HomeMy WebLinkAbout1-30-2017 ARC Correspondence - Item 1 (Loosley)36 PRESERVATION
BRIEFS
Protecting Cultural Landscapes:
Planning, Treatment and Management of
Historic Landscapes
Charles A. Birnbaum, ASLA
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Cultural Resources
Preservation Assistance
Cultural landscapes can range from thousands of acres of
rural tracts of land to a small homestead with a front yard of
less than one acre. Like historic buildings and districts,
these special places reveal aspects of our country's origins
and development through their form and features and the
ways they were used. Cultural landscapes also reveal much
about our evolving relationship with the natural world.
A cultural landscape is defined as "a geographic area,
including both cultural and natural resources and the wildlife
or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event,
activity, or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic
values." There are four general types of cultural landscapes,
not mutually exclusive: historic sites , historic designed landscapes ,
historic vernacular landscapes, and ethnographic landscapes. These
are defined on the Table on page 2.1
Historic landscapes include residential gardens and
community parks, scenic highways, rural communities,
institutional grounds, cemeteries, battlefields and zoological
gardens. They are composed of a number of character-
defining features which individually or collectively contribute
to the landscape's physical appearance as they have evolved
over time. In addition to vegetation and topography, cultural
landscapes may include water features such as ponds,
streams, and fountains; circulation features such as roads,
paths, steps, and walls; buildings; and furnishings, including
fences, benches, lights and sculptural objects.
Figure 1: The New York Peace Monument atop Lookout Mountain in the 8,100 acre Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park , Chattanooga ,
Tennessee , commemorates the reconciliation of the Civil War between th e North and South. The strategic high point provides panoramic views to the City of
Chattanooga and the Moccasin Bend. Today , it is recognized for its culturaL and naturaL resource vaLue. The memorial, which was added in 1910 is part of
this landscape's historic continuum. (courtesy Sam Abell and NationaL Geographic).
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DEFINITIONS
Historic Designed Landscape -a landscape that was
consciously designed or laid out by a landscape architect,
master gardener, architect, or horticulturist according to
design principles, or an amateur gardener working in a
recognized style or tradition. The landscape may be
associated with a significant person(s), trend, or event in
landscape architecture; or illustrate an important
development in the theory and practice of landscape
architecture. Aesthetic values playa significant role in
designed landscapes. Examples include parks, campuses,
and estates.
Historic Vernacular Landscape -a landscape that
evolved through use by the people whose activities or
occupancy shaped that landscape. Through social or
cultural attitudes of an individual, family or a
community, the landscape reflects the physical,
biological, and cultural character of those everyday lives.
Function plays a significant role in vernacular
landscapes. They can be a single property such as a farm
or a collection of properties such as a district of historic
farms along a river valley. Examples include rural
villages, industrial complexes, and agricultural
landscapes.
Historic Site -a landscape significant for its association
with a historic event, activity, or person. Examples
include battlefields and president's house properties.
Ethnographic Landscape -a landscape containing a
variety of natural and cultural resources that associated
people define as heritage resources. Examples are
contemporary settlements, religious sacred sites and
massive geological structures. Small plant communities,
animals, subsistence and ceremonial grounds are often
components.
Most historic properties have a cultural landscape
component that is integral to the significance of the
resource. Imagine a residential district without sidewalks,
lawns and trees or a plantation with buildings but no
adjacent lands. A historic property consists of all its
cultural resources -landscapes, buildings, archeological
site s and collections. In some cultural landscapes, there
may be a total absence of buildings.
This Preservation Brief provides preservation professionals,
cultural resource managers, and historic property owners a
step-b y-step process for preserving historic designed and
vernacular landscapes, two types of cultural landscapes.
While this process is ideally applied to an entire landscape,
it can address a single feature such as a perennial garden,
family burial plot, or a sentinel oak in an open meadow.
This Brief provides a framework and guidance for
undertaking projects to ensure a successful balance
between historic preservation and change.
Developing a Strategy and Seeking
Assistance
Nearly all designed and vernacular landscapes evolve
from, or are often dependent on, natural resources. It is
these interconnected systems of land, air and water,
Figures 2-4: Character-defining lands cape features (top to bottom): "Boot
Fence" near D. H . Lawrence Ranch, Questa, New Mexico, 1991
(courtesy Chenj l Wagner); paving detail at Ernest Hemingway House
National Historic Site , Key West, Florida, 1994 (courtesy author); and,
tree planting detail for Jefferson Memorial Park, St. Louis , Missouri
(courtesy Office of Dan KileJj)
vegetation and wildlife which have dynamic qualities that
differentiate cultural landscapes from other cultural
resources, such as historic structures. Thus, their
documentation, treatment, and ongoing management
require a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach.
Today, those involved in preservation planning and
management for cultural landscapes represent a broad
array of academic backgrounds, training, and related
project experience. Professionals may have expertise in
landscape architecture, history, landscape archeology,
forestry, agriculture, horticulture, pomology, pollen
analysis, planning, architecture, engineering (civil,
structural, mechanical, traffic), cultural geography, wildlife,
ecology, ethnography, interpretation, material and object
conservation, landscape maintenance and management.
Historians and historic preservation professionals can bring
expertise in the history of the landscape, architecture, art,
industry, agriculture, society and other subjects. Landscape
preservation teams, including on-site management teams
and independent consultants, are often directed by a
landscape architect with specific expertise in landscape
preservation. It is highly recommended that disciplines
relevant to the landscapes' inherent features be represented
as well.
Additional guidance may be obtained from State Historic
Preservation Offices, local preservation commissions, the
National Park Service, local and state park agencies,
national and state chapters of the American Society of
Landscape Architects, the Alliance for Historic Landscape
Preservation, the National Association of Olmsted Parks,
and the Catalog of Landsca~e Records in the United States
at Wave Hill among others.
A range of issues may need to be addressed when
conSidering how a particular cultural landscape should be
treated. This may include the in-kind replacement of
declining vegetation, reproduction of furnishings,
rehabilitation of structures, accessibility provisions for
people with disabilities, or the treatment of industrial
properties that are rehabilitated for new uses.
Preservation Planning for Cultural
Landscapes
Careful planning prior to undertaking work can help
prevent irrevocable damage to a cultural landscape.
Professional techniques for identifying, documenting,
evaluating and preserving cultural landscapes have
advanced during the past 25 years and are continually
being refined. Preservation planning generally involves the
following steps: historical research; inventory and
documentation of existing conditions; site analysis and
evaluation of integrity and significance; development of a
cultural landscape preservation approach and treatment
plan; development of a cultural landscape management
plan and management philosophy; the development of a
strategy for ongoing maintenance; and preparation of a
record of treatment and future research recommendations.
The steps in this process are not independent of each other,
nor are they always sequential. In fact, information gathered
in one step may lead to a re-examination or refinement of
previous steps. For example, field inventory and historical
research are likely to occur simultaneously, and may reveal
unnoticed cultural resources that should be protected.
The treatment and management of cultural landscape
s hould also be considered in concert with the management
of an entire historic property. As a result, many other
s tudies may be relevant. They include management plans,
interpretive plans, exhibit design, historic structures
reports, and other.
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORTS
A Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) is the primary
report that documents the history, significance and
treatment of a cultural landscape. A CLR evaluates
the history and integrity of the landscape including
any changes to its geographical context, features,
materials, and use.
CLR's are often prepared when a change (e.g. a new
visitor's center or parking area to a landscape) is
proposed. In such instances, a CLR can be a useful
tool to protect the landscape'S character-defining
features from undue wear, alteration or loss. A CLR
can provide managers, curators and others with
information needed to make management decisions.
A CLR will often yield new information about a
landscape's historic significance and integrity, even
for those already listed on the National Register.
Where appropriate, National Register files should be
amended to reflect the new findings.
These steps can result in several products including a
Cultural Landscape Report (also known as a Historic
Landscape Report), statements for management,
interpretive guide, maintenance guide and maintenance
records.
