Cultural Landscape Reports
A cultural landscape report is a comprehensive study of a historically significant place. Cultural landscape reports focus on four key areas—the physical history of the historically significant place; its present composition and condition; the National Register of Historic Places significance and integrity of the property; and the provision of tools for decision-making referred to as treatment that guide long-term management and the accommodation of contemporary needs. The foundations of the cultural landscape report include field investigations that allow for a deep understanding of place, and extensive research into its history that delves into not only documents, but also maps, and photos—both aerial and ground. Treatment is grounded in the deep understanding of the place and its historic evolution and associations gained through field investigations and research.
A cultural landscape report offers many benefits for historic sites, including the assemblage of an incredible knowledge of place in a single place, and guidance that enables decision-making on several fronts. The methods that Liz Sargent HLA uses to prepare cultural landscape reports follow federal guidance prepared by the National Park Service. However, the methods are flexible and allow for a great deal of leeway in determining the specific scope of work for each cultural landscape report that reflects the particular needs of the property. Before proceeding, Liz Sargent HLA develops a customized scope of work in consultation with the client. For every project, we also assemble a multi-disciplinary team that may include historians, archaeologists, botanists, geologists, historic architects, and graphic specialists, depending, again, on the needs of the property. Because of the extensive amount of research and other work entailed in the process, a cultural landscape report may take a year to complete.
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Cultural Landscape Report
Located in central Kentucky, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill preserves a utopian religious community of the Shaker sect that flourished in the 1800s. The land became a private nonprofit historic site in the 1960s. Although the property is carefully managed and maintained to interpret Shaker life, in recent years a cell phone tower was built on the 3,000-acre property. To offset the visual impact on the National Historic Landmark, we were asked to prepare a cultural landscape report.
Our study concentrated on the Shaker industrial and agricultural complex near the tower, rather than the core settlement. The industrial remains of a mill, headrace, and access roads were identified, tied to proposed thematic trails, and considered for interpretive opportunities. The agricultural land, which is little changed from 150 years ago, could continue to be used for crops or converted to native grassland. Our work recommended steps to preserve and restore historic views, such as working with utilities to bury high-tension power lines and buying scenic easements for nearby properties.
We also recommended that the foundation include a larger expanse of the property in its National Register of Historic Places documentation, in order to record historic features such as rock fences, original agricultural land, and archeological sites.
Project Credits:
Client: Environmental Corporation of America (through a memorandum of agreement)
Prime Contractor: Liz Sargent HLA
Angel Mounds State Historic Site Cultural Landscape Report
Historic landscape architecture sometimes extends to eras that preceded recorded history. Near Evansville, Indiana, Angel Mounds State Historic Site protects the remains of a large center of political, spiritual, and community life that thrived between roughly 1100 and 1450 during the Mississippian cultural period. The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which owns and administers the 580-acre property, offered Native American tribes a more active voice in future decisions about the site through preparation of a cultural landscape report.
As part of that process, we studied the site and its archaeological record and met with representatives of several tribal nations. We documented the landscape, including the 11 ancient mounds, settlement sites, agricultural sites, connections to the Ohio River, and surrounding forests and fields.
With co-management between the state and affiliated tribal groups, we recommended restoring native plants of ethnobotanical importance; establishing programs to interpret Native American lifeways; screening incompatible views; and providing low-impact interpretive walks for visitors to learn about the heritage of the property.
Project Credits:
Client: Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
Prime Contractor: Liz Sargent HLA
Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens Cultural Landscape Report
Mount Vernon, the famous estate of George Washington, has been owned since 1860 by the private nonprofit Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, which has always sought to preserve the property as it was when Washington died in 1799. However, maintaining a landscape takes active effort, and Mount Vernon has had to make changes to accommodate thousands of visitors every year.
To prepare a cultural landscape report, we surveyed the landscape around the historic mansion as well as throughout the approximately 500-acre property. We pored through historic documents and maps to identify plantings, walkways, gardens, and vineyards that were original to the period, as well as later additions or reproductions.
Instead of trying to reproduce features that cannot be well documented, we recommended new methods of interpreting the site to visitors, and developing new visitor accommodations away from the historic area. We suggested removing types of plants that Washington would not have known, and maintaining trees so that they do not obstruct historic views. In other locations, new plantings of trees that were common in 1799 were recommended to screen modern additions.
Project Credits:
Client: Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
Prime Contractor: OCULUS (later John Milner Associates, Inc.)
Historical Landscape Architect: Liz Sargent, while with OCULUS