CRATER LAKE
Report: The Rustic Landscape of Rim Village, 1927-1941 		NPS Arrowhead logo
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The Rustic Landscape of Rim Village, 1927-1941

Crater Lake National Park
Oregon

by Cathy A. Gilbert
Historical Landscape Architect

Gretchen A. Luxenberg
Architectural Historian

National Park Service
Cultural Resources Division
Pacific Northwest Region
1990

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank the Superintendent and staff at Crater Lake National Park, who provided office space, research materials, technical expertise, and enthusiasm in the development of this report. In addition, the professional staffs in the Pacific Northwest Regional Office and the Denver Service Center provided technical assistance and coordination in the development of the scope of work and review sessions throughout the project. Thanks also to Richard Winters, Associate Regional Director, Recreation Resources and Professional Services, Pacific Northwest Region, for his insight and guidance on several key portions of the report. A special thanks to the staff at the National Archives Administrative Center in San Bruno, California, for their persistence over several months tracking down the historical records that were the basis of this study, and to Marsha Tolon, for graphic assistance in the production of the document.

INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Early automobile visitor to park

On May 22, 1902, Crater Lake became the nation's sixth national park. It was set aside as a "public park" and "pleasure ground" to ensure the preservation of a unique resource for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people. Charged with oversight of the new park, the Department of the Interior set out to develop basic visitor services and access to Crater Lake. In spite of the park's isolated location in southern Oregon and limited operating funds, significant progress and site improvements were underway almost immediately.

Roads were one of the earliest concerns addressed. By 1905, the Department of the Interior had constructed a "steep and tortuous" road following a ridgeline west of Garfield Peak, that led up to the south side of the crater's edge. This early access road proved essential in the next development effort along the rim of Crater Lake -- the building of a hotel.

Addressing the need for overnight lodging, the park concessioner undertook construction of Crater Lake Lodge in 1909. Following examples set in other national parks, the concessioner selected a location as close as possible to the main attraction in the park, and sited the hotel near the edge of the caldera wall, overlooking Crater Lake. The lodge opened for business in 1915. In conjunction with the building of the lodge, "Crater Camp," complete with tent cabins, opened to the public to provide accommodations for the park's growing numbers of auto-touring visitors.

Despite these improvements, visitor services at the rim remained nominal. Like other early parks, Crater Lake suffered from a lack of funds, personnel and a long-term direction for development. The establishment of the National Park Service in 1916 provided some impetus for change, and appropriations were put in place for various projects in the park. The entry of the United States into World War I, however, slowed progress and while park staff did increase at Crater Lake, road improvements and other construction projects were undertaken only in a limited way.

Access into the park and to the rim was improved by the Army Corps of Engineers, and several hiking trails were built radiating out from the lodge, enabling park visitors to enjoy views on The Watchman and Garfield Peak, or from below, along the water's edge. Slowly over the years services improved and by 1924 visitors to Crater Lake National Park had a number of amenities available to them. The "village" area had a large hotel and campground, a photographic studio, and a community house for special programs. Comfort stations were built in the campground, which had been relocated to the lovely sub-alpine glen south of the hotel. Nineteen twenty-seven marked a turning point for the development at Crater Lake, particularly at Rim Village. A general plan for rim area development was approved and the park received its largest appropriation ever. This program was overseen by the NPS' Chief of the Landscape Engineering Division, Thomas C. Vint, who created a Western Field Office in San Francisco. Vint brought together a number of disciplines for an era of unprecedented development in the parks. He became a controlling figure in the implementation of planning and the use of master plans for all of the parks, plans that were intended to guide each park's construction and maintenance work over several years. The next fourteen years were critical ones for the implementation of Crater Lake's master plan. More importantly, the execution of the plan and its concepts reflected the direction of the Park Service's design ethics and style of the era, a style that has since come to be known as NPS Rustic.

Implementation of the comprehensive design plan for Rim Village was completed in two phases. The first phase, between 1927-1932, saw the establishment of roads and parking areas, new buildings, strolling paths, and plantings, all completed by NPS and contract labor. The second phase of implementation, between 1933-1941, was accomplished by the manpower made available by the New Deal. Two CCC camps were established at Crater Lake, bringing more than four hundred men into the park to undertake a variety of construction projects, landscape work, and general maintenance projects. New trails were built, roads were improved, additional plantings were established, and buildings were erected by these young men. The rim planting program continued, with special attention to planting around buildings, along the promenade, and on the caldera itself. Probably the CCC's most significant contribution was the work they completed at the Rim Campground. For the first time this important and heavily-used area of the village received considerable attention. Supplemental plantings were installed for design and functional purposes: an internal circulation system was formalized for foot and auto traffic; and individual camp sites with Rustic style picnic tables, benches, and fireplaces were built.

World War II brought an end to this intensive period of development at Crater Lake. Nearly all of the landscape design at Rim Village had been implemented by this time, and maintenance had become the primary concern as the park lost its CCC forces and much of its park staff.

In the years after 1941, the designed landscape of Rim Village was virtually neglected. During the war years little thought or care was given to the maintenance of the plant material that had painstakingly been added to the site. Park staff turned their attention to other areas and concerns in the park.

In 1955, after many years of neglect throughout the National Park system, the NPS implemented the system-wide Mission '66 program. With the program's thrust of economically standardizing improvements in the national parks, Crater Lake's Rim Village once again became the focus of attention. In many ways, however, this attention resulted in the beginning of the dismantling of the designed landscape at Rim Village. A variety of features and elements comprising the significant design period (1927-1941) were altered or removed entirely; rustic motifs were replaced or covered over in the effort to "modernize" the park facilities; pedestrian walkways and rock walls were realigned and rebuilt. Later, camping was removed entirely from the rim and the former campground was converted into a day-use area for picnickers. Rustic tables and fireplaces were replaced with more contemporary models.

The landscape at Rim Village installed under the 1930s Master Plan has undergone a number of alterations over the decades. These changes, in addition to the impacts from intense visitor use, and a general lack of maintenance over several years has left much of the designed landscape ill-defined, and many structures at Rim Village in poor condition. In spite of the changes and impacts however, much remains of the designed historic landscape at the rim. Overall patterns, as well as many small-scale features are extant from the critical years of implementation -- 1927-1941.

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

Beginning in the 1970s, the NPS undertook a series of public meetings, technical studies, and planning efforts directed toward development of a comprehensive management plan for the redevelopment of Rim Village. Following several years of debate over the future of Rim Village and Crater Lake Lodge, the Mazama Campground/Rim Village Corridor Development Concept Plan/Amendment to the General Management Plan was completed in 1988. Key concepts of that document include the removal of several existing structures, the rehabilitation of the Crater Lake Lodge, the construction of a new year-round lodge and interpretive center, the creation of new circulation systems (including the removal of all vehicular traffic from the rim), the relocation of existing utilities to reduce the impacts of Rim Village on the lake environment, and a general restoration of the 1930s "character" of the site.

Restoration, where possible, of the pedestrian-oriented ambiance of the historic landscape must be predicated on a knowledge of the original plan and detailed information about important patterns and features that have survived from the significant period of development. With that data in hand, appropriate recommendations and decisions can be made as to what features should be stabilized, preserved, or reestablished, and how new site elements can be successfully integrated within the context of the historic design.

The primary purpose of the historic landscape study is to investigate the historic record for Rim Village and to identify and evaluate significant landscape components. Based on that evaluation, a series of recommendations have been developed to provide a design vocabulary for new design work at the Rim. The identification of significant historic landscape qualities and resources does not preclude new development at the site, but should serve as a material palette, providing an envelope of appropriate forms and compatible style for the landscape of Rim Village.

METHODOLOGY AND SCOPE

The historic landscape study for Rim Village is divided into three main parts: research; analysis and evaluation; and recommendations. A variety of materials were investigated in the research phase of the project. All NPS planning documents, administrative materials, and historical documents on file in the Pacific Northwest Regional Office were reviewed. The park's extensive historical files and archives -- including superintendents' annual reports and the historic photograph collection -- were thoroughly studied for relevant information. Park historian Stephen R. Mark provided supplemental and special research materials throughout the course of the project. In addition to park and regional office files, historical research was conducted at the National Archives and Records Administrative Centers in Seattle, Washington and San Bruno, California, where among other items, the Landscape Architects' narrative reports for Crater Lake National Park were located, complete with original black and white photographs. This historic record was particularly valuable to the study. The landscape architects and engineers working in the field at Crater Lake National Park kept copious notes and records throughout the 1930's, documenting not only what they did from month to month, but why and how they did it. In this regard, the historic record is more than a chronological record, it is a record of ideas and technologies for adapting the NPS Rustic ethic to the landscape of Rim Village. In addition to this research, two weeks were spent in the park conducting field surveys and a general reconnaissance of the existing landscape. The findings from the research portion of the study can be found in the "Landscape History," which is divided into two chapters. The first chapter is an overview of the general principles that define the Rustic ethic, and the design context for the NPS Rustic as a style of design in the parks. The second chapter discusses the material forms of the Rustic style as designed and implemented at Rim Village.

The second part of the report -- analysis and evaluation -- is based on the landscape history, and provides the criteria for development of specific recommendations for rehabilitation. Based on historical research and field analysis, the project team identified a variety of individual features that collectively comprised the essential philosophies, themes, materials, and character of the historic landscape. These individual features form the typology and were grouped into five components: Circulation; Vegetation; Structures; Small-Scale Features; and Construction Technologies. Each component forms an individual "chapter" within the Typology section of the report. National Register criteria was used to determine which components were significant and contributing elements of the designed historic landscape.

Based on the analysis and evaluation, recommendations were developed for stabilization, preservation, and reestablishment of significant historic patterns and features in the landscape. While these recommendations targeted preservation as the preferred action, they also addressed new design for Rim Village in the context of preliminary program elements for redevelopment of the site. It is important to note that the recommendations are not intended to serve as, or replace, site plans for specific areas or features of Rim Village, nor do they include construction or maintenance specifications. Many of these issues are being addressed in other documents and in future studies associated with the more detailed design work planned for the rim.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

CONTEXT AND SITE BOUNDARIES

Crater Lake National Park is located in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon. The park includes more than 183,000 acres of mountains, volcanic peaks, unique and unusual landforms, and a diversity of plant and animal communities surrounding Crater Lake. As the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake is the primary natural resource of the park. The lake is 6 miles long, 4-1/2 miles wide and 6176 feet above sea level at the surface. Due to its location in the Cascades, Crater Lake is subject to high volumes of snow and for much of the year, the land surrounding the edge of the lake, including Rim Village, is blanketed with snow.

Rim Village, the focus of this study, is located on the southwest side of the lake, and is one of the primary parking areas but very structured along the rim, where a series of narrow walkways route visitors to the main promenade. The promenade varies between 6 and 8 feet in width and follows the edge of the caldera from a point several hundred feet west of the cafeteria to the head of the Garfield Peak Trail, east of the lodge. Informal paths are located throughout the former campground. Social trails between Rim Village Road and the promenade have had a very negative impact on the vegetation throughout the area.

