BULLETIN Volume 12: No. 6 Cultural Resources Management • National Park Service 1989 A Technical Bulletin for Parks, Federal Agencies, States, Local Governments, and the Private Sector Making Technological Facilities NHLs Harry Butowsky n October 15,1966, President afford the Advisory Council on Control at the NASA Johnson Space O Lyndon B. Johnson signed Historic Preservation an opportunity Center in Houston, Texas, are still Public Law 89-665, otherwise known to comment with regard to the under­ active facilities, destined to be used as the National Historic Preservation taking. for research for many years to come. Act of 1966. Among the many reasons In the 23 years since the passage of The question now facing the historic given in the preamble of the Law for the National Historic Preservation preservation community—including its passage, Congress stated the fol­ Act of 1966, many scientific and tech­ the Advisory Council on Historic lowing: "... although the major nological resources have been listed Preservation, State Historic Preserva­ burdens of historic preservation have in the National Register of Historic tion Officers, and the National Park been borne and major efforts initiated Places. While many of these resources Service—is whether the designation by private agencies and individuals, are obsolete facilities never to be of these active facilities as National and both should continue to play a brought back into operational use, an Historic Landmarks is compatible vital role, it is nevertheless necessary increasing number, such as the with the provisions of Sections 106 and appropriate for the Federal Gov­ Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh, and 110(f) of the Historic Preserva­ ernment to accelerate its historic pres­ Pennsylvania; the Twenty-Five Foot tion Act of 1966, as amended, and ervation programs and activities to Space Simulator at the NASA Jet Section 101 of the act requiring the give maximum encouragement to Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, comprehensive survey of historic agencies and individuals undertaking California; and Apollo Mission properties. Sec full report inside. preservation by private means, and to assist state and local governments and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States to expand and accelerate their historic NPS Helps Charleston preservation programs and activi­ ties." After Hugo The National Historic Preservation Act established many new programs for both Federal and state govern­ mental agencies. The Act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to expand and maintain a national register of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology and culture; established an Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to advise the President and Congress on matters pertaining to historic preser­ vation; and in Section 106, the Act required the head of any Federal Agency responsible for any undertak­ ing to consider the effect of that undertaking on any property in­ cluded in the National Register and See photo story at the center of this bulletin. The Designation of Technological Facilities as National Historic Landmarks A Report Harry Butowsky he Historic Preservation Act of the Advisory Council on Historic sible. The comprehensive report was T1966 provides for the comprehen­ Preservation, the National Confer­ requested no later than September 30, sive survey of historic resources, their ence of State Historic Preservation 1981. listing in the National Register of Officers, and NASA, and the deletion As a result, the Man in Space Na­ Historic Places if determined eligible, of this legislative waiver from the tional Historic Landmark Theme Study and their protection under Section final bill. was published in 1984 and 25 historic 106, and in the case of National NASA's concerns date back to resources associated with the history Historic Landmarks, under Section September 8,1980, when President of the American Space Program were 110(f) of the law. Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 96- designated as National Historic Questions concerning a possible 344 that asked the Secretary of the Landmarks. (See CRM Bulletin, April conflict between these provisions of Interior to prepare a study concern­ 1986, "Man in Space: These are the the Historic Preservation Act have ing sites, locations, and events Voyages of...") The required follow been the subject of debate among associated with the historical theme up report, The Man in Space Alterna­ Federal, state, and local government of Man in Space for the purpose of tive Study, although completed in officials and private property owners identifying a possible new unit of the early 1987, and containing a series of for many years. This issue came to a National Park System commemora­ recommendations for the preserva­ head in August 1989 when Rep. tive of this theme, with special tion and interpretation of the historic Robert Walker, ranking Republican emphasis to be placed upon the resources associated with the early member on the Committee on internationally significant event of years of the space program, still has Science, Space and Technology, the first human contact with the not been officially released to the introduced a legislative waiver in the surface of the moon. Public Law 96- Congress because of NASA's objec­ fiscal year 1990 authorization bill for 344 also asked NASA and other tions. (See CRM Bulletin, Vol. 10: No. the National Aeronautics and Space responsible government agencies 6, "Man in Space: The Voyage Administration to exempt NASA's 20 controlling such sites to preserve Continues.") National Historic Landmarks from them from destruction or change In a letter dated October 2,1987, to the provisions of Sections 106 and during the study and congressional Secretary of the Interior Donald P. 110(f) of the National Historic Preser­ review period insofar as was pos­ Hodel, NASA Administrator James vation Act of 1966. While this action took the preservation community by surprise, quick response in the Congress resulted in the signing of a Programmatic Agreement between As part of our commitment to keeping readers up-to-date on devel­ opments in historic preservation, we will be printing articles on current issues and problems with an effort toward presenting different points of view, where appropriate. In this edition of the Bulletin, Harry Butow­ sky reports on how the National Historic Landmarks program manag­ ers are confronting the problem of owner opposition to landmark desig­ nation of technological facilities. In the next Bulletin we will cover the question of reconstruction. Our "Fort Union" article early this year stimu­ lated some interesting responses— 100-inch Hooker telescope of the Mount Wilson Observatory, Pasadena, CA, an international historical and we plan to share these. —Editor mechanical engineering landmark. Dominated discoveries in astronomy from 1918 until the dedication of the Palomar 200-inch Reflector in 1948. Contains many unique engineering features later incorporated into modern telescopes. Photo by Mount Wilson Observatory. 2 1989 No. 6 would delay or even possibly result requested the National Science in the loss of grants from the National Foundation (the granting agency for Science Foundation, NASA, and scientific funding in the United other Federal agencies. They all States), the Advisory Council, and believed that the application of the National Park Service to work Section 106 procedures to their together to reach an agreement that research facilities would place them would include mechanisms provid­ at a competitive disadvantage in the ing for a satisfactory balance between search for tight Federal monies with historic preservation needs and the other more modern facilities not recently expressed concerns by the subject to the provisions of current owners of the observatories about the historic preservation law. designation of dynamic operational This feeling was so pervasive that a facilities. spokesman for the University of On September 20,1989, Rep. Bruce Pittsburgh, the administrator of the F. Vento, chairman of the House Allegheny Observatory, informed the Subcommittee on National Parks and Board that the University was revers­ Public Lands of the Committee on ing its previous endorsement of the Interior and Insular Affairs; Rep. National Historic Landmark proposal Robert J. Lagomarsino, ranking for the Allegheny Observatory Republican member of the House 200-inch Palomar Hale Reflector, Palomar Obser­ despite its having been listed in the Subcommittee on National Parks and vatory, San Diego Co., CA. Instrument pointing National Register of Historic Places Public Lands; Rep. Robert A. Roe, to the zenith, as seen from the south. Remains the chairman of the House Committee on largest workable single-dish reflector in the since 1979.* world. Photo by Palomar Observatory. The representatives of the observa­ Science, Space and Technology; and tories were in general agreement that Rep. Robert S. Walker, ranking they would all welcome the designa­ Republican member of the House C. Fletcher stated that "NASA simply tion of their sites as National Historic Committee on Science, Space and cannot afford to become entangled in Landmarks, providing they were not Technology, sent a letter to the time consuming, protracted negotia­ subject to the provisions of Sections National Park Service Director, James tions over the status of planned 106 and 110(f) of the Historic Preser­ M. Ridenour, requesting that the changes to operational