CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CRM VOLUME 25 NO. 3 2002 tie u^m Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Cultural Resources PUBLISHED BY THE CRM magazine's 25th anniversary year NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VOLUME 25 NO. 3 2002 Information for parks, Federal agencies, Contents ISSN 1068-4999 Indian tribes, States, local governments, and the private sector that promotes and maintains high standards for pre­ Saved from the Dam serving and managing cultural resources In the Beginning 3 Upper Delaware Valley Cottages— Thomas E. Solon A Simple Regional Dwelling Form . .27 DIRECTOR Kenneth F. Sandri Fran R Mainella From "Wreck-reation" to Recreation Area— Camp Staff Breathes New Life ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR CULTURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP A Superintendent's Perspective 4 into Old Cabin 29 AND PARTNERSHIPS Bill Laitner Chuck Evertz and Katherine H. Stevenson Larry J. Smotroff In-Tocks-icated—The Tocks Island MANAGING EDITOR Dam Project 5 Preserving and Interpreting Historic John Robbins Richard C. Albert Houses—VIPs Show the Way 31 EDITOR Leonard R. Peck Sue Waldron "The Minisink"—A Chronicle of the Upper Delaware Valley 7 Yesterday and Today—Planting ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dennis Bertland for Tomorrow 33 Janice C. McCoy Larry Hilaire GUEST EDITOR Saving a Few, Before Losing Them All— Thomas E. Solon A Strategy for Setting Priorities 9 Searching for the Old Mine Road ... .35 Zehra Osman Alicia C. Batko ADVISORS David Andrews Countrysides Lost and Found— Bit by Bit—Curation in a National Editor, NPS Joan Bacharach Discovering Cultural Landscapes 14 Recreation Area 36 Curator, NPS Hugh C. Miller Dorothy J. Moon Randall J. Biallas Historical Architect, NPS Assessing Cultural Landscapes 17 "Shall We Dance?"—Partnering with John A. Burns Architect. NPS Shaun Eyring the National Park Service 38 Harry A. Butowsky Jean Zipser Historian, NPS Between a Rock and a Hard Place— Pratt Cassity The Ramirez Solar House—A Holistic Executh/e Director, Archeology in a National National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Recreation Area 18 Approach to a National Register Muriel Crespi John R. Wright and Lori Rohrer Nomination 40 Cultural Anthropologist, NPS Mary Cullen Douglas C. McVarish Director, Historical Services Branch Exploring the Archeological Potential Parks Canada of French and Indian War Peters Valley Crafts Education Center— Roger E. Kelly Archeologist, NPS Fortifications 21 Managing a Contemporary Crafts Antoinette J. Lee Pam Crabtree, Douglas V. Campana, Center in a Historic District 42 Historian, NPS and John R. Wright Kenn Jones ASSISTANT An Investigation of the "Drive-thru" History—A Self-Guided Denise M. Mayo Brodhead Site 23 Auto Tour 44 Philip A. Perazio Susan A. Kopczynski This and previous issues of Mistress of Stylistic Blends— Sympathy Harmony and CRM are available online at An Architectural Pictorial New Architecture 45 <http://www.cr.nps.gov/crm>. of the Minisink 25 Barbara A. Campagna Thomas E. Solon Design and Imaging Cover: Clockwise: sign near Dingmans Bridge, Dingmans Ferry, PA in 1971, photo by Albert McCoy Publishing Services Dillahunty; sill beam replacement, Greek Revival House, Peters Valley, NJ; Delaware Water Gap, [email protected] where the Delaware River winds through Kittatinny Ridge, photos by Thomas E. Solon; and canoes at Kittatinny Point river access, view of Gap in distance, photo by Michelle Jacques. CRM is produced under a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. Views and conclusions in CRM are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government. Send articles and correspondence to the Editor, CRM, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW-350NC, Washington, DC 20240 (U.S. Postal Service) or 800 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC 20002 (commer­ cial delivery); telephone (202) 343-3411, facsimile (202) 343-5260; e-mail <[email protected]>. 2 CRM No. 3—2002 Thomas E. Solon vides direct access for the multitudes from metro­ politan New York. Manhattan is a mere 90 miles away. From a distance and seen from above, the val­ ley and park are a collage of farmscapes, rural vil­ In the Beginning... lages, historic structures, ponds and streams, roads and trails — asymmetrically divided by the winding Delaware River. Up close, the park is a rich reposi­ elaware Water Gap National tory of prehistoric and historic settlement - historic Recreation Area (NRA) was structures woven together by a tenacious cultural established in the shadow of the landscape. controversial U.S. Army Corps of The structures, landscape, and river are EngineerDs Tocks Island Dam project in 1965. From remarkable survivors. Quite remarkable indeed, the beginning, the park's enabling legislation's call considering that the origin of the river itself goes for the care and