Presenting Nature

Cover

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Overview

Stewardship

Design Ethic Origins
(1916-1927)

Design Policy & Process
(1916-1927)

Western Field Office
(1927-1932)

Park Planning

Decade of Expansion
(1933-1942)

State Parks
(1933-1942)

Appendix A

Appendix B

Bibliography

Presenting Nature: The Historic Landscape Design of the National Park Service, 1916-1942

Multiple Property Listing

HISTORIC PARK LANDSCAPES IN NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS

Associated Historic Context

The Historic Landscape Design of the National Park Service, 1916 to 1942

Associated Property Types

Park landscapes under the context, The Historic Landscape Design of the National Park Service, 1916 to 1942, are defined as any natural or scenic area conserved and developed for public enjoyment and / or recreation. The entire park based on its historic boundaries, as set before or during the period of significance, 1916 to 1942, may be eligible for listing as a historic district. These parks may include any number of the following landscape types and resources. In addition, separate landscapes within the overall park may be eligible as examples of their landscape type. In some cases with additional justification, individual resources—buildings, structures, sites, and objects—may be individually eligible for listing, for example, a bridge or building that exhibits fine workmanship of naturalistic stonemasonry or logwork.

Landscape Type/Physical Characteristics

Park Roads and Parkways

Major roads (constructed by Bureau of Public Roads)

System of loop and circuit roads
Parkway

Minor roads

circulatory roads in developed areas
fire roads
truck trails
spur roads
loop development

Approach Roads

U.S. Forest Service and other government agencies
State and U.S. highways

Road Characteristics

Protection of natural features (trees, outcrops, topography, drainage,

Clearing with minimal impact (destruction and removal of trees, transplanting vegetation, saving of duff, supervised burning, low-impact blasting to minimize scars, and casting of materials)

Alignment following topography and presenting natural beauty (curvilinear, tangents, radius curves, complex curves, transitional spirals, coordinating views and turns)

Gradient (varied, not to exceed 5 %)

Cut and fill (borrow pits and quarries to be located out-of-sight or outside of park)

Cross-section (crown, width of roadway, gutters, cut and fill, rounding and flattening of slopes, superelevation, sightlines)

Surfacing (local stone)

Treatment of slopes

Bank-blending

Planting (sodding, seeding, planting for erosion control, harmonization, and beautification) soil preparation: duff ground covers: grasses, wildflowers, vines shrubs: flowering and other shrubs

Overlooks (see section below for overlooks)

Loop development

Grade separations (bridges, tunnels, viaducts, clover-leaf)

Wye intersections

Roadside cleanup (removal of dead and decaying trees, stumps, and brush for fire protection and beautification)

Spring development

Structures Associated with Roads

Bridges
Low-water crossings
Tunnels
Guardrails
Culverts and drains
Revetments
Curbs and sidewalks
Gutters

Developed Areas and Buildings Associated with Park Roads

Entrance stations, arches, and gates
Ranger station
Caretakers residence
Park headquarters
Maintenance areas
Concessionaires' developments
Waysides (see section below for waysides)
Picnic areas
Campgrounds
Comfort stations
Gas stations
Former CCC camps

Small-scale elements

Parking areas
Viewpoints and vistas
Steps and stairs
Trail heads
Signs (directional and interpretive)
Mileposts
Nature shrines
Water fountains and springs
Curbing and coping

Trail Systems

Foot trails
Bridle trails
Nature shrines
Signs and markers (directional and interpretive)
Shelters
Bridges
Tunnels
Revetments
Culverts
Switchbacks
Guardrails
Steps and stairs
Signs
Benches
Overlooks
Parking areas
Viewpoints and vistas
Springs
Comfort stations
Patrol Cabins

