Editing Old Faithful Inn (section)

==Design==
The inn's architect was 29-year-old [[Robert Reamer]], an architect for the Yellowstone Park Company, which was affiliated with the [[Northern Pacific Railway]]. Reamer was hired by [[Harry W. Child]], the president of the Yellowstone Park Company, who had met Reamer in San Diego through mutual acquaintances.<ref name="barringer 44-47">Barringer, pp. 44-47</ref> Reamer designed the lobby and the initial phase of guest rooms, known as the Old House, which was built in 1903–1904, much of it in the long winter. The east wing was extended in 1913–14, and the west wing in 1927, creating a single structure almost {{convert|700|ft|m}} long. The Old House is rotated 90 degrees with respect to Old Faithful so that a view of the geyser is framed by the entrance porch for arriving visitors. The porch roof provides a viewing platform for viewing eruptions of Old Faithful and other geysers, while the main facade faces Geyser Hill across the [[Firehole River]], where the old Circuit Road once ran through the geyser basin.<ref name=archinpark1>{{cite web|last=Harrison|first=Laura Soulliere|title=Old Faithful Inn|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/harrison/harrison3.htm|work=Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=19 June 2012}}</ref>

The central feature of the Old House is a tall gabled log structure housing the lobby, dominated by a deep, steeply-pitching shingled roof. The Old House uses load-bearing log lower exterior walls with a log pole interior framework supporting seven stories, six of which are the roof structure. The upper gable walls are of milled lumber framing with shingle sheathing. The front slope of the shingled roof is accented by shed and gabled dormers, some of which are purely decorative. Both interior and exterior framing is supported by twisted or curved branches, giving the entire structure a strongly rustic air. There are two levels of balconies, the lower encircling the lobby and the upper on two sides. Stairs climb from the second balcony to a platform in the framing known as the "Crow's Nest" which once was used by musicians to entertain guests, then on to the crown of the gable {{convert|92|ft|m}} above the lobby floor. The entire structure is crowned by a roof walk that once held searchlights to illuminate Old Faithful Geyser at night. The original guest wings are {{frac|3|1|2}} stories tall on either side of the lobby.<ref name=archinpark1/> It is anchored to the ground by a rhyolite foundation that extends to the first floor window sills.<ref name=scofield1>{{cite book|last=Scofield|first=Susan C.|title=The Inn at Old Faithful|year=1979|publisher=Crowsnest Associates|author2=Schmidt, Jeremy C. |oclc=10916064}}</ref>

Offset to the southeast corner, the stone fireplace measures {{convert|16|ft|0|spell=in}} square at the base. It&nbsp;features four main hearths, one on each face, with smaller hearths, each with a flue, at the corners. The stone extends to the roof, and until it was damaged by earthquake, a brick flue extended above the roof, covered in log cribbing. An ironwork clock decorates the north face of the upper chimney in the lobby.<ref name=archinpark1/> The fireplace is centered in a shallow depression in the lobby floor that sets the area around its hearths apart from the rest of the lobby.<ref name=kaiser1/> Custom ironwork, most notable in the main entrance door and the clock, was forged at the site by an ironmonger named Colpitts.

The dining room extends to the south of the lobby, with log [[scissors truss]]es supporting a more shallowly-pitched roof at right angles to the lobby roof. The dining room has its own stone fireplace, less massive than the lobby's, but still large. The Old House guest rooms retain much of their original character.<ref name=archinpark1/>

The east and west wings were purposely designed by Reamer to be less prominent than the central house. The wings are three to four stories in height with a mansarded top floor and a flat roof. The east wing is straight, originally with 100 rooms. The west wing is Y-shaped, with 150 guest rooms as built. The interiors of the wings are unremarkable compared with the Old House.<ref name=archinpark1/>