The Fred Harvey company built a Mule Barn, Livery Stable, and Blacksmith/Saddle Shop in 1906 by to provide support services for El Tovar Hotel.

Based on their historic usage, these three buildings were referred to as the Fred Harvey company's "Transportation Department." Fred Harvey company/Santa Fe Railroad architects designed the buildings in a rustic variation of the Craftsman style.

Today's Mule Barn was originally the Livery Stable used to house company horses that pulled carraige tours around the village. Visitors traveling to the canyon via horse-drawn coach, could also stable their horses here. 

In the 1920's, as horse-drawn tours were discontinued, mules that carried visitors to the bottom of Grand Canyon.were moved from the adjacent barn across the road (the original mule barn), to this building, in order to accommodate a growing number of mules.

The adjacent barn is presently used for Xanterra's carpenter shop and storage.