PARK CITY, Utah (ABC4) – On April 6, a mining-era structure in Park City — the Thaynes hoist house located near the chairlift at Park City Mountain — was severely damaged by record-breaking snow that accumulated this winter.

Despite efforts to stabilize the Thaynes hoist house from previous snow damage to the roof and walls, with repairs by Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, the seasonal snowpack has caused significant damage to the building.

At this time, the extent of this damage is unknown as the snowmelt will take weeks to clear enough to allow for safe inspection, assessment of the damage, and future plans.

After the building collapse, Thaynes hoist house looks virtually unrecognizable — as seen in these photos before and after the incident:

“This building collapse symbolizes the challenge that our community faces: to preserve what is left of our historic mining structures in and around Park City,” remarked Don Roll, co-chair of the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History committee. “Park City has the only two resorts in North America where you can ski by historic mining buildings and fortifying them against the elements is a race against time to preserve these majestic structures and Park City’s rich mining history.”

This summer, a five-year project will launch by Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History to stabilize and reinforce the Silver King (which saw a partial collapse in 2019) and Thaynes mining complexes by 2027. To date, there have been over $500,000 in donations raised, with $2.5 million more needed to complete the projects.

“Park City is the proud home of numerous unique mining structures and preserving these structures is vital to maintaining a tangible connection to our community’s history,” says Clayton Scivner, Communications Manager at Park City Municipal Corporation. “We look forward to continuing to support the work that goes into preserving our mining legacy.”

Once completed, these structures will be preserved for future generations and feature guided tours of the mining buildings, which still contain original mining-era equipment inside.