Reinterpreting the Cultural Landscape Of

Kevin Risk RginUrmttimilw Cidtiwml Lmul^^ye ddmtnutU BMihkdAt LmtAp&yg- Management Strafegte/ isr Piirlvjf wiilY Mn tkbph Lawi'jf d Hiji&n Introduction ites which contain multiple layers of material history often do not conform to the established methodology for analyzing cultural land scapes. Such landscapes may contain historic resources—buildings, Sroads, vegetation—from multiple eras which are only loosely related developmentally. As a result, these landscapes may exhibit multiple and overlapping periods of significance. The degree of historical integrity the landscape retains from its primary period of significance may be weak, sug gesting that conventional restoration is unfeasible or ill-advised. This does not preclude the possibility, however, of an ecologically informed and creative landscape rehabilitation, which draws inspiration from historic documenta tion while addressing contemporary interpretive and management concerns. A cultural landscape report prepared for the Chalmette Battlefield and Na tional Cemetery Site during 1998-1999 provides interesting insights into such a rehabilitation and some innovative management strategies that could easily be adapted to other sites with multiple layers of history. Site Context and History utility rights-of-way, separates the Chalmette Battlefield and Na park from the St. Bernard Highway tional Cemetery Site is administered (Louisiana State Highway 46). The by the National Park Service as a mammoth refinery and waste site of management unit of Jean Lafitte Na the former Kaiser Aluminum and tional Historical Park and Preserve. Chemical Corporation bounds the The park is located in St. Bernard park to the east; Chalmette Slip, a Parish, Louisiana, approximately six ship docking and storage facility, miles southeast of downtown New bounds the park to the west. A serv Orleans in a highly industrialized ice road along the landward toe of corridor along the east bank of the the levee provides cross-park access Mississippi River (Figure 1). The between the neighboring industrial property is bounded to the south by properties. A 1.5-acre sewage treat a broadly concave arc of the river and ment facility, owned by St. Bernard by its adjacent levee, which is main Parish, stands as a conspicuous in- tained and administered by the Army holding at the southern end of the Corps of Engineers. To the north, an battlefield. approximately 200-foot-wide strip, The 142.9-acre park includes the containing highway, railroad, and commemorative battlefield and the Volume 16 • Number 4 1999 121 Figure 1. Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery: Existing conditions and site context. adjacent Chalmette National Ceme 1812. The cemetery was established tery, a designed landscape which in 1864 for the interment of Union occupies a portion of the former bat soldiers killed during the Civil War tlefield (see Figure 1). The battlefield in Louisiana. The 17.3-acre ceme property serves to commemorate the tery is set apart from the battlefield Battle of New Orleans and to inter within a brick-walled enclosure along pret the strategy of this decisive the park's eastern edge. American victory during the War of Both the battlefield and cemetery 122 The George Wright FORUM occupy land that belonged to the architecturally noteworthy summer historic Chalmette and Rodriguez residence built in 1833, and archaeo plantations. It was on these two logical resources related to post-bat properties that the primary action of tle land use and subdivision. For ex the Battle of New Orleans—the last ample, a trace of Fazendeville Road, engagement of the War of 1812—was a remnant of the free black subdivi fought, on 8 January 1815. During sion of Fazendeville that existed on the battle, British troops advanced site from the late nineteenth century westward across the fields of Chal until 1964, remains within park mette Plantation, attacking the boundaries. The interpretation of American troops entrenched behind these non-battle-related features has a canal on the eastern boundary of proven problematic to the park's the neighboring Rodriguez Planta primary mission of interpreting the tion. The two-hour battle was an im battlefield landscape, yet these fea pressive victory for General Andrew tures hold historical, cultural, and Jackson and his outnumbered troops ethnographical significance in their over British forces seeking to capture own right. The cultural landscape New Orleans from the east. The report was developed, in part, to ad victory solidified American claims to dress this issue. the Louisiana Purchase and bol stered Jackson's popularity, helping Project Description— to catapult him to national promi The Cultural Landscape Report nence. A cultural landscape report is a The commemorative battlefield research document that (1) records contains a number of features associ the existing and historic conditions ated with the Battle of New Orleans: of a cultural landscape; (2) analyzes the Rodriguez Canal, which served the integrity and historical signifi as the line of entrenchment for Jack cance of that landscape against es son's troops; the partially recon tablished National Register criteria; structed American rampart and ar and (3) provides treatment recom tillery batteries; the site of the British mendations for managing the cultural attack and advance batteries; the landscape in light of historical Rodriguez Plantation archeological documentation and contemporary site; Chalmette Monument, erected management concerns. For the in 1855 to commemorate the Ameri Chalmette site, the overall goal of can victory; and Spotts Marker, historical research was to trace the erected in the 1890s to memorialize history and evolution of the various First Lieutenant Samuel Spotts's role land parcels that compose the con in the battle. However, the battlefield temporary park. Significant periods' also contains significant features not of change in the landscape were connected with the battle, notably documented, including investigation the Malus-Beauregard House, an of the site's pre-battlefield landscape Volume 16 • Number 4 1999 123 (plantation agriculture to 1815); the in the nineteenth century. Conse battlefield scene (1814-1815); Chal- quently, the woodland swamp zone mette's post-battle history of subdivi that exists today does not contain sion and private ownership (1815- cypress trees and only loosely ap 1964); and the battlefield's long his proximates, for interpretive pur tory of private and public commemo poses, the original swamp. The levee ration (1840-present). The historical has blocked views of the Mississippi research findings were compared River to the south. with the park's existing landscape in Because of the relatively small size order to assess what resources re of the site, the battlefield setting is mained from both the battle-era noticeably interrupted by the pres landscape and from latter cultural ence of non-contributing park-era overlays. Treatment recommenda infrastructure, especially the visitor tions were then devised to suggest tour road, which circumscribes a how the park's landscape resources portion of the central battlefield, and could most effectively be treated and the complex of the visitor center, interpreted in the future. comfort station, and parking area. The tour road introduces automo Problems and biles into the battlefield setting and Management Issues hinders understanding of the recti The battlefield's natural setting linear land patterns that prevailed at has been dramatically altered by sur the time of the battle. The visitor rounding industrialization, which center, parking area, and comfort has erased the formerly rural, agri station are clustered in unfortunate cultural context. In addition, pro proximity to the Chalmette Monu gressive reinforcements of the levee ment and Rodriguez archeological have severed the landscape from its site. Though not owned by the park, connection with the river. The pres the St. Bernard sewage treatment ence of a highway and railroad to the plant also intrudes into the battlefield north of the park has further altered landscape. The Malus-Beauregard the distinctive spatial character of the House, a post-battle era construc former battlefield land. Strategically tion, poses yet another interpretive open view lines, across the once challenge to the park; its anachronis sweeping Chalmette Plain and along tic presence at the southern end of the curve of the river, have been the battlefield confounds a clear un blocked by industrial infrastructure derstanding of the historic scene. or wooded buffer zones to the east and west of the park. The cypress Summary of Findings swamp, which spatially defined the Given the highly industrialized northern extent of the battlefield and context of its surroundings, Chal- played a critical role in Jackson's mette's landscape is not readily legi battle strategy, was lost to timbering ble to the uninformed visitor; and it 124 The George Wright FORUM bears only the loosest resemblance to recommendations also propose the the landscape that existed at the time removal or relocation of the park-era of the Battle of New Orleans. Fur infrastructure that compromises the thermore, the site's connection to the spatial integrity and understanding of Mississippi River and to a broader the historic battlefield landscape. regional context—information critical The riverfront was treated as a sepa for understanding the site's early de rate management zone because of its velopment

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