There are six primary buildings at Rim Village including the Crater Lake Lodge (1909-1922) at the east end of the site, the Kiser Studio (1921), the Sinnott Memorial (1931), the Cafeteria (1928, 1956, 1970s), the Community House (1924), and the Plaza Comfort Station (1938). These buildings remain (with varying degrees of integrity) along with several secondary buildings from the historic period. Other structures, including more than 1450 feet of stone walls and observation bays, also remain from the historic design, although portions and segments of these features are in poor condition or have been altered over the years. The Community House functioned as a gathering place for NPS interpreters and visitors until 1989. The lodge functioned as a hotel until the summer of 1989 when it was closed for structural repairs. The Sinnott Memorial, Cafeteria, and Plaza Comfort Station continue to function as they did historically, providing interpretive and general services to park visitors.

With the notable exception of the large hemlock forest south of Rim Village Road, virtually all of the vegetation at Rim Village was planted between 1930 and 1941. All plant materials at the site are indigenous to the park. Due to the extreme environmental conditions at the rim (an average of only two to three snow-free months a year), and intense trampling by visitors over many years, plant materials between Rim Village Road and the promenade are generally in very poor condition, or in some cases, they have been destroyed altogether. In other areas, such as around the lodge, foundation plantings are remarkably intact, reflecting the original design.

Functionally, Rim Village remains the focal point for visitor services in the park. Food service, hiking trails, interpretive programs, strolling on the promenade, and enjoying the lake views provide visitors with both passive and active recreational opportunities. No other site in the park provides this diverse use in one concentrated place.

LANDSCAPE HISTORY

DESIGN CONTEXT

In any area in which the preservation of the beauty of Nature is a primary purpose, every modification of the natural landscape, whether it be by construction of a road or erection of a shelter, is an intrusion. A basic objective of those who are entrusted with development of such areas for the human uses for which they are established, is . . . to hold these intrusions to a minimum and so to design them that, besides being attractive to look upon, they appear to belong to and be a part of their settings.

Arno B. Cammerer, Director
National Park Service, 1935 [1]

INTRODUCTION

The design philosophy espousing a close relationship between man-made structures and the natural environment can be traced to the mid-19th century, when American landscape architects were beginning to influence environmental planning and architectural design and practices. During the decades that followed, these theories and ideas were applied and further refined by the advocates of what became a recognized style of design, one well-suited for national parks. This style was known as the Rustic, and it served as the framework for all design work at Rim Village.

The landscape of Rim Village is the result of two independent factors that were closely interwoven by NPS designers to create an image for the village. The two factors were function and utility, and aesthetics and design. The Park Service recognized that Rim Village needed specific services to accommodate the growing numbers of visitors to the park. Lodging, meals, camping and travel supplies, and general services were among the park visitors' needs. Planners also knew that a site's natural and aesthetic qualities were of equal importance to how it functioned. The Rustic style of design, then, became the "envelope" within which the functional needs of the village were addressed in a manner that was sensitive and appropriate to the natural surroundings.

FUNCTION AND UTILITY

Although the Department of the Interior had jurisdiction over development in the parks, it was the concessioners and railroad companies who first constructed buildings and other facilities in these areas. Some structures were good examples of the evolving Rustic style of design, others were not. Beginning in 1911, a series of National Park Conferences addressing development and design for the national parks were held in Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, and in Berkeley, California.[2] A number of professionals in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and engineering, as well as Park Service officials, attended these forums to express their goals, desires, and ideas for appropriate ways in which to develop and design for these special areas.[3] It was at one of these forums that Mark Daniels, a landscape engineer serving as the Department of the Interior's General Superintendent of Parks, presented his "campaign plan" for improving the parks.[4] A key component of Daniels' plan was to concentrate visitor services in one place -- a village. In his concept the village would be designed primarily for utility and functional needs of the visitor. Accommodations for every type of individual would be provided, from the visitor who wanted to stay in a hotel and take meals at a lodge, to the visitor who preferred cooking his own meals and sleeping in a tent. In Daniels' plan, individual buildings would be carefully sited and arranged throughout the village, and architectural styles would be thoughtfully considered in order to enhance -- in Daniels' words -- the "picturesqueness" of the site. Since the number of people traveling to the parks was increasing rapidly, Daniels felt the establishment of these villages, complete with their infrastructure of lights, water, utilities, supply stores, and lodging facilities, was inevitable for all the parks including Crater Lake. By 1915, a preliminary plan was in place for a village at Crater Lake, to be sited along the south side of the rim overlooking the lake.[5]

DESIGN AND THE NATURALISTIC STYLE

Early plans for the national parks focused on responding to specific functional needs, such as good roads and accommodations, rather than overall design or formal planning. An "official" design ethic for the parks came in 1918, two years after the National Park Service was established. The Secretary of the Interior wrote to the Director of the NPS, setting down policies and guidelines for the new bureau.

The Secretary's letter covered a number of issues. The influence of design professionals was clearly evident with regard to buildings and their place in the landscape. Secretary Franklin K Lane wrote:

In the construction of roads, trails, buildings, and other improvements, particular attention must be devoted always to the harmonizing of these improvements with the landscape. This is a most important item in our programs of development and requires the employment of trained engineers who either possess a knowledge of landscape architecture or have a proper appreciation of the esthetic value of park lands. All improvements will be carried out in accordance with a preconceived plan developed in special reference to the preservation of the landscape.[6]

In addition, Lane stated that any improvement activities would be undertaken by its "Section of Landscape Engineering," and that each improvement would blend harmoniously into a carefully considered scheme

. . . in order to secure a maximum of beauty and convenience with a minimum of interference with natural conditions. . . . It is an invariable rule that no structure of importance, whether for the Service or the public operators, can be erected until the approval of the Landscape Engineer has been secured, both as to location and design.[7]

These words represent the underlying basis of the distinct style of design that came to be known as NPS Rustic. Over the years Lane's statement became a charter for the NPS' design program, and for the next twenty years this philosophy was faithfully followed in the nation's parks, including Crater Lake.

In America, antecedents of the Rustic style can be traced to the writings of 19th century Landscape Architect Andrew Jackson Downing. Influenced by British landscape traditions and writing in the mid-1800s, Downing espoused rural ideals for landscape gardening and design. By the turn of the century, the fancy gardens of the Victorian era had given way to the simple, economic, "naturalistic" and "informal" gardens championed earlier by Downing. Journals and landscape design books of the day popularized the style that drew its inspiration directly from nature. In their writings, landscape architects and horticulturists, particularly Frederick Law Olmsted, Henry H. Hubbard, and Frank Waugh, set down principles for designing in the naturalistic style. These principles, in turn, set the framework for the design values and philosophy of the Rustic style.

At its best, the Rustic style achieved sympathy with the natural surroundings and with the past. The style became the means in which functional architecture was brought into natural environments in a visually pleasing and nonintrusive manner. Characteristics such as the use of natural materials used in proper scale, the avoidance of rigid, straight lines, and the visual character of a structure that appeared rugged, handcrafted, and built by pioneer craftsmen with limited hand tools, were the essence of the Rustic style. Structures, however, were always intended to be subordinate to their surroundings. The features to be preserved, emphasized, and appreciated in the parks were the site's natural features and not the man-made ones. In the Rustic philosophy, the natural features were the overriding factors in determining the design vocabulary for both individual buildings and entire developments in the national parks. [8]

Over several years of implementing the rustic idiom in the parks, the NPS continually strove to perfect the techniques required to achieve visually appealing and well-proportioned rustic structures. Awkward examples were followed by ever-improving and more eloquent examples. The relationship between landscape architecture and architecture continued to strengthen, and the landscape itself became an integral part of every design.[9]

In 1927 the NPS' Landscape Division was transferred to San Francisco, where a Western Field Office was created, combining landscape design work with the NPS' Civil Engineering Division and the Bureau of Public Roads. This joint office brought together a number of professional disciplines for an era of unparalleled development in the parks. Concurrently, park appropriations significantly increased, leading to an increase in park staff and general development activities. It was during this time that comprehensive planning efforts were formalized, with master plans prepared for each national park. Landscape architect Thomas C. Vint headed up the San Francisco office, becoming the dominant and controlling figure in the implementation of planning in the parks -- planning that was manifested in the Rustic style.

As a culmination of its efforts to introduce and implement design in the national parks that followed the principles of the Rustic style, the NPS printed a book that synthesized information about the style. The NPS commissioned Albert H. Good to create a manual of appropriate park designs. Published in 1935, Park Structures and Facilities was directed at government agencies and professionals charged with designing buildings and structures in natural or recreational areas. It quickly became the foundation for state and national park design. The book included a treatise on appropriate design for these areas. Various features, from buildings to drinking fountains, were described in a text that was heavily illustrated with photographs, plans, and elevations. The NPS was confident that by pulling together a collection of the "best" examples of the Rustic style in one place, an understanding of the style would be enhanced and stimulate further developments and improvements in design. The bureau was correct in its assumption: the book sold out almost immediately and was reprinted as a three-volume set three years later under the title Park and Recreation Structures. It had become an "indispensable architectural pattern book."[10]

Park and Recreation Structures set down several fundamental principles for designing in the Rustic style. Both structures and landscape were addressed. The visual success of the finished structure was directly related to how various native materials were combined, the scale and massing of the structure, its siting on the landscape, the appropriate use of color, and the appearance of craftsmanship in construction. Essentially, park structures that looked as though they had "sprung from the soil" were "of the elect."[11] In addition to guidelines for buildings and structures, Park and Recreation Structures made recommendations for minimizing the visual impact of these features through the use of plant materials. While the goal was to site buildings in a natural setting, this was not always possible. In order to "gracefully obliterate the otherwise unhappy line of demarcation between buildings and ground," it was advised that vegetation be introduced along the structural foundations, to soften the edge between earth and structure. Another recommendation suggested the use of rocks around building foundations, "artfully contrived," to give the impression of natural rock outcroppings occurring next to the building. It is of interest to note that Good, while espousing the use of natural and native materials, also advocated "deception" when necessary in order to attain the desired rustic look. Changing technologies in building methods permitted stone bridges, drinking fountains, and other structures or features to be built using modern materials like concrete. In order to achieve the natural appearance desired, these features -- with their concrete infrastructure -- were sided with a masonry veneer for that "rustic" look.[12]

This publication provided fundamental guidance for those charged with design in the nation's parks. The diverse ideas and principles that had been championed and practiced by the NPS and design professionals over many decades finally came together formally in this sourcebook. Park and Recreation Structures communicated to a broad audience the design context that national parks were following in their structural improvements and developments across the country.

RUSTIC DESIGN AT RIM VILLAGE

INTRODUCTION

Because it was one of the early parks in the system, Crater Lake National Park was a laboratory for NPS planners and designers working in the Rustic style. It was also an older park, with many needs to address. With monies in place for park development, and a professional team in the Western Field Office transforming ideas and concepts into master plans for the parks, the time was right for design implementation. At Crater Lake, the period of intensive development was 1927 to 1941, and one area of focus was Rim Village.