Major Developed Areas

Villages:

plaza (parking)
sidewalks, paths, curbs, stairways, guardrails
roads and bridges
water fountains
administration building
museums (also includes amphitheaters, gardens, and nature trails)
park staff housing (houses and dormitories)
concessioner's housing
lodges and cabins
campgrounds (also includes amphitheaters)
community buildings
stores
cafeterias
gas stations
water towers
pumphouses
power plants
roads and paths
parking plazas
curbs, sidewalks, and paths
signs
steps and stairs
trees, shrubs, ground covers, and foundation plantings
utility systems
    water
    telephone
    sewerage
    incinerators
industrial group
maintenance camps

(These areas may also be separated by function into Administrative areas, Concessionaire developments, Residential areas, Maintenance areas, and Campgrounds).

Minor Developed Areas

Entrance gates and stations
Ranger stations
Fire lookouts and caches
Patrol cabins
Trail shelters
Campgrounds
Picnic areas/waysides
Springs
Developed intersections
Scenic features (viewpoints and vistas)
Recreational areas
    ski slopes
    toboggan runs
    skating rinks
    beaches
    swimming pools
    playing fields
    docks and piers
    trails
Waterfalls
Fish hatcheries
Nurseries
Curbs, sidewalks, and paths
Trees, shrubs, and ground covers

Designated Natural Areas

Wilderness areas
    trails
    shelters
    fire lookouts and caches
    truck trails
    patrol cabins
Sacred Areas
Research Areas

Day-use areas (state parks)

Roads, paths, and parking
Picnic areas
    shelters
    comfort stations
    water fountains
Refectories and concession buildings
Water towers
Custodian's residence
Pumphouses and springhouses
Bathhouses
Boathouses
Lakes and ponds
Observation towers and lookouts
Recreational facilities
    boat launches
    fishing and boating docks
    playing fields
    beaches
    swimming pools
    ski areas
    golf course
    tennis courts
    trails
Utilities
Dams
Bridges
Trails
Parking areas
Overlooks
Trees, shrubs, and ground covers
Signs

Overnight areas (state parks)

Roads, paths, and parking
Campgrounds
Comfort stations
Water fountains
Water tower
Check-in station
Pumphouses
Organization camps
Cabin courts
Lodges
Beaches
Docks
Trails and paths
Playing fields
Utilities
Overlooks

Overlooks (in conjunction with roads)

Roads and parking
Curbs, sidewalks, and guardrails
Grading and bank sloping
Planting (shade, naturalization, beautification, screening and framing, erosion control)
Viewpoints and vistas
Trails and paths
Trail connectors
Steps and stairs
Bridges
Shelters Observation towers/lookouts
Signs (interpretive and directional)
Trail Markers
Water fountain
Comfort stations
Picnic sites

Overlooks (in conjunction with trails)

Trails and paths
Steps and stairs
Guardrails
Bridges
Shelters
Signs (interpretive)
Springs
Viewpoints and vistas

Entranceways

Roads
Arches, gates, and walls
Check-in station
Ranger station
Parking
Curbs and sidewalks
Paths and trails
Water fountains
Comfort stations
Trees, shrubs, ground covers, and foundation plantings
Flagpole
Signs

Waysides (parkways and recreation demonstration areas)

Roads and parking
Curbs, steps, stairs, and sidewalks
Picnic areas
Concessionaire: stores and gas stations
Comfort stations
Picnic shelters
Water fountains
Trails
Playing fields
Caretaker's residence
Nature gardens
Picnic tables
Fireplaces
Trees, shrubs, and ground covers
Signs

Campgrounds

Entrance gate
Entrance station
Road system (one-way loop with tiers)
Parking spurs
Tent sites
Fireplaces
Picnic tables
Water fountains
Water towers and pumphouses
Shelters
Paths and trails
Steps and stairs
Trees and shrubs
Signs
Community kitchens
Comfort stations
Amphitheater or campfire circle
Stores
Viewpoints and vistas

