Presenting Nature: The Historic Landscape Design of the National Park Service from 1916 to 1942

332 Pages·1993·28.6 MB·English

by  McClelland, Linda

Presenting Nature:
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Historic Landscape Design
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of The National Park
Service
1916 to 1942
•srlU.S. L/epariiiienuoru InteragencyResourcesDivision
dParkService NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces
/ CulturalResources
DATE DUE
U. S. Departmentofthe Interior
Mission Statement
As the Nation's principal conservation
agency, the Department of the Interior has
responsibility for most of our nationally-
owned public lands and natural resources.
This includes fostering sound use of our
land and water resources; protecting our
fish, wildlife, and biological diversity;
preserving the environmental and cultural
values of our national parks and historic
places; and providing for the enjoyment of
life through outdoor recreation. The
Department assesses our energy and
mineral resources and works to ensure that
their development is in the best interests of
all our people by encouraging stewardship
and citizen participation in their care. The
Department also has a major responsibility
for American Indian reservation
communities and for people who live in
island territories underU. S. administration.
ThispublicationisfinancedbytheNationalParkService,UnitedStatesDepartmentoftheInterior.UnderTitleVIoftheCivilRightsActsof1964,asamended;Section504ofthe
RehabilitationActof1973,asamended;andtheAgeDiscriminationActof1975,asamended,theUnitedStatesDepartmentoftheInteriorprohibitsdiscriminationonthebasisof
race,color,nationalorigin,handicap,orageinitsprograms.Ifyoubelieveyouhavebeendiscriminatedagainstinanyprogram,activity,orfacility,orifyoudesirefurther
informationpleasewrite: OfficeofEqualOpportunity
NationalParkService
P.O.Box37127
Washington,D.C.20013-7127
CoverPhotograph:
Tothedesignersofnationalparks,presentingnaturemeantbringingvisitorstotheparks.Roadsandtrailswerelocatedanddesigned
shownature'swonders from thebestpointofview whileleavingscenicvistasand natural featuresunimpaired. A memorandum
agreementwiththeBureauofPublicRoadsenabledtheNationalParkServicetobuildroadsaccordingtothehighesttechnicalstandan
andensurethatdesignswereinharmonywithnature.(NationalParkServiceHistoricPhotographyCollection)
Presenting Naeure:
The Historic Landscape Design
of The National Park Service
1916 to 1942
LindaFlintMcClelland
NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces
InteragencyResources Division
NationalParkService
1993
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
DEPOSITORY ITEM
JUL 12 1994
CLEMSON
r^rh,U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior InteragencyResourcesDivision
tPgfy NationalParkService NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces
CulturalResources
.To keep thenaturalbeauty ofmountain,
. .
forest, lake andwaterfall unspoiled and yet
withineasyaccess ofsucha multitude of
visitors is aninteresting thoughoften
difficultproblem. Quoting the landscape
architects, uponwhom devolves the
responsibilityforthisphase ofpark
activities. . . roads, trails, andbuildings all
should provide a maximum ofscenic view,
atthe same timebeing as inconspicuous as
possible themselves. .The landscape
.
processbeginswith selecting locations
which donottearup the landscape or
obtrude into importantviews. This is
followedby a study ofthe design, which
endeavors to usenative materials and other
architectural features thatwillharmonize
the structurewithits surroundings. The last
phase oftheproblem is theplacing ofany
plantmaterials necessary to cure
unavoidable damage thatmayhave resulted
from construction.
—National ParkService,
TheNationalParksand Emergency
Conservation Work, 1936
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
OVERVIEW
I. Stewardship ForA National Park Service 5
II. Origins OfA Design Ethic ForNatural Parks 11
The Writings ofAndrewJackson Downing
TheWilderness
Rustic Seats, Shelters, and Bridges
Rockwork
Roads and Walks
Vegetation
The AmericanParkMovement
FrederickLaw Olmsted, Sr.
CharlesW. Eliot,Jr.