The key players developing the design concepts for Rim Village were assembled in San Francisco, and led by Thomas Vint. Along with Vint, landscape architect Merel S. Sager had the greatest influence in the design program for Crater Lake's Rim Village. Crater Lake was one of several Pacific Coast parks that benefited from Sager's expertise. It was Vint, however, the "veteran," who was responsible for teaching Sager and the other young professionals about the principles of non-intrusive (Rustic) design.

Vint was charged with the job of implementing the NPS' Rustic architecture program in the parks. He did this through the use of general development plans and later, beginning in 1931, by instituting a Master Plan Program.[13] In this program, each park in the system would have a plan establishing design criteria to guide development. These plans would govern all construction and maintenance work in the parks and in Vint's eyes be "progressive" and revised regularly to reflect new issues, annual progress, or new information. The plans themselves were comprised of two components: written statements detailing policy and objective statements about the park's intended use; and a series of site plan drawings. The drawings served both as an inventory of existing conditions, and as design documents showing proposed facilities. In order to prepare these plans, Vint assigned each member of his team of professionals to specific parks. Summers were spent in those areas conducting topographic surveys, photography, and other field work critical for site design.

At Crater Lake, the construction season was extremely short, due to the area's harsh weather conditions. Substantial amounts of snow fell annually at the park, blanketing the place for almost nine months a year. These conditions made planning work schedules difficult, as the actual work season varied from one year to the next. In a typical year the workforces began their operations in June and were forced to stop in October. Occasionally, crews were able to begin as early as April. No matter when the work season started, the park's landscape architects were prepared to begin, working on unfinished projects from the previous year that required completion prior to undertaking new tasks. As the season drew to a close and over the course of the winter, the park's landscape architects assessed what was completed during the previous season, and what was needed next season, and designed their proposed work schedules accordingly.

Extensive and detailed monthly narrative reports were prepared by the assistant or resident landscape architects and forwarded to the chief and/or regional landscape architect through the park's superintendent. Returning to San Francisco in the fall, the architects and landscape architects would use the winter months to synthesize their field observations and notes, and draft the information into cohesive master plans for each park. The master plans were primarily conceptual: what was delineated on a master plan drawing during any given year was not necessarily found on the ground for the same year. Often, it took years before design ideas were actualized on the site. In addition, many design decisions were made "in the field." For example, if a good idea occurred to one of the designers or planners working at the site, that idea was often implemented immediately and the master plan drawings and narrative text later adjusted to reflect the new design element or feature.[14]

When Vint turned his attention to Crater Lake in 1927 to begin a fall-scale planning program for the park, the "village," espoused earlier by planners as a means of accommodating park visitors, was already in place on the south shore of Crater Lake.[15] At the east end of the site was the hotel, the Crater Lake Lodge, and a stone comfort station built in 1921 for park campers. To the west a short walk, was the rustic Kiser Studio (built in 1921) where visitors obtained their souvenir photographs of the park. Across the way, was the Community House, built in 1924 by the NPS. Such a building had been suggested in 1923, "to encourage visitors to mingle together after sundown."[16] The Community House provided space for visitors to dance, hear lectures, and participate in other forms of entertainment. A wooded area behind the Community House was formally designated as a campground by the NPS.

Despite this development, the overall appearance of Rim Village was bleak and had been for many years. Park visitors drove their cars in a random fashion all over the area and up to the edge of the steep caldera wall. People walked wherever they desired, including to a precipitous outcrop known as Victor Rock, where they could take in a breathtaking vista of the lake. Campers arbitrarily pitched their tents after driving around the campground looking for suitable sites. With all of the indiscriminate activity, the landscape of Rim Village suffered. Trees were used as bumpers for automobiles; vegetation was practically non-existent from trampling by visitors and/or their cars; and the nature of the site's soil combined with the prevailing winds, often created an unbearably dusty and dirty environment. NPS designers went so far as to describe the area as a "pumice desert" and "an unattractive sand waste."[17]

The intent of Vint's plan was to improve the appearance of the landscape, eliminate safety hazards with respect to cars, reduce dust, and simplify traffic and parking problems by spreading people out across the site. The plan focused on three components: buildings; landscape; and circulation. With regard to buildings, the park concessioner (who had built two of the three existing buildings) had plans for additional structures, including a cafeteria and store, and twenty-two rental cabins, at the far west end of Rim Village. The circulation component of the plan proposed a pedestrian trail to be laid along the edge of the rim for the full length of the village, and trails to be built leading down to the lakeshore and up to Garfield Peak from the Rim Village. Vint felt that this rim walk would be one of the most important units of the rim area development, and its center of attraction would be the lookout designed for Victor Rock, complete with a rustic stairway and ramps. The landscape component of the plan focused on reclaiming the "pumice desert" by restoring the area's natural grasses and wildflowers. It was hoped that this planting program would bring back the site's original beauty and once again be in harmony with its natural surroundings. Other structures and features, including paved parking areas north of the cafeteria, south of the lodge, and a road with parking revetments linking the two main lots, were also incorporated into the design proposal for Rim Village. In 1928 a new road to Rim Village was completed altering the visitor's entry sequence to the west end of the site. However, Vint saw this as an improvement, for it would help distribute traffic at the rim. Vint noted that this new road approach was "one of the most powerful factors, having an influence on the general layout" programmed for the village.[18]

In general, the design intent of the first general development plan was to create an aesthetic and functional environment for visitors through non-intrusive design. The overall development would appear natural, as though the vegetation added to enhance the site had always been there, and the buildings and curving walks belonged in the landscape. Orderliness would prevail. Of utmost importance was to refrain from overdevelopment, but develop all services intensively in one area so the rest of the park could remain intact and "virgin." Vint's long-term vision for the village included the development of the open desert area west of the Community House into a plaza where all services and facilities would be located. He wanted to relocate the Kiser Studio to this area, a site away from the rim and thus more visually appropriate. Vint also hoped that a new Community House could be erected in this plaza, designed in a more sensitive manner than the existing structure.[19]

IMPLEMENTATION

Although it is not known whether individual landscape areas were specifically targeted in the preliminary designs for the site, the landscape at Rim Village was organized into distinct landscape zones: the linear edge following the caldera wall; the area surrounding the lodge; the campground area; and the open expanse in front of the cafeteria building. In general, work progressed from one zone to the next. As construction of walkways and plantings were completed along the caldera wall, for example, work shifted to the next zone of concern, the lodge. Upon completion of circulation improvements and planting around the hotel, work efforts then turned to the campground. The fourth zone of concern, the west plaza where the cafeteria and store were located, was the last to be addressed, principally because Vint's plans called for a major overhaul of this area and the construction of new buildings.

Several primary landscape elements were addressed in the design and site development of Rim Village. First and foremost, in order to achieve a "naturalistic appearance," a hallmark of the Rustic style, NPS designers respected the natural topography of the area and worked to fit their designs to the natural features and lay of the land. Vegetation at the site, although minimal due to years of abuse, was retained and protected to the degree possible for incorporation into the new design. The NPS enhanced the site's extant landscape fabric by bringing in a variety of native plant materials. While these plants were found elsewhere in the park, they were not necessarily indigenous to Rim Village. In looking at other areas of the park, Merel Sager found a landscape that matched his vision for the barren site at Rim Village in Sun Notch, a verdant swale of meadow grasses and wildflowers situated east of Garfield Peak. Transposing this verdant appearance to Rim Village would satisfy Sager's plan in two ways: first, the area would be "improved" by the addition of new plants and the diminishing of the "dust evil" that was prevalent at the site; second, and perhaps more importantly, the landscape at the rim would be "restored" to its original, lush appearance. The effort to bring back to the rim the native plants once thought to blanket the site was called "naturalization" by Sager. Naturalization was undertaken in all four zones at the rim; around buildings, structures, walks, and even on the slopes of the caldera, in order to enhance the appearance of the area while simultaneously reducing the visual impact of the man-made improvements. Ultimately, naturalization was the means by which the buildings, roads, sidewalks, and curbs, which theoretically did not belong in a natural environment, were visually tied together into a cohesive design. Accomplished successfully, it made all of the improvements appear as though they belonged to the site, as though they "grew" out of the land.[20]

The critical years of design implementation at Rim Village can be divided into two periods of construction. The first period, between 1927 and 1932, was characterized by the Park Service completing tasks recommended by Vint and his colleagues. Park staff, the concessioner, and private contractors together built structures, made parking and circulation improvements to the site, and initiated the "naturalization" program at the rim. The second period, from 1933 until the onset of the second World War, was characterized by the presence of the Civilian Conservation Corps. With this new source of manpower, the continuation and maintenance of the "naturalization" program occurred and a concerted effort to rehabilitate the Rim Campground into a pleasant environment for park visitors began.

Phase I: 1927-1932

Implementation of the general development plan for Rim Village began in 1927. For the first five years work was completed by NPS forces and private contractors. Both Ernest A. Davidson and John B. Wosky, assistant landscape architects to Vint, guided the early improvements. By the fall of 1930, landscape architect Merel Sager was assigned to Crater Lake and became the lead in directing the design work there. The design as implemented at Rim Village is considered by many to be Sager's personal vision and expression of the Rustic.

The park received its largest appropriation to date in 1927. A variety of projects were undertaken that year. At Rim Village, the most notable addition was the completion of a new trail down to the lake. This trail replaced an older, steeper trail that originated near the lodge. The new trail began at the west end of the village. In 1928, there was a considerable increase in development activity at the village. The construction of buildings became a priority, particularly for the park's concessioner, the Crater Lake National Park Company. In 1928 they constructed a sizable cafeteria and store building at the west end of the village, orienting it toward the lake. Following NPS landscape architects' designs, the Cafeteria was built with Rustic styling, the exterior faced in stone and the broad gable roof sheathed in wood shingles. Its unbroken roofline and rectangular shape, although punctuated by windows and a recessed central door, made for a massive, overscaled building. This same year, a cluster of housekeeping cabins were built behind (south of) the Cafeteria. Later known as the Coldwater Cabins, these twelve tourist cabins followed the layout delineated on the general plan for the rim.[21]

Victor Rock, the rock outcrop 50 feet below the caldera rim and so popular with park visitors, became the focus of attention during this first period of construction. Vint had originally proposed for the site "an observation platform with an architectural development in the way of a memorial rest." Concurrently, NPS Director Horace Albright proposed the installation of a bronze plaque at the rim to honor former Oregon State Congressman Nicholas J. Sinnott, an individual who had worked diligently on behalf of the national parks. NPS Chief Naturalist Ansel Hall made a suggestion that combined and expanded on these two ideas:

. . . the placque might be placed at the Victor Rock Observation Station -- indeed if support can be secured on this project we might very well erect a neat little granite structure which might be known as a memorial to Mr. Sinnot [sic] and at the same time fulfill the requirements of a branch museum and observation station such as has been erected at Yavapai Point in Grand Canyon National Park.[22]

In 1930 the decision was made to change the project from a "memorial rest" to a memorial museum. Landscape Architect Merel Sager assisted with the preparation of plans for a substantial structure to be built on the precipitous outcrop, using the Grand Canyon building as the model. Studies for the building were drawn up in San Francisco over the winter and by June a preliminary sketch plan was finished. Unfortunately, these plans were drawn without actual field knowledge of the site. The designers quickly learned that Victor Rock had its limitations as a building site; in order for the building to be constructed as designed, several large hemlock trees would need to be removed and very heavy cutting of other vegetation was required. After some time was spent reconfiguring the building, construction began and was well underway by fall of that year. A tribute to the Rustic style of design, the Sinnott Memorial was completed in 1931.[23]

The trail to the Sinnott Memorial -- the former Victor Rock trail -- originally followed the ridge and was extremely steep; its presence was also causing damage to the nearby tree roots. After considerable study of the site was completed and lines surveyed and staked, landscape architect Merel Sager relocated the trail along an easier grade. The new trail was a combination of steps and a ramp, beginning at a point just west of the Kiser Studio.[24] In 1931, discussions were underway for how to best light the trail for visitation at night. Low lamps set into the retaining wall to illuminate the steps and ramp were determined to be the best solution, however these "final touches" were never incorporated into the design.

