Scott’s Hut (1911)
In 1910, Captain Robert Falcon Scott led a British Antarctic expedition, his second, and fatal, effort to try to reach the geographic South Pole. His team erected the hut around 1911 as a headquarters and laboratory along Cape Evans on Ross Island. While the hut was only designed to last for the duration of the expedition, the team built it strong enough to endure the Antarctic weather. This durability, and the Arctic cold, led to its remarkable preservation.
Artifacts from Scott’s team remain in the hut, including laboratory equipment, fuel, clothing, even still-edible food stores like butter and ketchup. Scott and four of his team perished in their efforts. Scott left a mournful note later found on his remains, stating, “Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman.”