Historical Research
Research is essential before undertaking any treatment.
Findings will help identify a landscape's historic period(s)
of ownership, occupancy and development, and bring
greater understanding of the associations and
characteristics that make the landscape or history
significant. Research findings provide a foundation to
make educated decisions for work, and can also facilitate
ongoing maintenance and management operations,
interpretation and eventual compliance requirements.
A variety of primary and secondary sources may be
consulted. Primary archival sources can include historic
plans, surveys, plats, tax maps, atlases, U. S. Geological
Survey maps, soil profiles, aerial photographs,
photographs, stereoscopic views, glass lantern slides,
postcards, engravings, paintings, newspapers, journals,
construction drawings, specifications, plant lists, nursery
catalogs, household records, account books and personal
correspondence. Secondary sources include monographs,
published histories, theses, National Register forms, survey
data, local preservation plans, state contexts and scholarly
articles. (See Figures 5-7, page 4.)
Contemporary documentary resources should also be
consulted. This may include recent studies, plans, surveys,
aerial and infrared photographs, Soil Conservation Service
soil maps, inventories, investigations and interviews. Oral
histories of residents, managers, and maintenance
personnel with a long tenure or historical association can be
valuable sources of information about changes to a
landscape over many years. (Figures 8-9, page 4) For
properties listed in the National Register, nomination forms
should be consulted.
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WO OD~' .A.RD HILl,
EMETERr p
2.
Figures 5-7: Atlases and aerial photographs were useful for
understanding the evolution of burial grounds in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania . Comparing the plans from th e 1864 and 1875 atlases
(courtesy Lancaster County Hi sto rical Society) with a 1980 aerial
photograph (courtesy Lancaster County Planning Commission) revealed
the growth and development of Woodward Hill Cemetery and its
geographic context for over a century.
Figures 8, 9: Mary: Smith Nelson spent her childhood at the Zane Grey
famI ly compound In Lackawaxen , Pennsylvania. Recently, her
reco ll ectIOns of nearly eIghty years ago helped land scape architects to
document the evo lution of this cu ltural landscap e. These oral memoirs
have since bee? confirmed by archeological and archival findings.
(courtesy NatIOnal Park SerVIce, Zane Grey House Archives and
LANDSCAPES)
Figure 10: Traditional land uses are often the key to long term
preservatIOn. Therefore, a knowledge of prior land scape management
practIces IS essent wl as part of the research phase . Land use patterns were
ofte~ the result of t~adltlOnal actlVltles such as agriculture , fishing or
mlnll1g . In HanaleI, Hawall.for examp le, taro fields are important
beca use they reflect the continuIty of use of the land ove r tim e. (courtesy
Land and Community Associates)
Preparing Period Plans
In the case of designed landscapes, even though a historic
design plan exists, it does not necessarily mean that it was
realized fully, or even in part. Based on a review of the
archival resources outlined above, and the extant landscape
today, an as-built period plan may be delineated . For all
successive t.enures of ownership, occupancy and landscape
change, perIOd plans should be generated (see Figure 13,
page 6). Period plans can document to the greatest extent
possible th~ historic appearance during a particular period
of ownershIp, occupancy, or development. Period plans
should be based on primary archival sources and should
avoid conjecture. Features that are based on secondary or
less accurate sources should be graphically differentiated.
Idea lly, all referenced archival sources should be annotated
and footnoted directly on period plans.
Where historical data is missing, period plans should reflect
any gaps in the CLR narrative text and these limitations
considered in future treatment decisions (See Treatments
for Cultural Landscapes on page 13 .)
Inventorying and Documenting Existing Conditions
Both physical evidence in the landscape and historic
documentation guide the historic preservation plan and
treatments. To document existing conditions, intensive
field investigation and reconnaissance should be conducted
at the same time that documentary research is being
gathered. Information should be exchanged among
preservation professionals, historians, technicians, local
residents, managers and visitors.
To assist in the survey process, National Register Bulletins
have been published by the National Park Service to aid in
i~enti~ying, nominating and evaluating designed and rural
histonc landscapes. Additionally, Bulletins are available for
specific land.scape types such as battlefields, mining sites,
and cemetenes.6
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Figure 11: Landscape archeology is an important research tool that can
provIde lo catIOn, dating and detail verification for landscape features. At
MontIcello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia,
archeologIcal research ha s emp loyed both excavational and non-invasive
methods .. This has i~cluded aerial photography, soil resistivity , transect
and stratified sampling and photogrammetric recording. As illustrated
In the plan above , fence post spacing and alignment can be confirmed
with a transect trenching technique .3 (cou rtesy Thomas Jeffer son
Memorial Foundation)
Although there are several ways to inventory and
document a landscape, the goal is to create a baseline from
a ~etailed record of the landscape and its features as they
eXIst at the present (considering seasonal variations)? Each
landscape inventory should address issues of boundary
deli~ea.tior:' docume~tation methodologies and techniques,
the hmitahons of the mventory, and the scope of inventory
efforts. These are most often influenced by the timetable,
budget, project scope, and the purpose of the inventory
and, deper:ding on the physical qualities of the property, its
scale, detml, and the interrelationship between natural and
cultural resources. For example, inventory objectives to
develop a treatment plan may differ considerably compared
to those needed to develop an ongoing maintenance plan.
Once the criteria for a landscape inventory are developed
and tested, the methodology should be explained.
Preparing Existing Condition Plans
Inv~ntory and documentation may be recorded in plans,
sectlOns, photographs, aerial photographs, axonometric
perspectives, narratives, video-or any combination of
techniques. Existing conditions should generally be
documented to scale, drawn by hand or generated by
computer. The scale of the drawings is often determined by
the size and complexity of the landscape. Some landscapes
may require documentation at more than one scale. For
example, a large estate may be documented at a small scale
to depict its spatial and visual relationships, while the
discrete .a rea aro~nd .a~ estate mansion may require a larger
scale to Illustrate mdividual plant materials, pavement
pat~erns and other details. The same may apply to an
entire rural historic district and a fenced vegetable garden
contained within. (See Figures 14-15, page 8).
When landscapes are documented in photographs,
registration points can be set to indicate the precise location
and orientation of features. Registration points should
correspond to significant forms, features and spatial
relationships within the landscape and its surrounds (see
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DEGREE OF DOCUMENTATION
HISTORIC LANDSCAPE FEATURES SITE MANNING HISTORIC LETTERS 1955-1993 SECONDARY
EVIDENCE PLAN PHOTOS 1914-1946 RECORDS SOURCES
NATURAL SYSTEMS/TOPOGRAPHY ... ... ... ... ... ?
Bedrock (Quarry) • • • • Land Contour • • • • • Rockwork • • • • •
WATER FEATURES ... ... ... ... ... ?
Alignment-Cascade • • • • Alignment-Pools & Streams • • • • • Materials-Cascade • • • • Materials-Pools & Streams • • • •
CIRCULATION ... ... ... ... ... ?
Alignment-Upland Area • • • Alignment-Perimeter Paths • • • • • Alignment-Internal Paths • • • Materials-Upland Area • • • Materials-Perimeter Paths • • • • Materials-Internal Paths • • • •
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS ... ... ... ... ... ?
Garden Site (Quarry) • • • • Viewshed (Cuyahoga Valley) • • • Vista over Garden from Terrace • • Views within Garden • • • • Views within Upland • • • Views from Croquet Lawn • •
VEGETATION ... ... ... ... ... ?
Native Forest Trees • • • • • Ornamental Shrubs in Garden • • • • Groundcovers in Garden • • • • Herbaceous Plants in Garden • • •
SITE FURNISHINGS ... ... ... ... ... ?
Lanterns • • • • Seats • • •
STRUCTURES ... ... ... ... ... ?