Other buildings constructed during this first phase of activity included public comfort stations. In the early 1930s, two additional comfort stations were built in the campground, designed with rough logs applied to the buildings' exteriors for a rustic appearance. In 1930, a third rustic log comfort station was built to the south of the Community House. Oil-burning water heaters were installed in this new comfort station so that hot showers were available for park visitors. That same year, a combination bathhouse/comfort station was built in the west end of the Rim Campground, behind the Cafeteria. Sager felt that this Rustic style comfort station, constructed with good-sized native stones, was a successful structure aesthetically because it harmonized with the exterior of the nearby Cafeteria.[25]

In conjunction with building construction, work began almost immediately on a comprehensive circulation system at Rim Village. To help direct the great number of tourists arriving daily in Rim Village during the summer season and to protect the natural landscape, a system of roads and guardrails was designed and under construction beginning in 1928. The main road through Rim Village, referred to as a "wide oiled highway from the junction of the Rim Road to the Lodge," was begun that year. Parking strips flanked this road, which also served to link both ends of the village. A rustic log guardrail was completed on the crater side of the road, in the hope that it would prevent visitors from driving their automobiles directly to the edge of the caldera, a practice that was ongoing since the first car reached the rim in 1905. Some means of control was also needed around buildings, as visitors had a propensity to drive directly up to these facilities as well. A guardrail was placed in front of the cafeteria to control cars around the west plaza area; the same type of rail was placed in front of the Community House, and at the main entrance to the rim auto camp, to help define that area. All of the rails were stained a dark brown color to improve their appearance and give the village a unified look.[26]

Most of the log guardrails were short-lived, however. NPS landscape architects, deciding that masonry curbing gave a better appearance and was more permanent, had all of the log rails at Rim Village replaced in 1932. Masons cut stone from nearby at The Watchman slide, and, beginning at the lodge and heading west toward the Crater Wall Trail, put in a low, stone curb along the edge of the road and parking areas. The log rails were reused elsewhere in the park, primarily for guardrails along Rim Road and at entrances to the park.[27]

To provide a link for the visitor from his automobile to the edge of the caldera and a view of the lake, designers developed a system of primary and secondary pedestrian footpaths. The primary focus of the evolving circulation network for park visitors at Rim Village was the main promenade following the edge of the caldera. Stretching from west of the cafeteria and traveling past the Sinnott Memorial and the lodge as far east as the trailhead to Garfield Peak, the promenade was a predominate design feature structuring movement along the rim. The intent of the path was to provide a strolling boulevard for tourists to better enjoy the lake views. Work on the promenade began in 1928. A low, stone wall or parapet was also planned, to help define both the edge of the promenade and the edge of the caldera, thus protecting visitors from inadvertently falling down the steep walls of the crater. In 1930, a sample section of this proposed wail was constructed. Landscape architect Merel Sager selected a standard NPS design typically used for guardrails. Using the standard specification sheet as the model, and under the guidance of Sager, masons erected an 18-inch high stone wall. To obtain a more naturalistic appearance and provide interest, the design of the wall was broken at regular intervals.[28] By late September of that year, more than 600 running feet of stone parapet was completed along the rim. Problems arose now and then as Sager's watchful eye found the workers using inappropriate construction methods. At one point Sager noted: "A little difficulty was experienced getting the workmen to understand just the type of work which was wanted."[29]

Incorporated into the design of this handbuilt rock wall were a series of observation bays, subtle extensions of the parapet designed to bring the visitor closer to the lake for open views and gathering areas set off from the crowds. The wall was also designed to accommodate trails leading down to the lake and to the Sinnott Memorial. Small-scale features like rustic drinking fountains were carefully integrated into the parapet wall for the visitors' refreshment, and were designed to look like springs flowing out of natural boulders. The rock wall, gracefully following the serpentine line of the promenade, would also serve as a continuous bench for tired visitors or those simply wishing to contemplate the lovely view. For three years the parapet was under construction; it was declared finished in 1932.

One of E.A. Davidson's first suggestions was to get started on the site's crosswalk construction. He felt these walks were very important elements of the rim development, and after some debate about how wide these paths should be (Davidson thought 6-foot widths were appropriate while others favored narrower walks), stakes for 6-foot wide walks were set. During this time the park Superintendent, E.C. Solinsky, made the suggestion that a path be developed along the parking strip extending the entire length of Rim Village, between the road and the log guardrail (linking the cafeteria to the lodge). This path would provide visitors with a safe place to walk to and from their parked cars. Davidson thought this was an excellent idea and proceeded to set stakes immediately.[30] By 1932, all of the sidewalks located on the master plan between the road and promenade were in place and paved, with the exception of the walks just west of the hotel.

The rim planting program was a major component of this early period of construction in Rim Village. By July of 1929, discussions between the superintendent and the landscape architects were underway. Of utmost importance was a dependable and sufficient water source and when one could not be located the entire program was nearly postponed. Landscape architect Davidson recommended that until a solution to this problem could be found, the actual planting that would be done in 1929 would consist of a small, experimental plot of grass, approximately one-half acre in size. The site chosen for the test plot was near the lodge.[31]

Suitable soil for the successful establishment of new vegetation was critical. Initially, topsoil was found along the rim road approximately 1/2-mile from the village. This was a preferred site as it was not noticeable from the road. Other areas were investigated for additional soil as well as for shrubs and small trees. A suitable site for the latter was found near the park headquarters' junk pile, located down at Annie Springs. Munson Valley was found to have a bog, an excellent source for peat moss, and the material was removed from the valley in substantial amounts for use at the village.

Actual planting at Rim Village, begun in 1930, initially concentrated in the vicinity of the Crater Wall Trailhead. Because the overall site to be naturalized was long and narrow, Sager felt it was important to keep the views across the area open and free from obstruction:

Trees were planted in small groups occasionally to lend variety, and not in great enough numbers to cause an obstruction to the view of the Lake from the road.[32]

After proper soil was prepared, planting began. A significant number of mountain hemlocks were transplanted to the site. A small number of fir trees were planted, and large groups of deciduous shrubs were added to the evergreen groupings to give the transplanted vegetation a naturalistic appearance. A total of eight planting beds were established and planted in 1930. By 1931, Sager was impressed with the results of the planting program to date and worked to accomplish much more in the years that followed. Ten additional planting beds were established in 1932. Shade-loving plants were planted under established trees and sod was transplanted, filling the barren landscape between the parapet and the parking revetment with native plant materials. The first few years of planting proved to be somewhat experimental. Certain plant materials were found to be more suitable for the environment than others, and some did not work at all. Sager noted that the pink spirea showed the most promise, because it never failed to grow, even when transplanted in leaf. Mountain ash was another shrub that impressed the landscape architect. He used it in abundance because it was one of the largest plants growing at that elevation (a larger plant specimen gave the impression of a mature landscape) and its bright red berries and the brilliant color of its leaves in the fall were attractive bonuses. A concerted effort was made to plant sod on the lake side of the parapet wall, to control erosion, and give the steep, windswept slopes a more naturalistic appearance.[33]

Nineteen-thirty-one marked the first time that large evergreen trees were transplanted to the Rim from sites elsewhere in the park. Sizable evergreens were brought in 1930 but they did not require the use of special equipment to complete the work. The large specimens were selected, dug, root-pruned, and boxed the year prior to transplanting. A special hoist on the back of a truck was used to transplant these large evergreens. A grouping of three evergreens -- all hemlocks -- were planted on the northwest corner of the lodge in 1932, after other successes had been realized. One of the large evergreens brought in was the Stephen Mather Memorial tree, planted in the fall of 1931 after the original (and smaller) Mather tree, ceremoniously planted a year earlier, had died.[34]

By 1932 a good portion of the landscaping between the road and the edge of the caldera at Rim Village was completed. The park's landscape architect began to address the need for a maintenance program to ensure a low mortality rate for the newly planted materials. In Sager's words: "The park has made an investment in this planting which it can not afford to lose. The actual construction work is only the first part of the plan." Sager also addressed the need to look at the landscaping requirements of the area south of the road. He noted in his report on "Naturalization in the Rim Area":

Although it is not recommended that naturalization be done on the south side until the area on the north side between the road and the rim has been completed, it is well to point out here that this work will be necessary in the future. The area between the campground and the road should be reforested. This will make more camp ground area which is needed and also provide a screen for the camp ground.[35]

Landscape architects Davidson and later, Sager, grappled with a variety of issues while working at Rim Village during this first phase of development. One was the location of the park's hitching rail for horses. The new Crater Wall Trail was built wide enough to accommodate saddle animals, "enabling many thousands to enjoy the lake who were heretofore denied that pleasure by physical incapacity," but Davidson thought its siting at the west end of the village near the new trailhead was "unfortunate" and noted:

. . . these things too often become extremely hard to correct if allowed to drag along. The sight of a dozen horses diligently fighting flies, now equally divides with the Lake, the attention of every visiting tourist's "first look" as he comes over the "hump" into [view] of the water.[36]

Another issue was how to properly light the boulevard. While opinions differed the general consensus was to have subdued lighting. Superintendent Solinsky noted in 1931:

Please bear in mind that the Landscape Division is not particularly interested in having this boulevard brilliantly lighted; on the contrary, illumination comparable with moonlight will be sufficient. The object is to secure only fair general illumination, and not to distract the visitor's attention from the view of the Lake at night. Therefore the usual illuminating engineering calculations need not be used but rather the installation will be made from the aesthetic standpoint.[37]

Fifteen standards spaced at 180-foot intervals, located on only one side of the road between the lodge and the Cafeteria, was determined to be appropriate. But as was the case with the Sinnott Memorial lighting, none of these fixtures were added to the landscape of Rim Village.