Development ofState and National Parks
AnAmericanStyle ofNatural Gardening
Wilhelm Millerand the Prairie Style
California Gardening
The Arts and Crafts Movement
TheWritings ofHenryHubbard
The Writings ofFrankWaugh
OtherWritings
Sources ofRustic Architectural Design
TheShingle Style and Henry HobsonRichardson
The GreatCamps oftheAdirondacks
The Prairie Style
The WestCoastWorkofGreene and Greene
TheWorkofBernard Maybeck and the BayArea Architects
TheArchitecture ofParkConcessionaires
Gustav Stickley and The Craftsman
The Bungalow Craze
III. A PolicyAnd Process ForDesign, 1916 To 1927 73
Mather's Vision
«
Table of Contents,
National Park Design in the 1910s
ANational ParkService
StatementofPolicy, 1918
The Role ofthe Landscape Engineer: Charles P. Punchard
Landscape Preservation
DevelopmentofCampgrounds
DevelopmentSchemes
Locating and Designing Park Facilities
Review ofConcessionaires' Designs
Professional Stewardship
ExpertAdvice
Daniel Hull as Landscape Engineer
Cooperationwith ParkSuperintendents
FromDevelopmentSchemes toTownPlans
DesignofParkStructures
CollaborationwithConcessionaires
DevelopmentofPark Roads
Road Design and Construction
The Landscape Architect's Role
The Interbureau Agreementwiththe Bureau ofPublic Roads
Preservation ofParkScenery
IV. The Work OfThe Western Field Office, 1927To 1932 115
DesignofParkRoads
Protection ofthe Landscape
Treatment ofRoad Banks
Naturalization ofRoad Banks
Scenic Overlooks
Loop Developments, Intersections, and Grade Separations
DevelopmentofStandards for Masonry
Guardrails
Design ofBridges
Culverts
Tunnels
TheWawona Tunnel and Overlook
WestchesterCounty Parks Exchange
The Significant Landscape DesignofNational Park Roads
Construction ofTrails
Table of Contents,
«,»,.
Expanding the Building Program
Designs for the Educational Division
Forestry and the Protection ofParkForests
A Program ofLandscape Naturalization
ProhibitionofExotic Seeds and Plants
Grounds ofthe Concessionaires
MuseumWild PlantGardens
TheWild Garden attheYosemite Museum
PropagationNurseries
E.P Meineckeand Campground Planning
Yosemite's Committee ofExpertAdvisers
1932StudyonParkPolicies
V. A Process Of Park Planning 173
From DevelopmentOutlines toMasterPlans
The EmploymentStabilizationActof1931
ParkDevelopmentOutline
Plans as a ToolforLandscape Preservation
The Planning Process inAction: The Story ofYakima Park
VI. A Decade Of Expansion, 1933 To 1942 195
Public Works Administration Projects
EmergencyConservationWork
MountRainier
ChinquapinIntersection, Yosemite
RoadsideNaturalization
Overlooks, TruckTrails, and Trails
Headquarters Area, Sequoia
YosemiteVillage
Yosemite Museum'sWild Garden
Rehabilitation ofSprings, Yosemite
DevelopmentofCampgrounds and Picnic Areas
Recreational Development
DevelopmentofParkways
VII. A New Deal For State Parks, 1933 To 1942 229
State ParkEmergencyConservationWork
HerbertMaier's Influence
.
Table of Contents,
The Role ofthe DistrictInspector
Principles and Practices
Submarginal Lands and Recreational DemonstrationAreas
Works Progress Administration
The Park, Parkway, and Recreational Area Study
Portfolios and Publications
ParkStructuresandFacilities
ParkandRecreation Structures
Landscape Conservation
Other Publications
The End ofthe Civilian ConservationCorps
APPENDIX A Registering Historic Park Landscapes in the National Registerof
Historic Places 271
APPENDIX B Associated Listings in the National RegisterofHistoric Places....277
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 295
INDEX 305
Foreword
Justoverfiftyyearsago,theCivilianConservation theirstewardshipofsignificantnaturalareas,setforth
Corps(CCC)ended,andwithiteclipsedagrandera naturalistictheoriesforparkdevelopment,and
ofpark-buildingmarkedbynaturalisticprinciples, advocatedthefoundingoftheNationalParkService.
craftsmanship,andnativematerials. Rootedinthe ChapterOnedescribesthecontinuingrelationship
Americanparkmovementofthenineteenthcentury, betweentheprofessionandtheNationalParkService,
naturalisticparkdesignflourishedunderthe whileChapterTwotracestherootsofanaturalistic
stewardshipoftheNationalParkS—erviceintheearly ethicofparkdesignfromlandscapegardenerAndrew
twentiethcentury. Parkdesigners landscape JacksonDowningandparkbuilderFrederickLaw
—
architects,architects,andengineers forgedarich Olmsted,Sr.,totwentieth-centurypractitionerssuch
legacyofroadsandtrailsthatblendedwiththe asHenryHubbardandFrankWaugh.