Torii Gate • • • Cistern • • • • Stone Wall Concealing Cistern • • • • Lagon Bridges • • • Umbrella House • • Trellis/Lattice • •
Figure 12: This chart measures available documentation for character-defining features in the Japanese Garden at Stan Hywet Hall , Akron, Ohio designed by
Warren Manning. Areas with little or no historic documentation are noted, thus identifying areas where future treatment options may be restricted. As
illustrated , restoration or reconstruction ar e viable alternatives based on the rich research findings. (courtesy Stan Hywet Hall Foundation, Inc. and
Doell and Doell)
Figure 13: Period plans show the evolution of Aspet, the home of Augustus St . Gaudens, Cornish, New Hampshire . Plans were developed at two scales: first
for the entire estate's development, and second for the core area around the hou se, stud io and gardens. For both, plans were generated for five time periods:
1885-1903,1903-1907,1907-1926,1926-1965 and 1965-1992 . Illu strated above are the 1885-1903,1907-1926, and the 1926-1965 plans for the core area.
(co urtesy National Park Service , North Atlantic Region and Pressley Associates)
READING THE LANDSCAPE
A noted geographer stated, "The attempt to derive
meaning from landscapes possesses overwhelming
virtue. It keeps us constantly alert to the world around
us, demanding that we pay attention not just to some of
the things around us but to all of them-the whole visible
world in all of its rich, glorious, messy, confusing, ugly,
and beautiful complexity.,,4
Landscapes can be read on many levels-landscape as
nature, habitat, artifact, system, problem, wealth,
ideology, history, place and aesthetic.s When developing
a strategy to document a cultural landscape, it is
important to attempt to read the landscape in its context
of place and time. (See Figures 16-17, page 8)
Reading the landscape, like engaging in archival research,
requires a knowledge of the resource and subject area as
well as a willingness to be skeptical. As with archival
research, it may involve serendipitous discoveries.
Evidence gained from reading the landscape may confirm
or contradict other findings and may encourage the
observer and the historian to revisit both primary and
secondary sources with a fresh outlook. Landscape
investigation may also stimulate other forms of research
and survey, such as oral histories or archeological
investigations, to supplement what appeared on-site.
There are many ways to read a landscape-whatever
approach is taken should provide a broad overview. This
may be achieved by combining on-the-ground
observations with a bird's-eye perspective. To begin this
process, aerial photographs should be reviewed to gain
an orientation to the landscape and its setting. Aerial
photographs come in different sizes and scales, and can
thus portray different levels of detail in the landscape.
Aerial photographs taken at a high altitude, for example,
may help to reveal remnant field patterns or -traces of an
abandoned circulation system; or, portions of axial
relationships that were part of the original design, since
obscured by encroaching woodland areas. Low altitude
aerial photographs can point out individual features such
as the arrangement of shrub and herbaceous borders, and
the exact locations of furnishings, lighting, and fence
Figure 22, page 11 for an example.) The points may also
correspond to historic views to illustrate the change in the
landscape to date. These locations may also be used as a
management tool to document the landscape's evolution,
and to ensure that its character-defining features are
preserved over time through informed maintenance
operations and later treatment and management decisions.
All features that contribute to the landscape's historic
character should be recorded. These include the physical
features described on page 1 (e.g. topography, circulation),
and the visual and spatial relationships that are character-
defining. The identification of existing plants, should be
specific, including genus, species, common name, age (if
known) and size. The woody, and if appropriate,
herbaceous plant material should be accurately located on
the existing conditions map. To ensure full representation
of successional herbaceous plants, care should be taken to
document the landscape in different seasons, if possible.
alignments. This knowledge can prove beneficial before
an on-site visit.
Aerial photographs provide clues that can help orient the
viewer to the landscape. The next step may be to view
the landscape from a high point such as a knoll or an
upper floor window. Such a vantage point may provide
an excellent transition before physically entering the
cultural landscape.
On ground, evidence should then be studied, including
character-defining features, visual and spatial
relationships. By reviewing supporting materials from
historic research, individual features can be understood
in a systematic fashion that show the continuum that
exists on the ground today. By classifying these features
and relationships, the landscape can be understood as an
artifact, possessing evidence of evolving natural systems
and human interventions over time.
For example, the on-site investigation of an abandoned
turn-of-the-century farm complex reveals the remnant of
a native oak and pine forest which was cut and burned in
the mid-nineteenth century. This previous use is
confirmed by a small stand of mature oaks and the
presence of these plants in the emerging secondary
woodland growth that is overtaking this farm complex in
decline. A ring count of the trees can establish a more
accurate age. By reading other character-defining
features-such as the traces of old roads, remnant
hedgerows, ornamental trees along boundary roads,
foundation plantings, the terraCing of grades and
remnant fences -the visual, spatial and contextual
relationships of the property as it existed a century ago
may be understood and its present condition and
integrity evaluated.
The findings of on-site reconnaissance, such as materials
uncovered during archival research, may be considered
primary data. These findings make it possible to inventory
and evaluate the landscape's features in the context of the
property's current condition. Character-defining features
are located in situ, in relationship to each other and the
greater cultural and geographic contexts.
Treating living plant materials as a curatorial collection has
also been undertaken at some cultural landscapes. This
process, either done manually or by computer, can track the
condition and maintenance operations on individual plants.
Some sites, such as the Frederick Law Olmsted National
Historic Site, in Brookline, Massachusetts have developed a
field investigation numbering system to track all woody
plants. (See Table, page 9) Due to concern for the
preservation of genetic diversity and the need to replace
significant plant materials, a number of properties are
beginning to propagate historically important rare plants that
are no longer commercially available, unique, or possess
significant historic associations. Such herbarium collections
become a part of a site's natural history collection .
Once the research and the documentation of existing
conditions have been completed, a foundation is in place to
analyze the landscape's continuity and change, determine
its significance, assess its integrity, and place it within the
historic context of similar landscapes.
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Figures 14 and 15: Existing conditions plans for large corridor
landscapes can employ a variety of documentation methodologies. For the
2 -1/2 mile Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Washington, D.C., the
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) used aerial photo-
grammetric photographs as the basis for digitized mapping and delineated
drawings. Overall documentation was done at a scale of 1" = 40' with a
100' either side geographic context. Contours were shown at 2' intervals ,
tree canopy with trunk placement for specimen species , bridges (also
drawn in detail), roads, and the creek itself. In all , there are 36 drawings
measuring 34" x 44" for the project. These two sample drawings include
the index to plans (above) and an area of existing conditions
documentation (opposite top). (courtesy Historic American Buildings
Survey)
Figures 16 and 17: Landscapes cannot be inventoried in a vacuum.
Therefore , an understanding of its geographic context or setting should be
part of inventory process. At Rancho Los Alamitos , Long Beach ,
California (middle and bottom opposite), a comparison between the 1936
aerial view with a present day aerial photograph illustrates the
encroachments and adjacent developments that will affect the future
treatment of v isua l and spa tial relationships. (courtesy Rancho Lo s
Alamitos Foundation)
HISTORIC PLANT INVENTORY
Within cultural landscapes, plants may have historical or
botanical significance. A plant may have been associated
with a historic figure or event or be part of a notable
landscape design . A plant may be an uncommon
cultivar, exceptional in size, age, rare and commercially /
unavailable. If such plants are lost, there would be a loss
of historic integrity and biological diversity of the cultural
landscape.To ensure that significant plants are preserved,
an inventory of historic plants is being conducted at the
North Atlantic Region of the National Park Service.8
Historical landscape architects work with landscape
managers and historians to gather oral and documented
history on the plant's origin and potential significance.
Each plant is then examined in the field by an expert
horticulturist who records its name, condition, age, size,
distribution, and, any notable botanic characteristics.
1. The Arnold Arboretum's preservation technician, lila c specia li st, and
horticulturist compare lilacs from the Vanderbilt Mansion National
Historic Site in Hyd e Park, New York with lila c specimens in th e
Arboretum's living collection. (courtesy Olmsted Center)
3. Th e Arnold Arboretum's horticulturist, landscape historian,
and preservation technician examine shrubs at the Longfellow
National Histori c Site in Cambridge, MA. (courtesy Olmsted
Center)
Plants that are difficult to identify or are of potential
historical significance are further examined in the
laboratory by a plant taxonomist who compares leaf,
fruit, and flower characteristics with herbarium
specimens for named species, cultivars and varieties.