By the end of the 1932 construction season, the basic elements of the master plan for Rim Village were in place. A circulation system of primary and secondary roads and paths directed vehicles and pedestrians around the site. Facilities, including additional overnight accommodations, were constructed for the use and enjoyment of park visitors. And finally, the "greening" of the barren, dusty village had begun with the introduction of new trees, shrubs, and ground cover.

Phase II: 1933-1941

Nineteen thirty-three brought many significant changes into the National Park system. Up until that time President Herbert Hoover saw to it that the national parks received their allotment requests for park operations and development. Budgets and staff for the national parks had increased substantially during his administration.[38] But the Depression changed all of this. Budgets for the parks were drastically reduced and park staff were let go during Hoover's final year in office. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt and a new administration came on board. A variety of innovative and comprehensive relief programs were introduced to alleviate the nation's growing unemployment crisis. These programs, instituted under the New Deal, provided work opportunities for the unemployed. In March 1933, the Emergency Conservation Work Act was passed by Congress. The ECW program created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Originally conceived as a "conservation army" to undertake the simplest kind of manual labor, the CCC eventually became more than tree planting and ditch-digging crews. Government bureaus benefiting from the new labor force -- one being the NPS -- saw greater potential for these work crews. While the NPS recognized the tremendous opportunity this manpower provided, there remained the concern that the quality of work was at risk if unskilled laborers were allowed to build structures. NPS architect Charles Peterson firmly stated that all design work would be undertaken and supervised by professionals, while actual implementation would be done by the enrollees. Landscape architect E.A Davidson agreed, advising against the use of the CCC for capital improvements because of the lack of skilled supervision at the time.[39] But within a few years time, CCC crews demonstrated that if properly supervised, they were capable of constructing well-built structures. During the summer of 1933, seventy CCC camps were in place in national parks and monuments across the country, and two of these were established at Crater Lake.[40]

Another relief program of the New Deal, the Public Works Administration, was created in 1933 with the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act. The PWA awarded grants to federal agencies for the construction of roads, buildings, and other physical improvements. Because the NPS had development plans in place for the national parks, much of this grant money was directed into NPS coffers.[41] With renewed funds for development, additional staff was needed. The magnitude of the change during these years is somewhat staggering, particularly when looking at NPS personnel figures for the Branch of Plans and Design. Thomas Vint had a staff consisting of sixteen individuals in 1933; two years later his staff had increased to include one hundred-and-twenty professionals, all hired to complete the tremendous amount of design work programmed for the parks.[42] Along with a park's resident landscape architect, the Park Service hired a landscape architect for each CCC camp.[43] At Crater Lake, skilled supervisors were hired in great enough numbers to provide the oversight needed to complete construction projects according to the NPS's high standards for design. What makes this period of development at Rim Village notable is that these work crews, particularly the CCC, were able to accomplish in one season work that would have taken regular park forces several years to complete. Without these "make work" programs, the implementation and completion of Crater Lake's master plan would have been brought to an abrupt halt.[44] Furthermore, as landscape architect Francis Lange noted:

It would appear safe to say that the cost of this work would be less than that by the regular park method, and surely it would go without saying that the quality of work is better, as men trained in landscape work are in charge, resulting in carefully planned and executed work.[45]

The New Deal, then, totally changed the momentum of construction activity at Rim Village between the years 1933 and 1941. The work programs supplied the necessary manpower to complete much of Sager's proposals and act on other tasks that required attention. Sager continued to work at Crater Lake in the early 1930s, but he was assisted by others. By 1934 Armin M. Doerner was the park's Resident Landscape Architect and Emergency Conservation Work crews were supervised by NPS Landscape Architect Francis G. Lange. In Doerner's absence, Lange watched over other work in the park and also assisted with the "architectural work on the buildings."[46] In addition, from 1934 until 1939, Crater Lake had six landscape architects employed on various construction projects.[47]

At Crater Lake, CCC enrollees participated on a variety of projects, beginning with roads and trails work. During the course of a work season much of their time was spent firefighting, planting fish, and doing general clean-up tasks around the park. After NPS landscape architects became more confident that the CCC laborers could undertake more sophisticated projects, CCC projects were expanded to include small-scale construction projects. Storage and equipment sheds, ranger cabins, checking stations, comfort stations, warehouses and garages, and a messhall were just some of the facilities built by these crews at Crater Lake.[48]

The landscaping program at Rim Village remained a major activity for CCC crews. Enrollees hauled peat and topsoil up to the site for their revegetation effort. Additional plants from other areas in the park were established at the site to enhance the naturalization work that was already in place. In his report to the Chief Architect that year, Merel Sager wrote:

One of the most gratifying phases of this rim landscaping is the fact that we have accomplished the great objective aimed at three years ago, that is, of bringing back vegetation between the road and the rim all the way from the head of the trail to Crater Lake Lodge.[49]

The first year the CCC crews undertook landscaping, particular attention was paid to the area between the Kiser Studio and the lodge. The following year, 1934, the area on the north side of the lodge received attention as did the cafeteria building. The latter, with an exterior appearance that was "one of the most distracting sights that greeted the tourist as he arrived at the Rim area," was naturalized, "improving the appearance of a poorly designed and unattractive building."[50] Curbing stone was prepared and placed around the cafeteria and in front of the lodge in 1934. The beds created by the new curbing were planted with a variety of native plant materials.[51] By 1935, landscaping efforts were considered complete on the north side of Rim Village Road. Work was then directed to the south side of the road. In 1936, topsoil was brought in, and landscape architect Francis Lange focused on improving the landscape around the Community House. Eight hundred and fifty shrubs were transplanted in this area in 1936. Even though the planting program was considered to be approximately 75 percent complete, peat, topsoil, sod, trees, and shrubs continued to be hauled up to the village, with more than two thousand plants transplanted in 1938 alone.[52]

Roads, parking areas, walks, and curbing continued to be important areas of concern for landscape architects during the CCC era at Crater Lake. One new feature incorporated into the site was the construction of a triangular traffic island at the west end of the village. This was added in 1935 at the road junction where the main Rim Road and the road leading into the developed village converged. NPS landscape architects felt that this feature would not only help control traffic, it would also serve to break up a large expanse of pavement and permit planting within the bed of the triangle. Abandoned roads leading to Rim Village east of the lodge were obliterated by work crews beginning in 1937. Large rocks, logs, and plants were brought in and placed over the road remnants in attempts to hide the old routes.

The grounds around the lodge received renewed attention during this time. In 1933, CCC crews built a new parking area and entry platform on the south side of the hotel. The following year, a redesigned entrance route for cars driving to the hotel was constructed because the original design was not functioning as planned. The new design alleviated the congestion that was increasing in that vicinity. In 1938, walks and cut stone steps linking the tiers of parking together with the hotel entrance were incorporated into the design of the new lodge parking area. These features added a picturesque and "finished" quality to the landscape around the hotel. Additional paved walks and stone curbing were constructed in 1933 and 1934 at the village. Frustrated by the different workmen assigned to building the curbs, "each [one] trying to express his own ideas in masonry" thus making it hard to get a uniform type of stone curbing, the park landscape architects and inspectors from the Bureau of Public Roads agreed on a single style and credible work progressed.[53] Shortly after the stone curbing was installed, it became the target of criticism. Dr. Harold C. Bryant, Assistant Director of the NPS, visited Crater Lake during the summer of 1935 and prepared a field report for NPS Director Arno B. Cammerer. Bryant noted that while the most conspicuous improvement at the park continued to be the landscaping at the rim, he added:

A considerable change has been made in the parking area, the logs having been supplanted by rock curbing. The more I see of these parking spaces, the more they look like city parking spaces transplanted to a mountain setting. We are evidently getting away from simple rustic improvements.[54]

New walks were added around the cafeteria building in 1936 to facilitate and direct visitor circulation. Also in 1936, stone markers were placed at the corners of walkways where they met curbs, directing pedestrians onto the walkways and away from the newly planted vegetation.[55] By this time a number of the walks built earlier at the site had fallen into disrepair. Some of these paths were constructed under adverse weather conditions and the proper setting of paving materials did not occur. The addition of an underground water system at the rim and the landscaping work in general had also damaged some of the walks. CCC crews were put to work on the rehabilitation and/or repair of these features during the 1936 work season.[56]

Beginning in 1934, the Rim Campground became the focus of activity for CCC workforces. The campground was an area of concern for both NPS landscape architects as well as professional consultants working outside of the Park Service. Dr. Emilio P. Meinecke, a pathologist employed by the Bureau of Plant Industry in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was one of the specialized professionals the NPS employed to assist them in development of this area. In 1933 Meinecke visited the park to confer with various park officials concerning "campsite preservation and general forest conservation."[57] His advice and recommendations were outlined in his "Camp Planning and Camp Reconstruction," and included everything from general site layout and planning to specifics on individual campsite features.[58] Following Dr. Meinecke's suggestions, the public campground and parking areas at Rim Village would be "improved" in such a way that cars could be driven through the campground but parking would be restricted. Meinecke provided guidance on the appropriate types of stoves and fireplaces to use in parks. In 1933 the superintendent noted in his monthly narrative report:

Fire places of a permanent nature are also being installed so that automobile driving and camp fire burning cannot occur indiscriminately and destroy the forests. It is hoped that by this regulated parking and driving through the camp ground that the sustenance for the beautiful hemlock trees may be preserved and that the growth and longevity of the forest cover will be aided.[59]

The next year work was underway, and twenty-five individual units were developed. Each unit was comprised of a stove, a fireplace, space for a tent, a table, and an area for parking one automobile. For the "permanent fireplaces," the park followed Meinecke's designs for an elaborate type of stove-fireplace unit that required an inordinate amount of time to erect. These units quickly proved to be too expensive, and after eight of the more sophisticated versions were built, fireplaces of "less elaborate design" were put in.[60]

In addition to these functional features, portions of the campground were naturalized with the addition of shrubs, plants and a fine ground cover of rush.[61] The following year, more plants were added and additional parking and fireplaces were built to accommodate the large numbers of tourists staying at the camp. By 1935, the campground had more than seventy-five camping sites. It was at this time that consideration was given to developing the south slope of the existing campground, as an "overflow" area for campers. Francis Lange noted in a 1935 report that ten fireplaces and parking stalls were erected in the area but the area would remain closed until it was a fully developed campground.[62] Throughout the development, site "furniture" was added to the Rim Campground. After "experimenting" with a particular type of log table -- one designed to be more "fitting to an area of this nature than the usual milled type of table," -- a number of table and bench combinations (picnic tables) were constructed and placed throughout the campground.[63] In 1936, additional picnic tables, twenty fireplaces, and thirty more sites were added. Over the next few years, replanting efforts continued, log tables and benches were brought in, and a general maintenance program was underway for the area. Log and stone barriers were added to the campground beginning in 1938 in the hopes that they would prevent cars from hitting trees, running over vegetation, and in general, control parking within individual campsites. New sites and additional parking areas were added as late as 1939.[64]

Only one building was constructed at Rim Village during this second period of development. In 1937, a rustic style comfort station was designed for a site at the east end of the large parking area fronting the cafeteria. This building was intended to serve both campers and day visitors. Francis Lange supervised the construction of the building which was to be built of native stone and timber "in keeping with the park type of structure."[65] He purposefully set the building back from the curb approximately 30 feet so not to give "a crowded appearance to the building in relation to the entire area."[66] CCC crews brought in oversized boulders for use as a veneer over the building's wood frame structure, placing the largest stones on the bottom and decreasing their size as the walls rose. A stone mason named John D. Bowdish completed the exterior stone work, and Lange was so impressed by the CCC enrollees' skill he remarked in a final narrative report that it represented an excellent piece of work and "the type of stone work on this building will serve as a basis for future stone construction on later Rim buildings."[67] Wood siding was used above the stones on the gable ends of the building. It blended nicely with its surroundings and Lange felt the structure was a success, both functionally and aesthetically. The comfort station and pedestrian walks around the building were completed in 1938.

