Delaware Water Gap National Interstate 80 Pro- Recreation Area
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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 EngineersD 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 Buildings 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 through reuse, partnerships, and resource and the surrounding protection. 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 reader. approximately _______________ north-south for a distance of 40 miles. Thomas E. Solon, AIA, is the guest editor of this issue of 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 OpportunitiesD 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. We need to learn more about the plants and to “provide for public enjoyment of such lands and animals and natural systems in the park. The areas water” has been a tumultuous experience. Today’s surrounding Delaware Water Gap NRA are among park visitors were in fact preceded in the 1960s by the fastest growing counties (by percentage) in New demolition teams, causing local residents to coin the York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. With this term “Wreck-reation Area.” inevitable growth outside the park, the rural land- In preparation for damming the Delaware scape inside the park will become more and more River, the Army Corps of Engineers purchased and valuable as a “window” into a more rural, agrarian removed hundreds of buildings from within the past. We need to recognize growth outside the park area to be inundated. Delaware Water Gap NRA and work with communities to support planned was conceived in 1965 as a recreation area adjoin- growth and the preservation of park resources. ing the reservoir’s waters. Through a series of The National Park Service is committed to events discussed elsewhere in this issue of CRM, protecting and preserving these national treasures local residents strongly protested and the dam was for all times — so that our grandchildren and their never constructed. The national recreation area, grandchildren can enjoy and learn from them. however, prevailed, leaving the National Park Often there is a conflict between preserving Service to manage what is truly one of the region’s resources and enjoying them at the same time — richest examples of natural and cultural heritage. making sure they are not “used up” but not “lock- How best to manage these resources has been ing them up” either. We seek to carefully balance an ongoing struggle when the cold reality is that recreation uses with conservation of resources so there will never be enough money for everything. that these resources will be here in the future. One solution has been “conservation through _______________ cooperation.” Today dozens of historic structures Bill Laitner is superintendent of Delaware Water Gap are adaptively reused and conserved by such part- National Recreation Area. 4 CRM No. 3—2002 “The Minisink” A Chronicle of the Upper Delaware Valley aving grown up in northwestern New That none of us had ever written anything longer HJersey and attended Boy Scout camp at than a term paper seems not to have filled us with Pahaquarry on the upper Delaware River, I had heard trepidation. Luckily, we received guidance and assis- the stories of Dutch miners and the Old Mine Road tance in writing The Minisink from many individuals, as a boy and had visited the copper mines along Mine among whom three stand out: Nancy Shukatis, chair Brook on more than one occasion. of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners; Peter I also knew about the hurricane floods that had O. Wacker, chair of Rutgers University’s Department ravaged the Delaware Valley in 1955, remembering at of Geography; and the late Herbert Kraft, professor of least the gap torn by floodwaters in the bridge at archeology at Seton Hall University. Easton. Even something of the proposal to build a Nancy Shukatis was the driving force behind the dam across the river at Tocks Island seems to have reg- project. With deep family roots in the Minisink, she istered in my young mind, since the dam meant the imbued us with her strong sense of its history and nat- demise of Camp Pahaquarry. ural beauty. Her conviction of our chronicle’s value as Little did I know then how I would later become a vehicle for educating the general public, as well as involved in the conflict between those who cherished informing public decision makers about the impor- the upper Delaware’s Minisink* country for its history tant legacy to be lost if the dam were built, gave the and natural beauty and those who wanted to protect book its compelling point of view.