Going-To-The-Sun Road Historic District, Glacier National Park
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National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2002 Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Glacier National Park Table of Contents Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Concurrence Status Geographic Information and Location Map Management Information National Register Information Chronology & Physical History Analysis & Evaluation of Integrity Condition Treatment Bibliography & Supplemental Information Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Glacier National Park Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Summary The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Overview: CLI General Information: Purpose and Goals of the CLI The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI), a comprehensive inventory of all cultural landscapes in the national park system, is one of the most ambitious initiatives of the National Park Service (NPS) Park Cultural Landscapes Program. The CLI is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes having historical significance that are listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise managed as cultural resources through a public planning process and in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any legal interest. The CLI identifies and documents each landscape’s location, size, physical development, condition, landscape characteristics, character-defining features, as well as other valuable information useful to park management. Cultural landscapes become approved CLIs when concurrence with the findings is obtained from the park superintendent and all required data fields are entered into a national database. In addition, for landscapes that are not currently listed on the National Register and/or do not have adequate documentation, concurrence is required from the State Historic Preservation Officer or the Keeper of the National Register. The CLI, like the List of Classified Structures, assists the NPS in its efforts to fulfill the identification and management requirements associated with Section 110(a) of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Park Service Management Policies (2006), and Director’s Order #28: Cultural Resource Management. Since launching the CLI nationwide, the NPS, in response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), is required to report information that respond to NPS strategic plan accomplishments. Two GPRA goals are associated with the CLI: bringing certified cultural landscapes into good condition (Goal 1a7) and increasing the number of CLI records that have complete, accurate, and reliable information (Goal 1b2B). Scope of the CLI The information contained within the CLI is gathered from existing secondary sources found in park libraries and archives and at NPS regional offices and centers, as well as through on-site reconnaissance of the existing landscape. The baseline information collected provides a comprehensive look at the historical development and significance of the landscape, placing it in context of the site’s overall significance. Documentation and analysis of the existing landscape identifies character-defining characteristics and features, and allows for an evaluation of the landscape’s overall integrity and an assessment of the landscape’s overall condition. The CLI also provides an illustrative site plan that indicates major features within the inventory unit. Unlike cultural landscape reports, the CLI does not provide management recommendations or Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 1 of 138 Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Glacier National Park treatment guidelines for the cultural landscape. Inventory Unit Description: Going-to-the-Sun Road winds its way east to west through the heart of Glacier National Park, allowing visitors to experience – through driving – the mountains, hanging valleys, rock walls, and glaciers that make up the northern Rocky Mountains. Almost 50 miles in length, the road crosses several distinct zones of vegetation, from lake-filled valleys to an alpine pass crossing the Continental Divide. It is both the only link between the east and west sides of Glacier, and the only extensive automobile route in the park. As such, it defines Glacier’s basic circulation pattern and receives heavy amounts of traffic during the summer months. Because of heavy snowfall the road is closed during the winter, opening only after a significant snow-removal effort. The Sun Road is recognized as a monumental engineering feat and is designated as a National Historical Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Historic Landmark (NHL). Boundaries of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District for Cultural Landscape Inventory purposes follow those established for the NHL nomination, typically extending 30 feet from the center line of the road in either direction to form a corridor. The district begins 30 feet east of the T-junction on the west side of the park (at the southern edge of Lake McDonald) and continues to the eastern park boundary. The district encompasses approximately 355 acres directly surrounding the road; however, views from the road are integral to its function of making park scenery available to visitors, and thus are integral to its character. Going-to-the-Sun Road has National Register significant at the national level under criteria A (association with events that have made a contribution to broad patterns of history) and B (embodying distinctive characteristics of a period and method of construction.) The period of significance is 1921 – 1952. The historic district’s resources – the original roadbed, bridges, tunnels, culverts, retaining walls, and guard walls – were built in the “NPS Rustic” style. Individually, these structures are often significant examples of period engineering and design philosophy; collectively, they comprise a vital, integral component of the road’s unique character. Most of these structures were designed to harmonize with the roadway setting by using native materials and by blending with landforms as much as possible. Today, for the most part, the road retains its defining resources and is considered to have retained integrity. Construction of Going-to-the-Sun Road, by any standard, was a significant undertaking. Even today, visitors to the park marvel at how such a road could have been built and how well it fits into its rugged setting. The road’s basic infrastructure was developed between 1921 and 1932; at the end of that time, its entire length was officially open to park visitors. However, no portion of the road was considered complete in 1932. Reconstruction and improvement of the roadbed, bridges, drainage system, and rockwork continued until 1955, when the last section was paved in asphalt. Between 1956 and 1982 work on the road was limited in scope, focused mainly on routine maintenance and damage repair due to limited funding. Since 1982, when Congress passed the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, $28.6 million has been spent to reconstruct 24.1 miles of the road, mostly in its lower sections. This money was provided by the Federal Highway Administration for emergency repairs and priority projects. At this time the remaining approximately 26 miles are considered to need Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 2 of 138 Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Glacier National Park drainage improvements, slope stabilization, retaining and guard wall repairs, and roadbed resurfacing. Maintaining the character of these features is paramount in future rehabilitation efforts. The Going-to-the-Sun Road landscape has many contributing features, fully listed in the Analysis and Evaluation section of this Cultural Landscape Inventory. The road is notable for the fine stonework of many of its bridges, retaining walls and smaller stone features, for its tunnels, for its route carved into the side of the Garden Wall, for the imagination of its designers and the labors of its builders, and for the marvelous views it offers as it climbs and then descends the continental divide. Site Plan Plan view of Going-to-the-Sun Road, with significant features called out. Prepared for the Historic American Engineering Record by Tajda Ivanisevic, William Withers, and Albert Debnam in 1990 and 1991. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 3 of 138 Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Glacier National Park Property Level and CLI Numbers Inventory Unit Name: Going-to-the-Sun Road Historic District Property Level: Component Landscape CLI Identification Number: 890108 Parent Landscape: 890241 Park Information Park Name and Alpha Code: Glacier National Park -GLAC Park Organization Code: 1430 Park Administrative Unit: Glacier National Park CLI Hierarchy Description The Going-to-the-Sun Road was not divided into subunits, and for the purposes of the CLI, the road and its historic district remains as one cohesive landscape. Although the road is considered a landscape in its own right, it is located within Glacier National Park and managed in the context of the park's portfolio of resources and uses. The 1999 General Management Plan prescribed that road be managed to "retain its historic character and to allow opportunities for visitors to experience the park's magnificent scenery and historic character." It was placed into its own management area with the road itself designated as a visitor service zone providing support services and facilities. Day use areas with easily reachable destinations and interpretive activities are located along the road's corridor, and a backcountry zone focusing on protection of resources and natural processes surrounds the corridor. Cultural Landscapes Inventory