The construction of signs was another aspect of CCC work at Crater Lake. Francis Lange found that logs with letters cut into the wood were both effective as signs and they produced the rustic appearance desired for these site details. Large circular slabs of pine, 4 feet in diameter were cut and letters then carved into the wood surface, to provide visitors with necessary park information or directions. In turn, the slabs were set on cut, unpeeled logs to keep them off the ground and improve their visibility. The first three such rustic signs were made for the Rim Drive, the Sinnott Memorial, and the park's Naturalist service. In 1938 an outdoor workshop was established in one of the CCC camps, and under the supervision of a foreman following approved drawings, the enrollees carved additional rustic signs for placement within the village and throughout the park.[68]

As projects in Rim Village were completed, new ones were added to the park's everpresent list of "future work to be accomplished." In 1936 Francis Lange observed the need for sufficient camping, picnicking, and trailer facilities to be developed at the village, as the existing ones were already overtaxed by the park's growing numbers of visitors.[69] Lange's monthly narrative reports repeatedly mentioned the need to remove the unsightly and poorly constructed Community House (each fall it required bracing to withstand the yearly snow loads and it did not accommodate the large crowds wishing to assemble therein) and the "less dangerous but just as unsightly" Kiser Studio. Lange proposed the construction of a new Contact Building, one that would serve the tourists' needs as well as the park's administrative needs. With a new building in place -- one properly located -- the older structures could be removed and "the entire Rim area will then give a more striking appearance as well as serve a better and more modern need."[70] Other buildings proposed for the village included additional housekeeping cabins for use by the concessioner. The existing cabins, Lange felt, were poorly arranged, disagreeable to occupy, and lacked many of the other customary accommodations that were typically found in the "better type of park operator's development[s]." The concessioner's lack of maintenance on the cabins were a source of contention for Lange throughout the 1930's. Although possible locations for this new development were discussed between the regional landscape architect (E.A. Davidson) and the park superintendent, new cabins were not erected for many years.[71]

Future landscape work proposed for Rim Village included the need for additional plantings around the large parking area in front of the lodge and around the Cafeteria; the improvement of the parking area in front of the Cafeteria; the addition of light standards in the campground and the placement of low lights along the south side of the Rim walk; additional log signs; the development of an overlook near the Rim Campground; and the moving of peat, topsoil, plants, shrubs, and sod where needed. Lange made mention several times about the need for maintenance and upkeep of the landscape work completed at the village. Watering and pruning the transplanted material was essential for the life and health of the new plants.[72]

SUMMARY

With entry of the United States into World War II, construction activity at Rim Village was reduced considerably and the intensive period of development at Crater Lake was over. Park staff and field personnel were lost to the war effort, the public works programs were disbanded, and the park itself switched to a summer only operation. A few small construction projects were completed during this time, all outside of the village proper. With so little staff in place, the superintendent and his remaining personnel turned their attention to planning for future development during the quiet years ahead.[73]

Nineteen-forty-one marks the end of an era for Crater Lake National Park, the most important era in the park's history in terms of Rustic design and the implementation of that design ethic in the park. Although changes to the historic designed landscape at Rim Village have occurred since 1941, they have not been extensive and the primary landscape features, patterns, and overall design character remains with a high degree of integrity. Rim Village is an outstanding example of a landscape that reflects the design ethic of a special period of development and of an era that espoused designing the built environment in a manner that was sympathetic and respectful of the natural landscape.

TOPOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Documentation of the historical development and designed landscape of Rim Village is fundamental in the process of assessing the relative value of remaining landscape features and patterns. In order to determine significance, however, it is essential that the landscape be analyzed and evaluated within an appropriate historic context, using National Register criteria. There are many ways to analyze a historic landscape but in every case the objective is to first, clearly identify the individual features that comprise the historic landscape (in terms of form and function) and then, analyze those features in relation to each other, and within the context of the overall design intent.

In this study the analysis of the historic landscape took the form of a landscape TYPOLOGY. Based on historical research and field analysis, eighteen individual landscape features were identified that collectively comprised the essential philosophies, themes, materials, and character of the historic landscape. In this regard, the typology is not generic but very specific to Rim Village. All eighteen features were organized into five components: CIRCULATION; VEGETATION; STRUCTURES; SMALL-SCALE FEATURES; and CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES. These components represent individual chapters in the typology. Each chapter includes a definition and description of the feature, based on the historic record within the significant historic period, 1927-1941. Descriptions include detailed discussions of the dates for implementation, the original design, and uses associated with each feature. In some cases, additional background information may be included in the description as it relates to or reflects the general design intent and Rustic philosophy. Finally, each chapter includes an analysis and evaluation of significant features. All historic landscape features that remain today were evaluated both in terms of design (form and material) and function (use and pattern). In general, those features that were significant in the historic design and retain original qualities of design and function, were determined to have integrity.

Primary data used in the typology, unless otherwise noted, was taken from the collection of "Resident Landscape Architects' Reports to the Chief Architect, 1929-1938" (Box 1, "Crater Lake 1929-1934" (6 folders); and Box 2, "Crater Lake 1935-1938" (4 folders), in RG 79, Records of the National Park Service), located in the National Archives and Records Administrative Center, San Bruno, California. Additional background material was taken from Albert Good's Park and Recreation Structures (1938).

CIRCULATION

DEFINITION

Circulation includes four individual features: roads and parking, which reflect vehicular circulation; and walkways and trails, which represent pedestrian circulation. As a category in the typology, circulation is important because the roads and walkways at Rim Village were the first features implemented from the general development plan, and serve as the backbone and fundamental structuring elements for the landscape design as a whole.

DESCRIPTION

Roads

NPS Access Road to the Rim

The new road was aligned along a gradual 3.17-mile grade up the mountain with a maximum slope of 6.5 percent, and a minimum curve radius of 100 feet. The road ended at a spot on the rim that offered "spectacular views" to the lake and caldera. As Vint was to explain, this approach to Rim Village was one of the most powerful factors having an influence on the general layout of the rim development. In 1928, the road had a graded width of 20 feet and a surfaced width of 16 feet. In 1944, the road was still considered too steep in places, and improvements were planned and undertaken for several sections.
Rim Village Road

In August 1928, a road through Rim Village was graded and completed, from the junction of the main Rim Road, east to the lodge. The road was 1/2-mile long and 56 feet wide with a 20-foot driving lane for two-way traffic. Two 18-foot wide parking strips were provided on either side of this boulevard. The road was carefully sited at the base of a small slope leading up to the campground so that it would appear recessed in the landscape and subordinate to the natural setting. Plantings were established on either side of the road to enhance the sense of a continuos sweep of vegetation. First surfaced with gravel and then oiled, the road distributed traffic to the cafeteria and cabin group, to the campground and finally to the hotel. A log guardrail was placed on the crater side of the road to prevent automobiles from driving close to the rim. By 1929, crews were changing the alignment of the road, repairing knolls and filling washes near the east end of the road in conjunction with the construction of a loop road in front of the lodge. The loop road was 640 feet long, 12 feet wide, with more than 5 inches of crushed rock, uniformly spread over the surface before oiling.

In 1935, a traffic island was erected at the junction of Rim Village Road and the road to Diamond Lake. It was planted and graded to blend with the surrounding landscape. The island as a whole, was five to 10 feet smaller on each side than originally planned. This was necessary to comply with the turning requirements of the park's snow-plow machinery.
Campground Roads

Prior to 1928, there were no formalized roads to or through the campground, and roads within the site were random and ill-defined. In 1928, the circulation system through the area was designed and integrated into the overall plan for the area. A single entry road to the campground was created branching south, off of the main rim road just east of the Community House. At the top of a small rise, this access road branched again to the east and the west, looping through the campground. Initially, all campground roads were either dirt or pumice. In 1934, roads throughout the campground were treated with an application of oil to reduce the dust and debris.

Parking

Cafeteria Plaza Parking

In 1929, the area in front of the cafeteria was graded and a gravel surface laid for automobile parking. The surfaced area measured 200 by 400 feet. In 1931, the parking area was oiled and spaces were marked with paint, providing two double rows of parking (for 96 cars) in the middle of the plaza and additional spaces along the south edge of the lot (51 cars). Plans were made in 1938 for construction of a traffic island to better define and soften the parking area, but it was never developed.
Rim Village Road Parking

Parking along the rim was added in conjunction with the construction of the Rim Village Road in 1928. An 18-foot wide parking lane was designed on both the north and south sides of the road providing parking for 240 cars on each side, or 480 cars altogether.
Lodge Parking

Limited parking was available on the south side of the lodge in 1929, when the loop road was completed as part of the Rim Village Road development. There were spaces for approximately 15 cars, all of which were used by lodge guests. In 1931, plans were made to expand parking at the lodge by constructing another lot south of the loop. The landscape division took exception to the parking lot being sited directly in front of the lodge, and suggested a change in location. Their recommendations were ignored and in 1935 grading was done to construct the new parking area. Originally designed as a double-loaded lot for 100 cars, the parking lot ended up half the size, and provided space for 44 cars. As late as the 1950s, plans called for the expansion of this lot.

Walkways

Promenade

The promenade, constructed between 1928 and 1931 along the crater rim, was the primary pedestrian circulation system for the village. The walk was 2525 feet long (from the lodge to a point 380 feet west of the Crater Wall trailhead), 8 feet wide, and surfaced with a bituminous paving. The walk closely followed the edge of the rim, gently curving and winding to take advantage of splendid views and vistas to the lake. Before the end of the 1928 construction season, split-stone steps were under construction, leading from the cafeteria plaza to the Crater Wall Trail. In 1930, walks in the vicinity of the Crater Wall Trail were staked and also under construction. Water pipe was layed under these paths for the drinking fountain in the parapet wall. In 1932, the promenade was extended east of the lodge, to the Garfield Peak Trail.
Crosswalks

Secondary paths or "crosswalks" between Rim Village Road and the crater wall were planned as early as 1929 but not constructed until 1931. Observing visitors at the rim over a number of years, it became apparent that random circulation and social paths over the site were having a negative impact on newly established vegetation. By the following year, several crosswalks were in place (with the exception of the ones planned for the area directly west of the lodge). These walks were narrower than the main promenade, ranging in width between 4 and 6 feet, and were designed to echo the curving nature of the promenade while routing visitors to various activity centers and focal points.

