo Duro Canyon, the acreage was designated as Palisades State Park. In 1933, Civilian Conservation Corps Company 856 began construction of the concession building for visitors to the park. Local architect Guy Anton Carlander designed the building in “NPS rustic” style which harmonizes the structure with its surroundings by the use of natural local materials and colors, low horizontal lines, and the loss of demarcation between the structure’s foundation and the ground. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2014