National Park Service National Register Bulletin U.S. Department of the Interior Clemson Universlti 3 1604 015 469 572 [ 29.9/2:H 62/7 HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL SUBURBS GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES W»A/> ^ City of Portland T leu MAM- \ta '/• H a [rj«-« : National Register Bulletin HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL SUBURBS GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES David L. Ames, University of Delaware Linda Flint McClelland, National Park Service September 2002 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Above: Monte Vista School (T931), Albuquerque, New Mexico. In keeping with formal Beaux Arts pnnciples of planning, the Spanish Colonial Revival school was designed as an architectural landmark marking the entrance to the Monte Vista and College View neighborhoods. (Photo by Kathleen Breaker, courtesy New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs) Inside front cover and title page: Plat (c. 1892) and Aerial View (1920), Ladd's Addition, Portland, Oregon. Platted as a streetcar suburb at the beginning of the City Beautiful movement, Ladd's Addition represents one of the earliest documented cases of a garden suburb with a complex, radial plan. (Plat and photograph courtesy Oregon Historical Society, negs. 80838 and 39917) ii National Register Bulletin Foreword America's Historic Suburbs for the made by many nomination preparers body of literature on The National Register of Historic Places," to the understanding of suburbaniza- America's suburbanization is which was circulated for review and tion in the United States. vast and growing, covering many dis- comment in fall of 1998. In response Considerable discussion has sur- ciplines and reflecting diverse opin- to the many comments received, we rounded the selection of an inclusive ions. This bulletin attempts to bring broadened our literature search to set of dates covering the historic peri- together information about current additional related areas and expand- od of America's suburbanization. The scholarship and preservation practice ed the project beyond its original dates 1830-1960 should be used as a relating to the history of suburban scope. The conceptual framework of general guide and adjusted to accom- neighborhoods in the United States. chronological periods based on modate local historical events and The focus of this bulletin is the iden- developments in transportation tech- associations. In keeping with ad- tification, evaluation, and registration nology and subdivision planning and vances in transportation technology, of residential historic districts and the contextually-based survey meth- the organizing framework for the associated suburban resources, such odology introduced by Dr. Ames, suburbanization context, we have as schools and shopping centers. The however, remain at the core of the used 1830, the date of the introduc- information and methodology should current bulletin and multiple proper- tion of the steam-powered locomo- also be useful in understanding the ty form. We believe they represent a tive, for the purposes of this bulletin. significance of other resources that sound and useful approach for evalu- i960 was selected as a logical closing have shaped the metropolitan land- ating the nation's rich legacy of sub- date based on the current literature scape, such as parkways and public urban properties. that provides a historical assessment water systems. We greatly appreciate the of twentieth-century suburbanization The bulletin has been developed in comments and recommendations and for the practical purposes of con- tandem with a national multiple offered by the bulletin's many review- textual development and field sur- property listing entitled "Historic ers and the contributions of many veys. The history of specific local and Residential Suburbs in the United other scholars and practitioners metropolitan areas may support States, 1830-1960, MPS" under which involved in the study of suburban other dates that better reflect local related properties may be listed in the neighborhoods across the nation. patterns and trends. While we recog- National Register of Historic Places. Comments came from people repre- nize the potential exceptional signifi- Because the context for suburbaniza- senting different professional disci- cance of planned new towns such as tion, which forms Section E of the plines and various points of view, Columbia, Maryland, and Reston, Multiple Property Documentation indicating a wide range of opinion on Virginia, and model planned unit Form, brings together diverse infor- how the topic should be approached developments (called "PUDs"), and mation nowhere else available in a for National Register purposes. We their roots in the American Garden single source, a condensed version carefully considered all recommenda- City movement, addressing them is has been included in this bulletin to tions in determining the final format beyond the scope of this bulletin. enhance its usefulness. Both the bul- of the bulletin and in deciding what Suburbs are of great interest to letin and multiple property form are subjects to include in the final text. scholars of the American landscape intended to encourage the expansion The impressive number of residen- and built environment and have of existing historic resources surveys, tial historic districts listed in the design significance in several areas, foster the development of local and National Register of Historic Places including community planning and metropolitan suburbanization con- since 1966 attests to the wealth of pro- development, architecture, and land- texts, and facilitate the nomination of fessional expertise in State historic scape architecture. Suburban neigh- residential historic districts and other preservation programs and elsewhere borhoods were generally platted, sub- suburban resources to the National in the preservation field, and the divided, and developed according to a Register. increasing popular interest in recog- plan and often laid out according to The National Park Service is great- nizing and preserving historic neigh- professional principles of design ly indebted to Professor David L. borhoods. We have relied heavily on practiced by planners and landscape Ames of the Center for Historic National Register documentation as a architects. For these reasons, this bul- Architecture and Design, University source of information about letin puts forth a landscape approach, of Delaware, for drawing our atten- American suburbs and as verification consistent with that presented in ear- tion to the rich history of America's of the broad national patterns docu- lier National Register bulletins on suburbs, and for producing "A Con- mented by current literary sources. designed and rural historic districts, text and Guidelines for Evaluating We acknowledge the contributions but adapted to the special character- HiSTORic Residential Suburbs iii istics of suburban neighborhoods. New technologies are rapidly histories of the programs that created The landscape approach presented changing the ways we gather data them to be told elsewhere. Selected here is based on an understanding about historic neighborhoods and bibliographical entries for these that suburban neighborhoods pos- the ways in which we carry out sur- kinds of communities are included in sess important landscape characteris- veys. The increasing availability of the list of recommended reading tics and typically took form in a computerized databases offering a materials. three-layered process: selection of wealth of detailed tax assessment and Every effort has been made to location; platting and layout; and planning information, coupled with provide the most up-to-date list of design of the house and yard. advances in Geographical Inform- sources of information. These Surveying and evaluating residential ation Systems (GIS), are making it include materials currently in print historic districts as cultural landscapes possible to assemble information or likely available in a strong central will better equip preservationists to about large numbers of residential or university library or through a recognize these important places as subdivisions and to plot this informa- library loan program. With the having multiple aspects of social and tion in the form of detailed property upsurge of interest among scholars in design history, identify significant val- lists and survey maps. We encourage suburbanization in recent years, the ues and characteristics, and assist in the use of these new tools and recog- body of literature is expanding rapid- planning their preservation. nize their value in managing informa- ly. We apologize for any omissions We have profiled the roles of real tion about suburban development, and continue to welcome your rec- estate developers, town planners, organizing surveys, and providing a ommendations for new bibliographi- architects, and landscape architects, comparative basis for evaluation. cal sources that can be included in so that the contributions of each These advances are particularly wel- future revisions. profession to the design of suburban come at a time when many communi- America will be recognized and in ties are just beginning to examine Carol. D. Shull hopes that future nominations will their extensive legacy of post-World Keeper of the document similar contributions and War II suburbs. The lack of experi- National Register of Historic Places recognize important