Walkways to the three observation bays were completed between 1931 and 1935. In 1931 the trail to the Sinnott Memorial was realigned from a steep trail directly above the site, to a more gentle slope west of the building. Two sets of cut-stone steps and 220 feet of paved walk were completed that year to assist visitors in accessing the memorial. Walkways in the bay directly below the lodge were paved in 1932, and the Mather Bay was paved sometime after 1934. Other walks completed between 1934 and 1938 include the walk through the circular loop in front of the lodge (1934-35); the walk in front of the cafeteria (1935-36); and the walks around the plaza comfort station (1938).

Trails

Crater Wall Trail

The first trail from the rim of Crater Lake to the water was built in 1907 and was located near the lodge. The trail was steep and subject to washouts. In 1914, the trail was considered dangerous but was still used. In 1918 the trail was rebuilt to form a 1-1/4 mile trail from the rim to the water edge near Eagle Cove. In 1925, the trail was described as more than 1000 feet straight down, with 28 percent grades and narrow benches. The trail was closed in 1930.

In 1927, a new trail was under construction from the rim to the lake edge. The trailhead was located approximately 800 feet west of the Kiser Studio. The trail was 8000 feet long and 4 feet wide with a maximum grade of 15 percent. There were more than twenty switchbacks and six landings along the trail. The trail was described as being wide enough to accommodate horses, burros and mules, providing an accessible trail to most visitors. The trail was completed in 1928 and opened to the public the following season. Retaining walls and parapets were added as needed at various points along the trail to take-up the grade and stabilize the slopes. Vegetation was planted along the trail and log seats were placed at convenient intervals, sited to take advantage of pleasant views through the trees to the lake. In spite of this landscaping effort, the trail required a high degree of annual maintenance in order to "open" the route each spring. Plans were made in 1933 to provide a more permanent and suitable surface for the trail with an application of crushed stone and an oil. The decision was made not to oil the path because of the poor location and unstable banks. Eventually, the trail was oiled (by hand), while plans were underway for a new trail to the lake. In 1956, the Crater Wall Trail was still being used and still was a considerable drain on maintenance. Coinciding with the overall intent of park management to disperse the crowds from the vicinity of Rim Village, a new trail was proposed on the north side of the lake, at Cleetwood Cove. In 1958, the new trail was under construction and in 1960, the Crater Wall Trail at Rim Village was permanently closed, and replaced with the trail on the north shore.

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

Historically, roads at Rim Village were functional, reflecting a utility in the hierarchy from primary roads -- like the entry road and Rim Road -- to secondary and service roads. Roads also reflected, to a degree, the naturalistic "style." For example, roads through the campground were informal and designed to fit the ground plane and natural topography. Even Rim Road, a 56-foot wide "boulevard" was carefully sited and graded to fit at the base of the slope leading to the campground, so that it would appear recessed and unobtrusive. Plantings on either side of the road were established to enhance the sense of a continuous sweep of vegetation, further minimizing the visual impact of the road.

Pedestrian circulation systems, like the promenade, also were naturalistic in style, undulating gracefully along the caldera wall, taking advantage of spectacular lake views and natural extensions of land out over the caldera. Crosswalks, which served to disperse pedestrians from parking areas to the rim, were narrower than the main walk and more direct and functional in design, echoing the principles of utility and hierarchy for secondary systems of foot traffic.

Virtually all of the original circulation systems designed and implemented at Rim Village are evident today and serve as the primary systems of movement through the landscape. Although some changes have occurred, such as the hard-surface paving of social paths, and the realignment of the promenade due to erosion of the caldera, a remarkable amount of the original material and design remains intact. In addition, the Crater Wall Trail, and both early entry roads to the site (1905 and 1914) remain as remnants, and traces are discernible on the ground. Because these individual features and patterns remain (reflecting principles of the Rustic style) with such a high level of integrity, circulation systems as a whole are significant landscape resources.

VEGETATION

DEFINITION

Vegetation is defined by two features: planting concepts, which describes the design philosophy for all plantings at Rim Village; and plant materials, which comprise and define the material form of that philosophy.

DESCRIPTION

Planting Concepts

Prior to implementation of the master plans for Rim Village, the landscape between the lodge and the new entry road was barren and devoid of vegetation. In addition to a predominance of infertile pumice soils, volcanic dust, and sand, the area had been impacted over many years by unrestricted circulation and intense visitor use, resulting in what was described as an "unattractive sand waste." The goal of the landscape architects during the initial implementation of the general development plan was to restore the landscape to its "original beauty," and develop the site so that it could accommodate visitors safely and without further damage to the landscape. This program of landscape restoration and enhancement was called naturalization. In terms of design and composition, three different planting treatments were commonly used at Rim Village:

new plantings -- establishing vegetation where none existed;

supplemental plantings -- adding materials to "fill-out" areas for design or functional purposes; and

integrated plantings -- using vegetation to blend introduced features such as buildings and roads with the surrounding landscape.

All three treatments reflect basic principles and expressions of the Rustic style. For example, new plantings along the linear strip between the Rim Village Road and the caldera were designed to recreate a "natural looking landscape" -- a concept drawn from looking at areas adjacent to Rim Village such as Sun Notch, where natural meadows were broken by small groupings of trees and shrubs. At the rim, recreating this image, in addition to the goal of maintaining views from the road to the lake, led to the development of several small planting beds placed along the entire length of the rim. Trees were planted in clusters and grouped to lend variety in the landscape, but not planted dense enough to obstruct views. Shrubs and herbaceous materials were added to reflect natural associations and plant communities, and sod was transplanted from other areas in the park to provide the appropriate ground cover.

In the summer of 1929, work was underway on the landscape restoration at Rim Village, including large-scale replacement and amendment of infertile soils, the development of test plots, and general clean-up from previous construction.

Nineteen-thirty marked the first full year of planting and naturalization at Rim Village. Eight shrub beds were laid out, starting at the head of the Crater Wall Trail and moving east. Ninety hemlocks, 15 fir trees, and 300 deciduous shrubs were planted in this first season (see Plant Materials, section B, below). In addition to the work at the rim, 27 trees, 5 to 15 feet in height, were root-pruned, dug, and boxed for transplanting the following year.

In 1931, planting continued east an additional 300 feet along the rim. The area outside the parapet was also planted from the Cafeteria as far east as the Sinnott Memorial. There are suggestions that some of this planting was done for the purposes of controlling erosion near the top of the caldera wall, but as discussed by the landscape architects, the primary effect of the planting was to visually extend the landscape so that the parapet appeared to "fit" into the site. Shrubs were planted on either side of the steps leading down to the memorial to mark the trailhead. During the peak construction season at Rim Village, from early August through September, a crew of twelve men was working full-time on the revegetation program. Seven thousand five hundred square feet of sod was transplanted and installed around the shrub beds. Using special equipment the first of the large trees -- prepared the year before -- were moved to the rim, and shrubs were planted on the north side of the lodge.

In 1932, ten additional planting beds were laid out between the Sinnott Memorial and the lodge. Sodding was carried out as far east as the Kiser Studio (although an area immediately around the building was left open in anticipation of the removal of the structure). The entire bank above the Sinnott Memorial was planted and additional shrubs were placed at the southwest corner of the building. Many large trees were moved during this construction season. Three large hemlocks were planted on the west corner of the lodge, two smaller hemlocks were placed on the southeast comer of the Sinnott, and many large hemlock and fir trees were installed in front of the Kiser Studio.

In 1933, the final two acres along the rim, from the Kiser Studio to the lodge, were carefully planted with sod, shrubs, and trees. This area of the rim was the most disturbed and required the greatest amount of work to restore and landscape. Grading was done in order to reestablish "natural" contours along the side of Rim Village Road which had been impacted during construction. Subfill was hauled to fill low spots and peat and top soil were added prior to the plantings. Also during this year, the area in front of the lodge was prepared for planting.

By 1934, the entire area between Rim Village Road, and the caldera was landscaped as designed in the master plan. Three CCC men were stationed full-time at the rim to maintain existing plantings, water, prune, and generally cleanup debris as needed. The next phase of naturalization at Rim Village, which lasted three years, involved the establishment and integration of plantings around individual buildings, and supplemental plantings in the campground for design and functional purposes.

Plant beds were prepared around the Cafeteria and initial plantings were established in order to "improve the ridged appearance that confronts the arriving tourist." Planting areas were also prepared around the lodge and the Community House. As a component of the Rustic design at Rim Village, foundation plantings were an important landscape tool for integrating and easing the demarcation between the building and the ground plane. At the lodge, tall coniferous trees were transplanted and clustered at the corners of the building to give height and define the structure within a landscape context. Shrubs were massed against the building to mask the foundation and reflect indigenous plant associations. During the year, planting was also completed in the circle on the south side of the lodge and along the north side of the building. In the campground, individual units were laid out, each with a stone fireplace, tent site, table, and parking area. Plantings were used to delineate individual spaces and create privacy between sites.

Between 1935 and 1938, 75 small trees, 250 shrubs and 300 miscellaneous plants were planted in the campground and around the lodge and Community House. The following year, 2000 shrubs and 225 small trees (2-4 feet in diameter), and 12 truck loads of sod, were used at the rim in what was called "undifferentiated plantings."

Plant Materials

The following lists of plant materials for Rim Village were taken from the Landscape Architects' monthly narrative reports. The lists are general up to 1934 (although plant materials are mentioned throughout the monthly reports, only one actual plant "list" was found reflecting the first four years of the naturalization program). During the eight years CCC crews were working at Rim Village, more detailed records of materials and "man-hours" used at the rim were incorporated into the monthly reports, with the most detailed accounts recorded for the 1934-1936 work seasons, when the majority of new plantings were done. All nomenclature used in the following is from Applegate (1939), Hitchcock and Cronquist (1973), Franklin and Dyrness (1973), and Wheeler and Atzet, (1987). Where discrepancies occurred Hitchcock and Cronquist was used as the authority source. Plant names that were used historically are in parentheses.

1930 -- Classification of Plant Materials for the Season

TREES
Abies concolorwhite fir
Abies lasiocarpasubalpine fir (alpine fir)
Abies procera (nobilis)noble fir
Tsuga mertensianamountain hemlock

SHRUBS
Acer glabrumRocky Mountain maple (sierra maple)
Alnus sinuataSitka alder (waxy-leaved alder)
Amelanchier alnifolia (florida)western serviceberry
Lonicera conjugialispurple-flower honeysuckle (twinberry)
Ribes cereumwax current
Salix scoulerianaScouler's willow
Sambucus racemosared elderberry (mountain elderberry)
Sorbus sitchensisSitka mountain ash (mountain ash)
Spiraea densiflorasubalpine spirea (pink spirea)

GROUNDCOVER

Sod was the predominate groundcover planted at Rim Village. Sod refers to practically all types of flora growing in the park and, as transplanted, was comprised of several native sedges. Many varieties of wildflowers and small shrubs were commonly taken along with the grass roots when digging sod for transplanting.