For plants species with many cultivars, such as apples,
roses, and grapes, specimens may be sent to specialists
for identification.
If a plant cannot be identified, is dying or in decline,
and unavailable from commercial nurseries, it may be
propagated. Propagation ensures that when rare and
significant plants decline, they can be replaced with
genetically-identical plants. Cuttings are propagated
and grown to replacement size in a North Atlantic
Region Historic Plant Nursery.
2. The Arnold Arboretum's horticulturist alld preservation technician
examine an enormous black locust tree at the Home of FD. Roosevelt
National Historic Site in Hyde Park , NY. (courtesy Olmsted Center)
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Site Analysis: Evaluating Integrity and Significance
By analyzing the landscape, its change over time can be
understood. This may be accomplished by overlaying the
various period plans with the existing conditions plan. Based
on these findings, individual features may be attributed to the
particular period when they were introduced, and the various
periods when they were present.
It is during this step that the historic significance of the
landscape component of a historic property and its integrity
are determined. Historic significance is the recognized
importance a property displays when it has been evaluated,
includin~ when it has been found to meet National Register
Criteria. A landscape may have several areas of historical
significance. An understanding of the landscape as a
continuum through history is critical in assessing its
cultural and historic value. In order for the landscape to
have integrity, these character-defining features or qualities
that contribute to its significance must be present.
While National Register nominations document the
significance and integrity of historic properties, in general,
they may not acknowledge the significance of the
landscape's design or historic land uses, and may not
contain an inventory of landscape features or
characteristics. Additional research is often necessary to
provide the detailed information about a landscape's
evolution and significance useful in making decision for the
treatment and maintenance of a historic landscape. Existing
National Register forms may be amended to recognize
additional areas of significance and to include more
complete descriptions of historic properties that have
significant land areas and landscape features .
Integrity is a property's historic identity evidenced by the
survival of physical characteristics from the property's
historic or prehistoric period. The seven qualities of integrity
are location, setting, feeling, association, design, workman-
ship and materials. to When evaluating these qualities, care
should be taken to consider change itself. For example, when
a second-generation woodland overtakes an open pasture in a
battlefield landscape, or a woodland edge encloses a scenic
vista. For situations such as these, the reversibility and/ or
compatibility of those features should be considered, both
individually, and in the context of the overall landscape.
Together, evaluations of significance and integrity, when
combined with historic research, documentation of existing
conditions, and analysis findings, influence later treatment
and interpretation decisions. (See Figure 21-23)
Developing a Historic Preservation Approach
and Treatment Plan
Treatment may be defined as work carried out to achieve a
historic preservation goal-it cannot be considered in a
vacuum. There are many practical and philosophical
factors that may influence the selection of a treatment for a
landscape. These include the relative historic value of the
property, the level of historic documentation, existing
physical conditions, its historic significance and integrity,
historic and proposed use (e.g. educational, interpretive,
passive, active public, institutional or private), long-and
short-term objectives, operational and code requirements
(e.g. accessibility, fire, security) and costs for anticipated
capital improvement, staffing and maintenance. The value
of any significant archeological and natural resources
Figure 18: At Lawnfield, the home of President Jame s A. Garfield near
Cleveland, Ohio, the Sugar Maple that shadowed the porch during Garfield's
1880 "Front Porch Campaign" is in decline. Cuttings were taken from the
historically significant tree by the Holden Arboretum and the National Park
Service for eventual in-kind replacement. (courtesy NPS, Midwest Region)
Figure 19: The landscape of Lyndhurst, Tarrytown , New York is
significant in American culture and meets Criterion C of the National
Register because it embodies th e distinctive character of a type and period
in American landscap e architecture, known as ear ly Picturesque; it
possesses high artistic value; and it is the work of a recognized master
gardener, Ferdinand Mangold. (courtesy National Trust for Historic
Preservation)
Figure 20: Cultural land scapes often contain plant communities such as
orchards or meadows-both of which mayor may not require a
management intervention . When analyzing a landscape , it is important
to recog nize th e presen t-day biodiversity of these resources -for example
at the Fruita Rural Historic Di strict in Capitol Reef National Park in
Utah , the land scap e contains 2,500 fruit trees associated with settlement
and agricu lture on th e Colorado Plateau (courtesy D. White).
Figure 21: Int egri hj can involve both continuity and change. This can be
evidenced by a detailed review of materials. Although the surface
material ha s changed on some roads through the Port Oneida (near
Empire, Michigan) community, the character-defining alignme nt, width
and rows of Sugar Maple trees rema in intact . (courtesy NPS, Midwest
Region).
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Figures 22 and 23: The plan for the Kehlbeck Farmstead, located in Cass
County in Southeastern Nebraska , illustrates a well-planned, and
aesthetically arranged general farm complex of the twentieth century.
The farmstead is composed of 23 contribut in g and 5 non-contributing
resources. Int eg rity was judg ed uniformly high because many character-
defining re sources were prese nt and the visual and spatial relationships
mtact. Not e the varied graphic techniques us ed to document a variehj of
fence types , and , the key to photographs illustrating the various
landscape features and spatial relationships . The photograph above,
label ed #3 on the farmstead , is lookin g north along the farm lane all ee.
(courtesy National Regis ter Files)
11
12
LANDSCAPE INTERPRETATION
Figures A and B: Archeology and restoration of the Privy Garden at Hampton Court Palace gardens, England. The project is being
interpreted to the public in the garden, an indoor exhibition and a multimedia show. The outdoor interpretive display, (above left) includes
period plans, aerial photographs and historic images that detail the histon) of the garden and current work, 1994. (courtesy
the author)
Landscape interpretation is the process of providing
the visitor with tools to experience the landscape as it
existed during its period of significance, or as it
evolved to its present state. These tools may vary
widely, from a focus on existing features to the
addition of interpretive elements. These could
include exhibits, self-guided brochures, or a new
representation of a lost feature. The nature of the
cultural landscape, especially its level of significance,
integrity, and the type of visitation anticipated may
frame the interpretive approach. Landscape
interpretation may be closely linked to the integrity
and condition of the landscape, and therefore, its
ability to convey the historic character and character-
should also be considered in the decision-making process.
Therefore, a cultural landscape's preservation plan and the
treatment selected will consider a broad array of dynamic
and interrelated considerations. It will often take the form
of a plan with detailed guidelines or specifications.
Adopting such a plan, in concert with a preservation
maintenance plan (page 18-19), acknowledges a cultural
landscape's ever-changing existence and the
interrelationship of treatment and ongoing maintenance.
Performance standards, scheduling and record keeping of
maintenance activities on a day-to-day or month-to-month
basis, may then be planned for. Treatment, management,
and maintenance proposals can be developed by a broad
range of professionals and with expertise in such fields as
landscape preservation, horticulture, ecology, and
landscape maintenance.
The selection of a primary treatment for the landscape,
utilizing the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the
Treatment of Historic Properties, establishes an overall
historic preservation approach, as well as a philosophical
framework from which to operate. Selecting a treatment is
based on many factors. They include management and
interpretation objectives for the property as a whole, the
period(s) of significance, integrity, and condition of
individual landscape features.
defining features of the past. If a landscape has high
integrity, the interpretive approach may be to direct
visitors to surviving historic features without
introducing obtrusive interpretive devices such as
free-standing signs. For landscapes with a
diminished integrity, where limited or no fabric
remains, the interpretive emphasis may be on using
extant features and visual aids (e.g. markers,
photographs, etc.) to help visitors visualize the
resource as it existed in the past. The primary goal in
these situations is to educate the visitor about the
landscape's historic themes, associations and lost
character-defining features or broader historical,
social and physical landscape contexts.
