Smithsonian Institution Shelter
historic place
The Smithsonian Institution Shelter is a historic place located in Tulare County, near Lone Pine, California. It was erected in 1909 on the summit plateau of Mount Whitney, within Sequoia National Park. This structure is also known as the Mount Whitney Summit Shelter or the Mount Whitney Hut. The shelter's construction was prompted by the death of Byrd Surby, a U.S. Fisheries employee, who was killed by lightning on the summit in 1904. The Smithsonian Institution funded the project, with assistance from the Lick Observatory. Gustave F. Marsh, who built the summit trail, oversaw the shelter's construction. The shelter was built to house scientists studying high-altitude phenomena. In 1909, Charles Greeley Abbot, director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, used the site for spectroscopic observations of Mars, investigating the presence of water. The mortared granite shelter features three rooms and a corrugated metal roof, with materials transported by donkeys. The Smithsonian Institution Shelter was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1977. Today, it serves as an emergency refuge and windbreak for hikers, though visitors are warned against using it during lightning storms. Its historical significance lies in its role in early high-altitude scientific research.