protection of both natural and cul­ back some 200 million years. In the latter part of tural resources was clearly at odds with damming that time period, the Delaware River was rejuve­ the Delaware River to provide water storage and nated through a process of geologic uplifting, thus outdoor recreation. forming the park's namesake, the distinctive Amidst public protest, many historic build­ Delaware Water Gap. ings were removed to make way for the dam. In the late 20th century, yet another "rejuve­ Environmental opposition and cost over-runs nation" was to occur in the Delaware Valley - the would eventually nix the project, leaving the restoration of the structurally damaged Van National Park Service to manage those structures Campen Inn, an imposing stone house with dis­ left standing. Still the dam remained on the books. tinctive Georgian and Dutch detailing dating back The threat of inundation facing the valley and its to 1746. This was an uplifting process of a different remaining historic buildings would not subside sort. A movement was initiated by concerned citi­ until the menacing dam project was officially deau- zens and National Park Service cultural resource Map by GIS thorized in July 1992. managers willing to look beyond the threat of inun­ Lab, Dela­ dation by the dam. The emergency stabilization of ware Water Here we are then, ten years after, and like the Gap NRA. free-flowing Delaware River that continues to run the Van Campen Inn was completed in 1984 and through it, this would inspire subsequent preservation efforts 70,000-acre parkwide. Backed by extensive inventories, condi­ Pennsylvania/ New tion assessments, archeological investigations, his­ Jersey preserve is toric structure reports, and Historic American "going with the Building Survey drawings - originally intended as flow." While not "record and remove" compliance - park staff were exactly what its cre­ well equipped to begin the process of preserving ators had originally what remained of the valley's cultural heritage. intended, as it To commemorate this 10th anniversary of the matures - the park deauthorization of the Tocks Island Dam, this issue (minus the dam) is of CRM looks at what has been lost and gained gradually finding over the last 37 years since the park was created. A equilibrium with recurring theme is preservation for public enjoy­ nature, park visitors, ment though reuse, partnerships, and resource pro­ and the surrounding tection. In the end, that will be a noble achieve­ communities. ment. On behalf of my colleagues at the park and Delaware elsewhere in the National Park Service, our park Water Gap NRA is a consultants, and partners, I hope the sharing of our linear park running collective experiences will be of benefit to the approximately reader. north-south for a Thomas E. Solon, AIA, is the guest editor of this issue of distance of 40 miles. CRM and is a historical architect who manages the office of At its southern end, preservation and design at Delaware Water Gap National Interstate 80 pro- Recreation Area. CRM No. 3—2002 3 Bill Laitner From "Wreck-reation" to Recreation Area A Superintendent's Perspective elaware Water Gap National ners as the Millbrook Village Society, the Recreation Area (NRA) is a spe­ Montague Association for the Restoration of cial place visitors enjoy nearly Community History, the Pahaquarry Foundation, five million times a year. the Peters Valley Craft Education Center, and the OpportunitieDs for recreation, the park's main Walpack Historical Society, just to name a few. In attraction, abound. There is boating on the river, addition, long-term traditional uses continue at technical climbing on the escarpments, hunting the Montague Grange and a few churches. But and fishing on lands and streams, swimming in saving individual buildings is not enough — we lakes and rivers, camping on both islands and must also preserve their context and surrounding shore, and hiking, biking, horseback riding, and rural landscape. Farmers help maintain open space cross country skiing on many miles of trails. That and the rural countryside by cultivating crops and said, the most popular activity is simply enjoying mowing fields. Without such dedicated partners it the scenery that surrounds the river. would be impossible to preserve the cultural his­ The Delaware River is indisputably the park's tory of the park. focal point. It offers some of the best canoeing, raft­ Huge challenges remain. We need to find even ing, tubing, and fishing experiences to be found in more partners to adaptively reuse many vacant the East. Its waters are of exceptional quality and buildings and care for the adjacent lands — for only provide very clean drinking water to 10 percent of with use will there be protection. We need to learn our nation's population. Of this we are extremely more about our cultural landscape and how to man­ proud. Yet accomplishing Congress's initial mandate age it.