For all treatments, the landscape's existing conditions and
its ability to convey historic significance should be carefully
considered. For example, the life work, design philosophy
and extant legacy of an individual designer should all be
understood for a designed landscape such as an estate,
prior to treatment selection. For a vernacular landscape,
such as a battlefield containing a largely intact mid-
nineteenth century family farm, the uniqueness of that
agrarian complex within a local, regional, state, and
national context should be considered in selecting a
treatment.
The overall historic preservation approach and treatment
approach can ensure the proper retention, care, and repair
of landscapes and their inherent features.ll In short, the
Standards act as a preservation and management tool for
cultural landscapes. The four potential treatments are
described in the box opposite.
Landscape treatments can range from simple, inexpensive
preservation actions, to complex major restoration or
reconstruction projects. The progressive framework is
inverse in proportion to the retention of historic features
and materials. Generally, preservation involves the least
change, and is the most respectful of historic materials. It
maintains the form and material of the existing landscape.
Rehabilitation usually accommodates contemporary
Figure 24: On some occasions, especially larger landscapes, it is possible
to have a primary treatment, with discrete, or secondary areas of another
treatment. This is most common for an individual feature in a larger
landscape. At the Eugene and Carlotta O'Neill Historic Site, Danville,
California the primary treatment selected for the courtyard was
restoration. When accommodating universal accessibility requirements,
the introduction of a grass paver walk was installed which warranted the
removal of a few historic shrubs. This discrete project would be considered
a rehabilitation treatment. (courtesy Patricia M. O'Donnell)
TREATMENTS FOR CULTURAL
LANDSCAPES
Prior to undertaking work on a landscape, a treatment plan
or similar document should be developed. The four primary
treatments identified in the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties 12 , are:
Preservation is defined as the act or process of applying
measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity,
and materials of an historic property. Work, including
preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property,
generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair
of historic materials and features rather than extensive
replacement and new construction. New additions are not
within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and
sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical and plumbing
systems and other code-required work to make properties
functional is appropriate within a preservation project.
Rehabilitation is defined as the act or process of making
possible a compatible use for a property through repair,
alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or
features which convey its historical or cultural values.
Restoration is defined as the act or process of accurately
depicting the fonn, features, and character of a property as it
appeared at a particular period of time by means of the
removal of features from other periods in its history and
reconstruction of missing features from the restoration
period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical,
electrical and plumbing systems and other code-required
work to make properties functional is appropriate within a
restoration project.
Reconstruction is defined as the act or process of depicting,
by means of new construction, the form, features, and
detailing of a non-surviving site, landscape, building,
structure, or object for the purpose of replicating its
appearance at a specific period of time and in its historic
location.
Figures 25 and 26: When
the American Elm
(Ulmus americana) was
plagued with Dutch Elm
Disease many historic
properties relied on the
Japanese Zelkova
(Zelkova serrata) as a
substitute plant. As
illustrated, the overall
form and scale of these
trees is really quite
different, and would
therefore not be an
appropriate substitute
plant material under a
restoration or
reconstruction
treatment.
alterations or additions without altering significant historic
features or materials, with successful projects involving
minor to major change. Restoration or reconstruction
attempts to recapture the appearance of a property, or an
individual feature at a particular point in time, as confirmed
by detailed historic documentation. These last two
treatments most often require the greatest degree of
intervention and thus, the highest level of documentation.
In all cases, treatment should be executed at the appropriate
level reflecting the condition of the landscape, with repair
work identifiable upon close inspection and/ or indicated in
supplemental interpretative information. When repairing
or replacing a feature, every effort should be made to
achieve visual and physical compatibility. Historic
materials should be matched in design, scale, color and
texture.
A landscape with a high level of integrity and authenticity
may suggest preservation as the primary treatment. Such a
treatment may emphasize protection, stabilization, cyclical
maintenance, and repair of character-defining landscape
features. Changes over time that are part of the landscape's
continuum and are significant in their own right may be
13
14
Figure 27: The historic birch allee at Stan Hywet Hall, Akron , Ohio was
suffering from borer infestation and leaf miner. Dying trees were topped
and basal sprout growth encouraged. Next, trees were selectively
thinned, and ultimately, when the new growth matured, older trunks
were removed. Original rootstock and genetic material were preserved .
As Illustrated , thIs preservatIOn treatment took fifteen years to realize.
(courtesy Child Associates)
Figure 28:. Patterns on the land have been preserved through the
continuatIOn of traditIOnal uses such as the grape fields at the Sterling
Vineyards in Calistoga, California. (courtesy author)
Figures 29: Rehabilitation was selected as the primary treatment for
Columbus Park, Chicago, 1IIinois. Originally designed and executed
between 1917 and 1920 by lens Jensen, the waterfall, cascades, rocky
brook and assocIated landscape , are well documented and possesses a high
level of integrity. (courtesy author)
Figure 30, 31: A 75-mile portion of Skyline Drive at Shenandoah
National Park overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia required
the rehabilitation of a 22" -high, dry-laid stone wall. The new wall was
built to a height of 27" -code normally requires a height of 36". The wall
was constructed of percast concrete, clad with split stone and mortar
joints. To achieve visual compatibility recessed mortar joints were
arranged in a random pattern (courtesy Robert R. Page)
retained, while changes that are not significant, yet do not
encroach upon or erode character may also be maintained.
Preservation entails the essential operations to safeguard
existing resources. (Figures 27-28)
Rehabilitation is often selected in response to a
contemporary use or need-ideally such an approach is
compatible with the landscape's historic character and
historic use. Rehabilitation may preserve existing fabric
along with introducing some compatible changes, new
additions and alterations. Rehabilitation may be desirable
at a private residence in a historic district where the
homeowner's goal is to develop an appropriate landscape
treatment for a front yard, or in a public park where a
support area is needed for its maintenance operations.
(Figures 29-31)
When the most important goal is to portray a landscape and
its character-defining features at an exact period of time,
restoration is selected as the primary treatment. Unlike
preservation and rehabilitation, interpreting the landscape's
continuum or evolution is not the objective. Restoration
may include the removal of features from other periods
and/ or the construction of missing or lost features and
materials from the reconstruction period. In all cases,
treatment should be substantiated by the historic research
findings and existing conditions documentation.
Restoration and reconstruction treatment work should
avoid the creation of a landscape whose features did not
exist historically. For example, if features from an earlier
period did not co-exist with extant features from a later
period that are being retained, their restoration would not
be appropriate. (Figures 32-34)
In rare cases, when evidence is sufficient to avoid
conjecture, and no other property exists that can adequately
explain a certain period of history, reconstruction may be
utilized to depict a vanished landscape. The accuracy of
this work is critical. In cases where topography and the
subsurface of soil have not been disturbed, research and
existing conditions findings may be confirmed by thorough
archeological investigations. Here too, those features that
are intact should be repaired as necessary, retaining the
original historic features to the greatest extent possible. The
greatest danger in reconstruction is creating a false picture
of history.
False historicism in every treatment should be avoided.
This applies to individual features as well as the entire
landscape. Examples of inappropriate work include the
introduction of historic-looking benches that are actually a
new design, a fanciful gazebo placed in what was once an
open meadow, executing an unrealized historic design, or
designing a historic-looking landscape for a relocated
historic structure within "restoration."