naturalscenery,picturesqueparkvillages, Ascalleduponina 1918statementofpolicy,
campgroundsandpicnicareas,scenicoverlooks,and NationalParkServiceofficialslookedtolandscape
majesticviews. Manyoftheseplaceshavefulfilledthe engineersandlandscapearchitectstolocateand
NationalParkService'sdualmissiontoconservethe designfacilitiesinwaysthatharmonizedwiththe
naturalsceneryandtoprovideforpublicuse, naturalsettingandensuredthatnaturalfeaturesand
enjoyment,andappreciation. Theyhavecontinuedto sceneryremainedunimpaired. ChapterThree
servevisitorsforseveralgenerations. Parkmanagers, describesthecontributionsoftheparkservice'sfirst
publicofficials,andpreservationistsarenowbeing landscapeengineerstothecreationofadesignethic
calledupontorecognizetheseplaces,appreciatetheir fornationalparks. ChapterFourtellsthestoryofthe
historicsignificance,andprotectthemascultural foundingandgrowthoftheLandscapeDivisionofthe
resources. WesternFieldOffice,whichwasmodeledaftera
ThisstudyhasbeendevelopedbytheNational professionaldesignofficeandguidedthe
RegisterofHistoricPlaces,InteragencyResources developmentofnationalparksthroughaprocessof
Division,NationalParkService,primarilyto masterplanningandadvancesinthenaturalistic
encouragenominationofhistoricparklandscapesof designofroads,trails,overlook,bridges,and
nationalandstateparkstotheNationalRegisterof buildings. ChapterFivecloselyexaminestheplanning
HistoricPlaces. Theideaforthestudycamefromthe processthroughwhichareasofeachparkwere
growinginterestinlandscapepreservationandthe designatedforvarioustypesofdevelopmentorset
concernthat,whilesignificantparkbuildingsand asideaswildernesstoremainundeveloped.
structureswerebeingrecognized,thelarger Landscapeconcernscontinuedtodominatethe
landscapesofwhichtheywereanintegralpartwere developmentofnationalparksduringtheNewDeal.
beingoverlooked. Theobjectivewastodevelopa ChapterSixcoverstheperiod, 1933to1942,whenthe
nationalcontextforidentifying,evaluating,and parksystemgreatlyexpanded,andplanningand
registeringthevastnumberofhistoricpark constructionproceededonanunprecedentedscale
landscapesinfluencedbythedesignethicdeveloped throughprogramssuchastheCCCandPublicWorks
andpracticedbytheNationalParkService. The Administration. ChapterSevenexaminestheroleof
largestgroupoftheseareareasofnational,state,and theNationalParkServiceinthedevelopmentofstate
localparksdevelopedbytheCCCunderthedirection andlocalparksduringthe1930sandtheoriginsofa
oflandscapearchitects,architects,andengineersofthe stateandfederalpartnershipforoutdoorrecreation.
NationalParkServiceinthe1930s. Theinitialfunding Anunderstandingofthelandscapedesignofthe
forthisstudycamefromagrantfromtheHorace NationalParkServiceprovidesabasisforevaluating
Albright(nowAlbright-Wirth)Employee thehistoricsignificanceofparklandscapesinnational,
DevelopmentFundoftheNationalParkFoundation,a state,and,insomecases,localparks. Theseareasare
non-profitorganizationdevotedtosupporting culturaland naturallandscapescontainingroads,
NationalParkServiceemployeesandinitiatives. trails,overlooks,bridges,buildings,parkingareas,
Thestudyiswrittenfromtheperspectiveof vistas,plantings,and smallelementssuchassignsand
landscapearchitecture,theprofessionhavingprimary waterfountains. Becausetheseplacesreflectthe
responsibilityforthephysicaldevelopmentofthe manifoldcontributionsofseveralgenerationsof
parksfrom1916to1942. Justaftertheturnofthe creativenationalparkdesignerswhowerecommitted
century,prominentlandscapearchitectsproclaimed totheuseandpreservationofparks,manyofthese
areasmeetcriteriafortheNationalRegisterofHistoric andregisteringmultiplepropertygroups. Itishoped
Places. Forthisreason,theresultsofthisstudyhave thatthisnationalcontextwillassistnational,state,and
alsobeenincorporatedintoamultipleproperty localparkagenciesindevelopinghistoriccontextsfor
documentationformentitled "HistoricPark theirjurisdictionsrelatingtoconservation,park
LandscapesinNationalandStateParks." This development,recreation,landscapearchitecture,
documentationformcanbeusedbyparkagenciesat architecture,andengineering. Ourintentisto
variouslevelsofgovernment,statepreservation consolidatetheinformationrelatingtothenational
offices,localgovernments,andotherstofacilitatethe contextandtherebyeliminatetheneedtoreestablish
NationalRegisterlistingofparksandparklandscapes thechronologyofevents,thephysicalandassociative
associatedwiththecontext. Ourintentionisto characteristics,andhistoricalimportanceofthisgroup
eliminatetheduplicativeeffortsthatresultwheneach ofculturalresourcesinsubsequent,separatereports.