1934 -- Classification and Quantity of Plant Materials Moved During the Season (June 1 - October 1)

TREES
TypeNumber
Hemlock and Fir spp.
(12 feet-14 feet height)		45
Hemlock and Fir spp.
(2 feet-4 feet height)		900
Total945

SHRUBS
TypeNumber
Acer glabrumRocky mountain maple (Sierra maple)351
Alnus sinuataSitka alder (waxy-leaved alder)20
Amelanchier alnifolia (florida)western serviceberry175
Archtostaphylos nevadensispine-mat manzanita64
Castariopsis chrysophyliachinkapin27
Holodiscus discoloroceanspray50
Kalmia microphyllawestern laurel30
Lonicera conjugialispurple-flower honeysuckle (twinberry)1680
Prunus virginianachokecherry27
Rhamnus alnifoliacascara32
Ribes cereumwax current14
Ribes erythrocarpumCrater Lake current (mazama current)300
Salix scoulerianaScouler's willow30
Sambucus racemosared elderberry (mountain elderberry)556
Sorbus sitchensisSitka mountain ash (mountain ash)957
Spiraea densiflorasubalpine spirea (pink spirea)722
Vaccinum spp.huckleberry270
Total5,025

PERENNIALS
TypeNumber
Anaphalis margaritaceaPearly everlasting50
Aquilegia spp.columbine800
Castilleja spp.Indian paintbrush100
Dicentra spp.bleeding heart850
Erigeron spp.fleabane90
Gilia spp. Gilia50
Helleborus spp.hellebore200
Phlox spp.phlox1300
Polemonium caeruleumJacobs ladder25
Valeriana spp.valerian110
Total3,575

GROUNDCOVER
TypeNumber
Juncusrushes (Sod)1,200 sq. ft.

1935 -- Classification and Quantity of Plants Moved During the Season

TREES
TypeNumber
Tsuga mertensiana
(12-14 feet height)		24
Tsuga mertensiana
(2-4 feet height)		250
Total274

SHRUBS
TypeNumber
Acer glabrumRocky Mountain maple (Sierra maple)50
Amelanchier alnifolia (florida)western serviceberry35
Holodiscus discoloroceanspray25
Lonicera conjugialispurple-flower honeysuckle (twinberry)250
Ribes cereumwax current75
Rhammus alnifoliacascara50
Salix eastwoodiaeEastwood willow100
Sorbus sitchensisSitka mountain ash (mountain ash)200
Spirea densiflorasubalpine spirea (pink spirea)200
Total960

1936 -- Classification and Quantities of Plants Moved During the Season

TREES
TypeNumber
Tsuga mertensiana
(2-4 feet height)		600

SHRUBS
TypeNumber
Acer glabrumRocky Mountain Maple (Sierra maple)80
Amelanchier alnifoliawestern serviceberry110
Holodiscus discoloroceanspray20
Lonicera conjugialispurple-flower honeysuckle (twinberry)50
Rhamnus alnifoliacascara30
Salix eastwoodiaeEastwood willow200
Sorbus sitchensisSitka mountain ash (mountain ash)40
Spiraea densiflorasubalpine spirea (pink spirea)100
Total650

1937 -- Classification and Quantity of Plants Moved During the Season

TREES
TypeNumber
Tsuga mertensiana
(2-4 feet height)		75

SHRUBS
TypeNumber
misc.250

PERENNIALS
TypeNumber
misc.300

1938 -- Classification and Quantity of Plants Moved During the Season

TREES
TypeNumber
Tsuga mertensiana
(2-4 feet height)		25

SHRUBS
TypeNumber
misc.1825

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

With one exception, all plant materials selected and installed at Rim Village were indigenous and transplanted from areas in the park that were similar in elevation and microclimate to Rim Village. The use of native plant materials was a fundamental principle in the overall design goals for Rim Village. In the context of the Rustic design, plant materials were chosen for their form, structure, texture, size, and color to blend with the surrounding landscape and provide a natural and harmonious setting. For example, Mountain ash was used in abundance because it was one of the largest shrubs to grow at this elevation (providing immediate effect), and because it had bright red berries and brilliant fall color. Elderberry, which was uncommon at that elevation, was used because it had a light green cast to the leaves, contrasting with the "sober green" of the mountain hemlocks. A plant file (since lost) was created and careful records were kept by the landscape architects during the restoration, documenting plant materials that survived and those that did not. For example, huckleberry was used in large quantities early on, only to find later that it could not survive the winter. Spirea, on the other hand, was able to flourish under virtually any condition and was used in the design with more regularity after 1931. Large coniferous specimens were selected and prepared for transplanting as much as two years in advance. Individual trees were dug, root-pruned, and boxed in order to retain the integrity of the root mass when replanting took place. Over the primary period of landscape restoration at Rim Village -- 1930-1938 -- several thousand trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground covers were transplanted and established at the Rim.

In the effort to develop a "natural" looking landscape at Rim Village, the landscape architects stressed the need to incorporate as much of the existing material landscape as possible into the naturalization program. For example, "unsightly" dead and deteriorated tree snags were removed from the site only if they presented a threat to safety. Whenever possible, snags were retained throughout the site and incorporated into the design as special features called "white ghost trees." These snags often had interesting shapes and, in the eyes of the landscape architects, conveyed the story of "lost battles with the elements," and were an important part of the natural setting of Rim Village.

Although some of the plant materials are in poor condition today, overall planting concepts and the majority of plant materials are from the historic period and have integrity. Together, they are significant resources in the historic design.

STRUCTURES

DEFINITION

In the typology, structures cover three features that are architectural in character or have engineered qualities. At Rim Village these structures include buildings, rock wails, and observation bays.

DESCRIPTION

Buildings

Between 1927 and 1941 there were six primary buildings at Rim Village and between twenty-two and thirty-four secondary structures including comfort stations, sleeping cabins, tent cabins, and service-related buildings. Three of the six primary buildings -- the Crater Lake Lodge, the Kiser Studio, and the Community House -- were all constructed prior to 1927 by the concessioner and the NPS. The Cafeteria (1928), the Sinnott Memorial (1931), and the comfort station next to the plaza (1938) were developed under the supervision of NPS designers and represent better examples of the Rustic style as applied at Rim Village. All six primary buildings are described below, followed by a discussion of secondary structures, some of which are no longer extant.

Crater Lake Lodge

Construction of Crater Lake Lodge began in 1909, on a slope at the east end of Rim Village overlooking the lake. As designed, it was the primary facility on the rim to provide accommodations and meals for park visitors. Construction was slow, however, and despite its unfinished state, the lodge formally opened to the public in 1915. In 1922, an addition was built on the west end of the building, nearly doubling its size. For the most part, the new annex closely followed the design and material composition of the original structure. The Crater Lake Lodge is irregular in shape, comprised of a series of 6 rectangular blocks, connected to form a slight crescent shape. The roof is punctuated by numerous shed roof dormers giving visual interest to the wood shingled jerkin-head roofline. Native stone faces the lower portion of the lodge and wood shingles sheath the upper walls. Further visual interest is supplied by the massive exterior stone chimneys on the east and south; overhanging, bracketed eaves; numerous arched windows with stone lintels on the lower story; and multi-paned windows. Exterior alterations to the historic lodge since 1922 have been minimal. The addition of fire escapes and the enclosure of the main entry (from paired doors to one door) are the primary changes.
Sinnott Memorial

The Sinnott Memorial was constructed in 1931 under the supervision of the NPS Landscape Division. Built as a memorial to an Oregon congressman, it functioned as an interpretive center and exhibit building, an educational center, and an observation point for park visitors. It was the first structure in the park to use massive stone masonry construction, and was considered an excellent example of the Rustic style of design, setting the tone for all future structures built in the park. The Sinnott Memorial is an irregularly-shaped stone and concrete structure built into a rock outcrop on the slope of the caldera about 50 feet below the rim. Access to the building is via a moderately steep walkway with steps. The building is entered through an elliptically-shaped "observation room" on the north side of the structure. A 30-inch tall stone parapet below a large opening offers unobstructed views to the lake. The original asphalt-treated flat roof was rebuilt in the 1930s with heavy asphalt and lead flashing to stop leaking. Exterior walls are load-bearing native stone, pierced on the east side by a square window opening and a door leading from the museum to the exterior stairs (shielded from view by a massive stone wall). Double-glazed, tongue-and-groove doors are located on the west end of the observation room. Alterations to the Sinnott Memorial have not compromised its rustic character. The most noticeable change was the addition of flagstone paving to the interior (and probably the exterior entry patio) in 1961.
Plaza Comfort Station

This small comfort station was constructed under the guidance of an NPS landscape architect using CCC crews. Begun in 1937 and finished the following year, this structure was the last Rustic style building constructed at Rim Village. Sited against the forest edge at the east end of the cafeteria plaza, the building is a one-story, rectangular, wood-frame structure with massive native stones applied to the exterior. Horizontal wood siding is used above the stonework on the gable ends of the building. The wood-shake gable roof has extended eaves and exposed rafter ends. Doors centered on the gable ends and bands of windows on the north and south punctuate the building's rock walls. Major alterations to the original structure include the removal of a central stone chimney and lattice privacy fences from the north and south sides; the removal and replacement of the original square multi-light hopper windows; and the addition of a door to the west elevation.
Community House

The Community House was originally built to provide park visitors with a place for evening activities and informal gatherings. It has also served as a headquarters for the park naturalist, and as a museum. Erected in 1924 following NPS architects' designs, the Community House is a one-story, rectangular, wood-frame structure set against a backdrop of mature evergreens in the northwest area of the former campground. Originally, the steeply pitched, wood-shingled gable roof sloped down to the north to form a full-length porch overhang supported by peeled log columns. This porch roof has been removed and the log supports are gone. Centered on the north roof slope is a shed roof dormer with multi-paned windows. Originally sheathed in wood shingles, the building is now sided with horizontal wood boards (shingles are extant in the dormer). The historic entry and primary facade had a pair of ten-light french doors centered on the north wall, flanked by pairs of multi-paned casement windows. The windows remain intact but the original doors were replaced by a pair of eight-light doors. An exterior massive chimney, "battered" in form and built of random coursed stone, rises on the east elevation.
Kiser Studio

Fred Kiser, a nationally recognized scenic artist known for his hand-colored photographs, built this structure in 1921 to serve as his southern Oregon headquarters, studio, and salesroom for his work and photographic supplies. Kiser built a one-story, rectangular, stone and wood structure near the edge of the caldera wall, west of the lodge. Five years later, he built a large addition perpendicular to the edge of the caldera wall. Uncoursed stone walls (both veneer and load-bearing) with board and batten siding above the stonework on the gable ends was incorporated into the addition to match the original building. Wood shingles covered the gable roofs of both the original section and the addition, and overhanging eaves were supported by exposed, peeled log purlins. Multi-paned sliding windows were used on all elevations of the Studio. The south facade had a simple,