Figure 32-34: Tower Grove Park in St. Louis , Missouri, is a National
Historic Landmark. The music pavilion, just north of the main drive is a
circu lar lawl! area with radiating walks, white marble busts of eminent
composers, walks, and curb. The area was in genera l decline, especially
the marble busts which were sufferi ng from acid rain damage. Based on
the exce ll ent documentation in nineteenth century annual reports,
postcards and photographic images, this area was recently restored.
lIlu strated above are a samp le historic view, work in progress and the
completed restoration project. (courtesy Tower Grove Park)
15
16
Fig ure 35-37: Cen tral Park ha s deve loped an in -house hi stori c
preservation crew to und ertake small projec ts. A spec iali ze d crew has
bee n train ed to specifically repair and rebuild ru sti c furni shin gs. As
illustrat ed, the restoration of th e Den e ru sti c shelt er was achieved by
co nstru cting it in th e Ramble co mpou nd, mov in g in-pla ce oppos it e 67 th
stree t and compl eted. (co urtes y Ce ntral Park Con serva ncy )
Developing a Preservati o n Maintenance Plan
and Implementation Str ate gy
Throughout the preservation planning process, it is
important to ensure that existing landscape features are
retained. Preservation maintenance is the practice of
monitoring and controlling change in the landscape to
ensure that its historic integrity is not altered and features
are not lost. This is particularly important during the
research and long-term treatment planning process. To be
effective, the maintenance program must have a guiding
philosophy, approach or strategy; an understanding of
preservation maintenance techniques; and a system for
documenting changes in the landscape.
The philosophical approach to maintenance should
coincide with the landscape's current stage in the
preservation planning process. A Cultural Landscape
Report and Treatment Plan can take several years to
complete, yet during this time managers and property
owners will likely need to address immediate issues related
to the decline, wear, decay, or damage of landscape
features. Therefore, initial maintenance operations may
focus on the stabilization and protection of all landscape
features to provide temporary, often emergency measures
to prevent deterioration, failure, or loss, without altering
the site's existing character.
After a Treatment Plan is implemented, the approach to
preservation maintenance may be modified to reflect the
objectives defined by this plan. The detailed specifications
prepared in the Treatment Plan relating to the retention,
repair, removal, or replacement of features in the landscape
should guide and inform a comprehensive preservation
maintenance program. This would include schedules for
monitoring and routine maintenance, appropriate preserva-
tion maintenance procedures, as well as ongoing record
keeping of work performed. For vegetation, the preserva-
tion maintenance program would also include thresholds
for growth or change in character, appropriate pruning
methods, propagation and replacement procedures.
To facilitate operations, a property may be divided into
discrete management zones (Figure 41). These zones are
sometimes defined during the Cultural Landscape Report
process and are typically based on historically defined areas.
Alternatively, zones created for maintenance practices and
priorities could be used. Examples of maintenance zones
would include woodlands, lawns, meadow, specimen trees,
and hedges.
Training of maintenance staff in preservation maintenance
skills is essential. Preservation maintenance practices differ
from standard maintenance practices because of the focus on
perpetuating the historic character or use of the landscape
rather than beautification. For example, introducing new
varieties of turf, roses or trees is likely to be inappropriate.
Substantial earth moving (or movement of soil) may be
inappropriate where there are potential archeological
resources. An old hedge or shrub should be rejuvenated, or
propagated, rather than removed and replaced. A mature
specimen tree may require cabling and careful monitoring to
ensure that it is not a threat to visitor safety. Through
training programs and with the assistance of preservation
maintenance specialists, each property could develop
maintenance specifications for the care of landscape features .
Figure 40: A management decision was made to place a fence around a
sentinel tree in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. The fence protects the
specimen from root damage-impact from excessive pedestrian compaction
or lawn mower damage. (courtesy author).
SIIIII.IS
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UI LOW .... \If'(T£NAHCI: GaASS
LtCI HtGH MAlIIfT£NANeECa.u1,
WIDE, ro. SI'OllTS
UCl HICH MAINTENAHCEGRASS,
WiDE, ..... AMt.NtTY
HaG" MAIIlfTENAI'«:I c • .us.
SMALL
Figure 38 and 39 (above, left and right): The importance of land scape
analysis and its ability to inform treatment and maintenance decisions is
reflected in these two plans for Downing Park, Newburgh, New York.
The plan, rendered in black, top left, illustrates all extant historic plants,
wh ile the plan, top right, depicts plantings which are non-historic or
invasive for removal or relocation outside of the historic park. (courtesy
LANDSCAPES)
Figure 41 (below): A small property of under an acre may only have a few
managemellt zones including lawn, trees over lawll , shrub and herbaceous
borders. Larger, more complex landscapes such as Jamaica Pond Park,
Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts, conta in s a broader range of
management zones including: forests, trees over grass-broad areas, trees
over grass-narrow areas, meadows, and mown grass for active recreation
amenities or passive use. (courtesy Walmsley/Pressley Joint Venture)
M A C A o
17
18
DEVELOPING A PRESERVATION MAINTENANCE GUIDE
In the past, there was rarely adequate record-keeping to
fully understand the ways a landscape was maintained.
This creates gaps in our research findings. Today, we
recognize that planning for ongoing maintenance and on-
site applications should be documented-both routinely
and comprehensively. An annual work program or
calendar records the frequency of maintenance work on
built or natural landscape features. It can also monitor
the age, health and vigor of vegetation. For example, on-
site assessments may document the presence of weeds,
pests, dead leaves, pale color, wilting, soil compaction-
all of which signal particular maintenance needs . For
built elements, the deterioration of paving or drainage
systems may be noted and the need for repair or
replacement indicated before hazards develop. An
overall maintenance program can assist in routine and
cyclic maintenance of the landscape and can also guide
long term treatment projects.
To help structure a comprehensive maintenance
operation that is responsive to staff, budget, and
maintenance priorities, the National Park Service has
developed two computer-driven programs for its own
landscape resources. A Maintenance Management
Program (MM) is designed to assist maintenance
managers in their efforts to plan, organize, and direct the
park maintenance system. An Inventory and Condition
Assessment Program (lCAP) is designed to complement
Ri'~.
MM by providing a system for inventorying, assessing
conditions, and for providing corrective work
recommendations for all site features.
Another approach to documenting maintenance and
recording changes over time is to develop a manual or
computerized graphic information system. Such a system
should have the capability to include plans and
photographs that would record a site's living collection of
plant materials. (Also see discussion of the use of
photography under Preparing Existing Conditions Plans,
page 5.) This may be achieved using a computer-aided
drafting program along with an integrated database
management system.
To guide immediate and ongoing maintenance, a
systematic and flexible approach has been developed by
the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation.
Working with National Park Service landscape managers
and maintenance specialists, staff assemble information
and make recommendations for the care of individual
landscape features.
Each landscape feature is inspected in the field to
document existing conditions and identify field work
needed. Recommendations include maintenance
procedures that are sensitive to the integrity of the
landscape.
Statue 0/ U berty National MOllument
FIELD INVENTORY . INSPECTION . AND WORK NEEDED
London PIanc: Tree 4-0-26 22· ·2-·.2 II Larae scar from bnnch split. 5true·
rurally weak In:e, mllO'f'e twancbcs
withdealy atbase,plIHIfOf'I'e-
; jnl I
I jl!~ H
pacement )IS x P
LonaonPllllll:Trcc4-O-273 -.2 r -?n leancr,crowdedbylariCfadjatelll
I Ircc,~vedeadbrane hes
LondonPlaneTrcc4-O-28 3-r:-3~ -~n !::::!esdec.ay,rtmOyt lar'J't Mad )IS.
LondonPlanc:Trcc4'()'29 2,'r ,·2r .~n :~~~'r=~::-:"d dtad
""""'"
l.»rJJonPlancTrcc4-O-3Q \,·2 ·2--211 goodcondilion.rtmOyt
walft'$prouts from trunk
LondonPlanc:Trcc~J I 2.~ ·1· ·211. faircondltiOl1.~ltrUctural
pnmiJII.1 top or crown, mnove
three dead broken branches no •
LondonPlIneTree4-O-32 I ;-~ -2" -I n :::=~~COn(htJon.remo"eOM no.