Picnic areas

Road system
Parking areas
Paths
Picnic sites
Fireplaces
Picnic tables
Water fountains
Water tower and pumphouse
Trails
Steps and stairs
Signs
Shelters
Community kitchens
Comfort stations
Pumphouses
Viewpoints and vistas
Overlooks
Recreational areas

Organization Camps (state park and recreational demonstration areas)

Community hall
Kitchen
Dining hall
Laundry
Comfort stations and latrines
Cabins (counselor and camper)
Unit lodge
Paths and Trails
Campfire circle
Council ring
Recreational areas
Road and parking

Parade ground
Flagpole
Dining hall
Dormitories
Camp office
Chapel
Plantings
Paths
Workshops
Class buildings/social halls

Registration Requirements

A park landscape meeting the requirements listed below may be listed as a single historic district, or may be listed in combination with other park landscape types to form a larger historic district. Individual resources within a landscape, for example, a picnic shelter, bridge, lookout, or water fountain, may be listed as an individual building, structure, site, or object, if it is significant for its landscape or architectural characteristics under criterion C and the historic landscape of which it was historically a part no longer possesses historic integrity. In some cases, a building or structure possesses major importance for its particular role, for example a museum important in the educational and interpretive program of a park, a fire lookout reflecting a particular design, or an arched rock-faced concrete bridge having a high degree of workmanship; these may also be listed individually. All properties eligible under the multiple property listing, Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks, will date to a period of significance that includes all or a portion of the New Deal era, 1933-1942. Many will also include significant park landscapes and resources that predated the CCC period and relate to the origins and early development of these parks prior to 1933; this includes local parks that became state parks and state parks that have become national parks. Landscapes or resources predating the establishment of parks and not possessing the qualities of park landscape design and architecture may be eligible for listing and should be evaluated under other appropriate themes and historic contexts, for example, frontier settlement, ranching, or agriculture.

Properties eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as members of the multiple property group, historic park landscapes in national and state parks, meet criteria A and/or C in any of the following areas: Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Community Planning and Development (park), Conservation, Engineering, Entertainment/Recreation, Politics/Government, and/or Social History. Properties must:

1) be associated with the 20th century movement to develop national parks for public enjoyment, to conserve natural features and scenic areas as public parks, to organize statewide systems of state or local parks, or to develop natural areas, including sub-marginal lands, for public recreational use.

2) retain several or all of the physical characteristics listed above that were developed for that area during or before the New Deal era (1933-1942).

3) reflect the following principles and practices of park landscape design developed and used by the National Park Service in national parks from 1916 to 1942 and in state and national parks through ECW, CCC, PWA, or WPA projects from 1933 to 1942.

• Protection and preservation of natural scenery and features

• Prohibition of exotic plants and wildlife

• Presentation of scenic vistas through the location of park facilities and development of overlooks

• Avoidance of right angles and straight lines in the design of roads, trails, and structures

• Use of native materials for construction and planting

• Use of naturalistic techniques in planting, rockwork, and logwork to harmonize manmade development with natural surroundings

• Adaptation of indigenous or frontier methods of construction

• Transplanting and planting of native trees, shrubs, and ground covers to erase the scars of construction and earlier uses of the land

4) possess historic integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and overall reflect the physical appearance and condition of the landscape during the period of significance. Changes and additions to the landscape since the period of significance, including new campgrounds, buildings, trails, roads, lakes, and recreational areas, diminish historic integrity and are considered non-contributing. Historic park landscapes containing such changes are eligible for listing despite these changes if the overall historic plan is intact and a substantial number of historic characteristics possessing integrity of design, location, materials, and workmanship are present.

Local parks, including metropolitan and county parks, may also qualify for listing under this context if they possess naturalistic characteristics and natural components, and if they were partially or entirely developed under the direction of the National Park Service through the Emergency Conservation Work (later CCC) or WPA programs.

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Last Modified: Mon, Oct 31, 2002 10:00:00 pm PDT
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