When Glacier National Park was created in the early 20th century, the only means of access was via the Great Northern Railway. As automobiles improved and roadways were constructed to accommodate them, tourists began to take to the road instead of the railroad. Soon
Auto Camps, both government operated and privately owned, began to appear across the continent. The first to be built in Glacier National Park, the Swiftcurrent Auto Camp in 1933, proved very successful as motoring tourists demanded less expensive accommodations which were easily accessible by road.
Built at about the midpoint of St. Mary Lake, Rising Sun Auto Camp is about 6 miles west of the east edge of Glacier National Park along
Going to the Sun Road. The original camp consisted of a large general store/motel, two dormitories, a power house, and 19 cabins. When built in 1941, the general store was intended as a store, restaurant and coffee shop. Later, some of the building was turned over to rooms for overnight rental.
Some more recent buildings have been added to the side, most notably a motel at the front and larger, dormitory style, accommodations.
Eligible (contributing) Buildings are:
Cafe/Store/Motel - #810
Cabin/Office/Dorm - #811
Employee Residence - #812
Cabins - #813-#831
General Store/Motel
The general store/motel is located at the junction of the access roads to the Rising Sun cabins and to the campground and is easily accessed from the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The setting provides a view of St. Mary Lake and assures that the building is visible to passing motorists. The building also marks the "entrance" to the cabin complex. Sparse grasses and scrub pine surround the building to the north, west, and east. A large paved parking lot is located south of the building.
Building #810 was constructed as a general store/lobby/coffee shop and since the beginning of the Rising Sun development has been a cornerstone of the facility. One of the first concession buildings built in Glacier National Park designed to cater to the automobile tourist, this building represents an early attempt at providing a broad range of budget visitor services under the same roof.
This is a one-story wood-frame building with a cross-gable roof and a concrete foundation. The central side-gable component originally housed the lobby/soda fountain and now houses a nine-unit motel. Only the general-store interior resembles its original appearance.
The building serves four primary functions. The east wing is the general store, the central component is a motel (originally the cafeteria/soda shop), the northwest section is employee housing (originally the kitchen/dining room) and the addition to the rear elevation of the central component contains public showers and restrooms.
From the NRHP Continuation Sheet