London Plane Tree 4-0-33 3 -~ . li-. I II. :-=~ mnon two of nVl! lower
London Plane Tree 4-0-34 I -~ -2 - -2 II rmJOn walmprouts rrom trunk,
re-aJtdtadbrant:b s pur
London Plane Tree 4-Q.JS 2 -2 -2 --2 n temOye WliIter5prootJ rrom trunk,
nccd5structuralprunlnctbroulb-
oot
London Plane Tree 4416 333 -3 --3 n in decline. dleback throughout,
sarety bazard, muon: aU dtad-
wood, plan ror ~pl.acement
t......,..mbjcMCoIIIn.AFortupo.CPtppr.
",. p
Figure A-Existing Conditions: A map of the existin g trees at th e Stat ue of Liberty
National Monument is used to indicate necessary preservation maintenance wo rk
(Drawn by Margaret Coffin , 1992)
Figure B -Field Inventory, Inspection, and
work needed: Within areas of th e landscap e,
each featur e is assigned a field idel1tification
number. An inspection is conducted to assess
th e condition , potential problems , such as
deadwood or integral decay , al1d specify work
needed. A map (above) is used to locate features
that require attention)
Statue of Liberty National MOllumJ!nI
FEATURE DATA LONDON PLANE TREE
Statue of Liberty Narional Monument
CALEN DAR -SPRING
CATEGORY: Deciduous Tree
AREAS: 4-SoulhLawn FOR ALL TREES -
FEATURE NAME: I.r.amlIJ,an1.Springisthtbesttimc:lOU'ansplaru~.
SOURCE OF lDENTIFICATlON:
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERISTICS:
London Planetn=e (Platanus xaccrifolia)
Al Farrugkl,.sTU Horticulturist. 1992
The: fruit of London Plane Tree is typically in clusten of2, leave$ are large, S -10 ' widlh
whereas the fruit of American Sycamore is singular, and leaves are slightly smaller.
Usnil or!r.aranalysj. jOOk;aI(Slbalft:oiljn:risnccdcd, late fall is thtbc:st timc: to fenilize
~. However, fertilizer may also be applied in early Spring. before bud break. Use an
organic fertilizer willi the micronutricnlS needed, sucli IlS manganese. Iftht lawn area
below the trees is rt:eeiving fertilizer, additional fertilizer is 001 nccessary. Ligbtannual
pruning throughout the tree tends to reduce tht amouru of fertlizer ntt.ded.
HlSTORIC SIGNlflCANCE:/ APPEARANCE! INTENT:
LONDON PLANE TREES-London Plane trees ~re specified in the Genenl Developmeru Plan by Norman Newton in
1937 (Newton, N. T . Design on the Land. Harvard University Press, 1971 , p. S43).
PRESERVATION PRACI'ICES AND WORK PROCEDURES:
~ Take prevelU.Btive IIClions 10 protecl tht base ofeJ(:h tree from string
trimmer damage. Train all equipmeru operaton.
Wintet'-
I:DuJr:: out dead, damaged wood and watcrsproulS as needed . Inspect for interior decay and
pest damage. Disinfect toolS betwc:cn CUls 10 prevent spread ofcankenl.lin disease.
S pring -
Monitor a'" trr'l'nrhracoosc Prolonged periods of cool, mobt, damp spring weather will
increase a nthracnose. The: best times 10 control anthracnose are before bud break, at bud
break, and when leaves haveexpatUed.
~ Take preventative actions to protect the basc: ofeacb tree from string
trimmer damage. Tnin all equipment operaton.
Monjro[,od !m! 'n!bracoosr Prolonged periods of cool, moist, damp spring weather will
increaseanlhracnose. The: best timcl 10 comrol antbracnose are befure bud break,at bud
break,andwbenleavcshaveexpanded.
LlNDENS-
fnuIu!ul crossing branches on young trttI.
LAWN-
I.wlsp.I.aDl. Spring is the best timc: to transplant trees.
SUIDIDff'-
Yla.ltL.newly transplanted trees so that thty reeeiveone illCh of water every 10 days. To
water. set up water bags around tht base of tht tree at the end of tht day. Remove empty
bags in the morning. Do 001 overwater.
~ in the early spring to remove mattcd graS$ and accumulated debris. De-
thatch lawn areas where match accumulation excceds 3f4 of an incb.
Fan -
Aeon,. with. mrr 'CrntQr, lawn areas that are heavily compacted. However, do not aerate
aroundthetltl'sbecauscofshallowroou.
BaG.. up LolKion Plane tree leaves Ind dispose off sill' to remove anthracnose inoculum.
PESTS. DISEASES AND CID..TURAL PROBLEMS;
Pesls · Plum Borer, La;anium Scale. Sycamore Lace Bug, Aphids, Fall Webworm
Diseases -Anthracnose. Cankerstain, WClwood, Powdery Mildew
fkRjD rMwjnp aoo trjmming oncfJIjODS Instruct In equipmeru opeaton on how to prevent
damage to tn=e trunb.
Culrural Problems -Susceptible to drought stress, frequently produces watersproulS, often
vandalized by carving in bark.
~ Send soil samples to Coopcnltive EAtcnsionService for analysis of pH,
phosphorus and poI.Issium levels. Apply lime and fenilizer as necessary to adjUSt tht soil
condition
RECOMMENDED METHOD AND SOURCE OF REPLACEMENT: Replace in-kind
with nursery slock. Consider anthnK:nose resistant cultivan that an: similiar in size and
cbaracter 10 tht stnight species.
&I::tiliz,c. in latc May or early June willi an organic fertilizer with an analysis ofS-4-3 or
equi~alelll . Apply at a rate of one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square fect. This b the first
oflhrec annual Ipplications.
PROPAGATION METHOD; Take root cunings in July or Augusl. Treat wilh IBA.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Inspect lawn areas for pe515 (grubs) and disease (leaf spot. leaf smut) damage. 1I1'llt,
t'\'t!!;
tI l l It!, Shigo, Alex L. A New Tree Biology. Durham NH : Shigo & Trees, Assoc., 1986
Sinclair, Lyon & Johnson. Diseases of Trees & Sbrubs. Ithaca NY : Cornell U. Press, 1981 . t :+1
Figure C -Feature Data: For each feature that
requires special care, a detailed sheet is
developed. This contains notes on when to
monitor and carry out work, specific procedures,
cite potential problems, and perform repair or
replacement.
Figure D -Calendar for Monitoring and for
Work: All feature-specific monitoring and work
recommendations are combined into one seasonal
ca lendar for all ar eas of the landscap e to ensu re
that important work activities are not
over lo oked.
Figure E -Record Keeping: A record sheet is
created for each type of feature. Maintenance
staff may record information relating to changes
in condition, major work performed , removal,
replacement, propagation and any other events.
As records are added too through the years , they
become a valuable source of documentation of th e
landscape's history.
Because landscapes change through the seasons, specifications
for ongoing preservation maintenance should be organized in
a calendar format. During each season or month, the calendar
can be referenced to determine when, where, and how
preservation maintenance is needed. For example, for some
trees structural pruning is best done in the late winter while
other trees are best pruned in the late summer. Serious pests
are monitored at specific times of the year, in certain stages of
their life cycle. This detailed calendar will in turn Identify
staff needs and work priorities.
Depending on the level of sophistication desired, one
approach to documenting maintenance data and recording
change over time is to use a computerized geographical or
visual information system.B Such a system would have the
capability to include plans and photographs that would focus
on a site's landscape features .
If a computer is not available, a manual or notebook can be
developed to organize and store important information. This
approach allows managers to start at any level of detail and to
begin to collect and organize information about landscape
fea tures (see Box opposite and above). The value of these
maintenance records cannot be overstated. These records will
be used in the future by historians to understand how the
landscape has evolved with the ongoing care of the
maintenance staff.
Recordin~ Treatment Work and Future
Research "Recommendations
The last and ongoing step in the preservation planning
process records the treatment work as carried out. It may
include a series of as-built drawings, supporting photographic
materials, specifications and a summary assessment. New
technologies that have been successfully used should be
highlighted. Ideally, this information should be shared with
interested national organizations for further dissemination
and evaluation.