parkagencyandstatehistoricpreservationofficesets Asaresultthisinformationwillstreamlinethe
outtoevaluateandregisterpropertiessharingthe documentationofhistoriccontextsforNational
samehistoriccontextandcharacteristics. Registernominations,historicresourcestudies,and
Bydefininganddescribingthecharacteristicsof culturallandscapereportsoftheNationalParkService
parklandscapes,thestudyisalsointendedasaguide inkeepingwiththeNationalParkService'sCultural
toidentifyingthecomponentresourcesthatwerepart ResourceManagementGuideline(NPS-28).
ofthelegacyoftheNationalParkServicedesigners ThehistoryofthelandscapedesignoftheNational
from1917to1942. Asaresult,thestudyshouldbe ParkServiceintheearlytwentiethcenturyisdiverse
usefultothosesurveyingtheculturalresourcesof andcomplex,andtheNationalParkServiceisactively
national,state,andlocalparks;thosecompilingthe involvedinfurthercontextualresearchinthisfield.
ListofClassifiedStructures(LCS)andCultural CurrentlyunderwayisaNationalHistoricLandmark
LandscapeInventory(CLI);andthosepreparing ThemeStudyonthelandscapearchitecturedesigned
NationalRegisterforms. Furthermore,the bytheNationalParkServicebetween1917and 1941.
documentationandreferencesgiveninthestudyon Thestudywillprovideacomparativeanalysisof
features,suchasstonemasonryspecificationsfor national,state,andlocalparksdevelopedwiththe
guardrails,bridges,andculverts,shouldbeusefulto technicalassistanceoftheparkserviceforthe
thoseplanningrehabilitationorrestorationprojects. purposesofvisitoruse,interpretation,and
Wehopethatthisstudywillencouragefurther administrationandidentifythoseofexceptionalvalue
scholarshiponthelandscapedesignofnational,state, tothenation. Thisstudywillbethefirsttonominatea
andlocalparks. Theresearchmethodsusedherein seriesofpropertiesforNationalHistoricLandmark
canbeappliedtostudiesofindividualparks. Thetext, designationunderthethemeofAmericanlandscape
footnotes,andbibliographyareintendedtohelp architecture.
researchersfindandinterpretprimarysources,suchas Stewardshipremainsachallengetoday,evenmore
masterplans,developmentoutlines,historic thanitwasfortheNationalParkService'sfoundersin
photographs,plansanddrawings,narrativereportsof 1916. Ourknowledgeofthecausesandeffectsof
CCCcampsuperintendents,andreportsofthe humanuseonthenaturallandscapehasgrown
residentlandscapearchitects. Thesehistoric considerablyinrecentdecades. Theconcernsofpark
documentsprovideawealthofdetailed,interesting, designanddevelopmenthavebecomeincreasingly
andrelevantinformation. Thestudyalsodraws complex,aswearefacedwithissuesofhighway
attentiontosomeofthevaluablefindingaidsavailable safety,pollution,andspeciesextinction. Park
totheresearcher. Foremostamongthesearethe managersarebeingaskedtoachieveanecological
computerizedindexandmicrofilmedfilesofhistoric balanceandtomanageculturalandnaturalresources
drawingsandplansmaintainedbytheTechnical effectively. Atsuchatime,itisworthwhiletolook
InformationCenteroftheDenverServiceCenter. backwardandtraceourprogressinpresentingand
Thisstudyisalsointendedasamodelstatementof preservingnature'swonders. Insodoing,wecan
historiccontextforathemethatcanbemeaningfully appreciateandperhapsrecapturethespirit,
examinedfromanationalperspectiveandappliedtoa commitment,andprinciplesthatguidedpark
largenumberofculturallandscapes. Ithasbeen managersanddesignersearlierinthiscentury. Wecan
developedaccordingtotheSecretaryoftheInterior's betterunderstandandplanfortheparksasboth
StandardsandGuidelinesforArcheologyandHistoric naturalandculturalplaces. Aboveofall,wewillbe
Preservationandguidelinesdevelopedbythe betterequipped tomakedecisionsthatwillsucceedin
NationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesfordocumenting leavingtheparksand thewonderstheyhold