The need for further research or additional activities should
also be documented. This may include site-specific or
contextual historical research, archeological investigations,
pollen analysis, search for rare or unusual plant materials,
or, material testing for future applications.
Finally, in consultation with a conservator or archivist-to
maximize the benefit of project work and to minimize the
potential of data loss-all primary documents should be
organized and preserved as archival materials. This may
include field notes, maps, drawings, photographs, material
samples, oral histories and other relative information.
Summary
The planning, treatment, and maintenance of cultural
landscapes requires a multi-disciplinary approach. In
landscapes, such as parks and playgrounds, battlefields,
cemeteries, village greens, and agricultural land preserves-
more than any other type of historic resource-communities
rightly presume a sense of stewardship. It is often this grass
roots commitment that has been a catalyst for current research
and planning initiatives. Individual residential properties
often do not require the same level of public outreach, yet a
systematic planning process will assist in making educated
treatment, management and maintenance decisions.
Wise stewardship protects the character, and or spirit of a
place by recognizing history as change over time. Often,
this also involves our own respectful changes through
treatment. The potential benefits from the preservation of
cultural landscapes are enormous. Landscapes provide
19
20
scenic, economic, ecological, social, recreational and
educational opportunities that help us understand ourselves
as individuals, communities and as a nation. Their ongoing
preservation can yield an improved quality of life for all,
and, above all, a sense of place or identity for future
generations.
Selected Reading
Birnbaum, Charles A, guest editor. Preservation Forum.
"Focus on Landscape Preservation". Washington, D.C.:
National Trust for Historic Preservation, Volume 7, No.3,
May/June 1992.
Buggey Susan, guest editor. APT Bulletin. Special Issue:
Conserving Historic Landscapes. Fredericksburg, VA:
Association for Preservation Technology International,
Volume XXIV, No. 3-4, 1992.
Burns, John A, and the Staff of HABS/HAER. Recording
Historic Structures. American Institute of Architects Press,
1989. (Includes chapter on the documentation of Meridian
Hill Park, pp. 206-219.)
Diehl, Janet and Thomas S. Barrett, et al. The Conservation
Easement Handbook. Managing Land Conservation and Historic
Preservation Easement Programs, The Land Trust Exchange
(now Alliance) and the Trust for Public Land, 1988.
International CommIttee of Historic Gardens and Sites,
ICOMOS-IFLA. Jardins et Sites Historiques, Scientific Journal.
ICOMOS 1993. Compilation of papers on the subject, in
both english and french.
Kelso, William M., and Rachel Most. Earth Patterns: Essays
in Landscape Archaeology. Charlottesville, VA: University
Press of Virginia, 1990.
Stokes, Samuel, N., et al. Saving America's Countryside : A
Guide to Rural Conservation. Baltimore and London: John
Hopkins University Press, 1989.
Tishler, William, editor. American Landscape Architecture,
Designers and Places. Washington, DC: The Preservation
Press, 1989.
Several publications available from the National Park
Service deal directly with the preservation of historic
landscapes. These include:
America's Landscape Legacy, Brochure, Preservation
Assistance Division, 1992.
Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Landscapes,
Preservation Assistance Division, 1992 (Draft).
Case Studies in Landscape Preservation, Preservation
Assistance Division in cooperation with the Alliance for
Landscape Preservation, 1995.
Cultural Landscapes Bibliography: An Annotated
Bibliography of Resources in the National Park System, Park
Historic Architecture Division, 1992.
Historic Landscape Directory; A Source Book of Agencies,
Organizations, and Institutions Providing Information
on Historic Landscape Preservation, Preservation
Assistance Division, 1991.
CRM, Cultural Resource Management, Thematic Issues:
The Preservation of Cultural Landscapes, Volume 14, No.6,
Acknowledgements
This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior
to develop and make information concerning historic properties. Comments on
the usefulness of this publication may be directed to H. Ward Jandl, Deputy
Chief, Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service, P. O. Box 37127,
Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. This publication is not copyrighted and can be
reproduced without penalty. Normal procedures for credit to the author and the
National Park Service are appreciated.
The author, Charles A. Birnbaum, Coordinator, Historic Landscape Initiative,
Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service would like to
acknowledge the assistance of H. Ward Jandl and Kay Weeks. The Olmsted
1991; A Reality Check for Our Nation's Parks, Volume 16,
No.4, 1993; Historic Transportation Corridors, Volume 16,
No. 11, 1993; and, The Interpretation of Cultural
Landscapes, Volume 17, No.8, 1994.
Pioneers of American Landscape Design: An Annotated
Bibliography, Preservation Assistance Division, 1993
(ISBN:0-16-041974-3).
Making Educated Decisions: A Landscape Preservation
Bibliography, Preservation Assistance Division, 1994
(ISBN:0-16-045145-0)
National Register Bulletin 18: How to Evaluate and Nominate
Designed Historic Landscapes; National Register Bulletin 30:
Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic
Landscapes; National Register Bulletin 40: Guidelines for
Evaluating and Registering Battlefields; and, National
Register Bulletin 41: Guidelines for Evaluating and
Registering Cemeteries, Interagency Resources Division.
Endnotes
1 The cultural landscape definitions are contained in NP5-28 , Cultural Resource
Management Guideline, Release No.4, 1994, National Park Service.
2 For an expanded list of offices to contact, see America's Ltmdscape Legacy
brochure. Free from the National Park Service Preservation Assistance
Division.
3 From Kelso, William, A Rqurt on the Archeological ExClllXltion at Monticello,
Charlottesville, VA , 1979-1981, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, 1982.
4'Lewis, Pierce, "Common Landscapes as Historic Documents," Lubar, Steven
and Kingery, W. David (eds.), Essays on Material Culture, Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington, IX, 1993, p. 138.
5 Meinig, D. W. 'The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene," Th e
Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes, Oxford University Press, New York,
1979, pp. 3348.
6 See National Park Service National Register Bulletins under Selected Reading
(opposite).
7 The Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS, has genera ted standards for
landscape documentation that they now utilize on a number of projects.
Specifically, a case study on recording historic landscapes is included in
Recording Historic Structures, pp. 206-219. See Selected Reading (opposite).
8 This is being undertaken with technical assistance from the Olmsted Center
for Landscape Preservation a partnership between the National Park Service
and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University that provides cultural
landscape technical assistance, technology development and training.
9 See National Register Bulletin 16A: Haw to Complete the National Register
Registration Form . Washington, DC: Us. Department of the Interior, National
Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1991.
10 Ibid .
11 The standards are general principles for the treatment of buildings, structures,
sites, objects, districts and landscapes. The treatment standards are one set of
standards included in the broader group known as the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preseroation.
12 The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for establishing professional
standards and providing advice on the preservation and protection of all
cultural resources listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places. For a copy of the brochure, The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the
Treabnent of Historic Properties, 1992 contact the National Park Service
Preservation Assistance Division (424) Box 37127 Washington, IX 20013-7127.
13 A visual information system, a computer-aided mapping program with a
linked database, has been developed for the historic landscape at the Frederick
Olmsted National Historic Site. Data can be accessed directly from a digitized
map such as information on each plant including identification, age, location,
size, condition, and maintenance history.
Center for Landscape Preservation at the Frederick Law Olmsted National
Historic Site including Margie Coffin, Lauren Meier, Nora Mitchell, and Charlie
Pepper provided invaluable support. In particular, the proposed rewrite on
preservation maintenance and historic plant materials was written by Margie
Coffin . Significant contributions were also made by Patricia M. O'Donnell, Linda
McClelland, Ellen Lipsey, Christine Capella Peters, Robert Page, Ian Firth and
Robert Melnick. Useful comments and technical assistance were provided by
regional NPS staff (Mary Hughes, Lucy Lawliss, Jill Cowley, Sherda Williams,
Michael Crowe, Robbyn Jackson) and staff at the Preservation Assistance
Division (Cheryl Wagner, Michael Auer and Anne Grimmer).
September 1994