The Landscape Garden As a Model for Historical
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"A WORK TO WONDER AT:" THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN AS A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION AT STRATFORD HALL PLANTATION by STEPHANIE N. BRYAN (Under the Direction of Eric A. MacDonald) ABSTRACT In the twenty-first century, many Americans are becoming increasingly disconnected from the heritage of place. Consequently, many American historic sites and house museums face persistently declining visitation rates. Numerous variables contribute to this trend, including prevailing methods of historical interpretation at historic sites. This thesis adopts the English landscape garden as a precedent and model to interpret American history in historic and cultural landscapes with Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, serving as a case study. Finally, this study suggests how the Stratford Hall landscape might be conceived as a 21st- century landscape garden, and how such a strategy might offer one way to reengage Americans with historic sites. INDEX WORDS: landscape architecture, cultural landscape management, historical interpretation, eighteenth-century English landscape garden, Stratford Hall plantation "A WORK TO WONDER AT:" THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN AS A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION AT STRATFORD HALL PLANTATION by STEPHANIE N. BRYAN BA, Oglethorpe University, 2004 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2011 © 2011 Stephanie N. Bryan All Rights Reserved "A WORK TO WONDER AT:" THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN AS A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION AT STRATFORD HALL PLANTATION by STEPHANIE N. BRYAN Major Professor: Eric A. MacDonald Committee: Daniel J. Nadenicek Tad Thomas Gloeckler Ian J. W. Firth Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2011 iv For my grandmother. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many mentors, friends, and family members, who have inspired, listened to, challenged, supported, and always encouraged me in my endeavors. I am truly indebted to Dr. Eric MacDonald, for the time and energy he has dedicated to this thesis. He has offered superb guidance and helped me in more ways than I can count. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge my committee members: Dan Nadenicek, Tad Gloeckler, and Ian Firth. Their collective wisdom and insight undoubtedly strengthened my argument. It is also important that I recognize Judy Hynson and the staff of Stratford Hall, without whose assistance much of the research in this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you to Melissa Tufts of the College of Environment and Design’s Owens Library for generously taking time out her busy schedule to copy edit early drafts of the thesis. I appreciate the enduring friendships of Tim Barrett, Richard Hare, Lian Li, and Kate Lincourt. Each of them has kept me grounded and provided much laughter along the way. And, finally, I am grateful to my family, particularly my parents, for their love and unwavering support. This thesis is dedicated to my grandmother, who instilled in me a passion for fine arts and writing. vi CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 Defining the Context ................................................................................................2 Stratford Hall as Case Study ....................................................................................9 Research Methods and Sources .............................................................................12 Synopsis .................................................................................................................14 2 HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION ...........................................................................19 Brief History of Historical Interpretation ..............................................................20 Historic Preservation in Twentieth-Century America ...........................................27 The Evolution of Historical Interpretation at American Historic Sites .................36 Current Practices of Historical Interpretation ........................................................39 Principles of Historical Interpretation ....................................................................47 A Critique of Historical Interpretation ...................................................................49 Historical Interpretation for Many and Varied Generations of Americans ...........53 3 THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE GARDEN AS A PRECEDENT AND MODEL FOR HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION ...........................................................................56 The English Landscape Garden .............................................................................58 vii Case Study I: Stowe Landscape Garden, Buckinghamshire, England ...................60 Case Study II: Little Sparta, Stonypath, Scotland ..................................................76 Principles Derived from the Landscape Garden ....................................................90 Conclusion .............................................................................................................95 4 STRATFORD HALL: A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................103 American Indians and Early European Colonial Inhabitation of Tidewater Virginia and the Northern Neck ...........................................................................104 Pope Era ...............................................................................................................118 Thomas Lee Era ...................................................................................................121 Philip Ludwell Lee Era ........................................................................................127 "Light Horse" Harry Lee Era ...............................................................................129 Somerville, Storke, and Stuart Era .......................................................................131 RELMA Era .........................................................................................................132 Stratford Hall Today ............................................................................................137 5 STRATFORD HALL: AN EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT AND HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION............................................................................................139 The Evolution of RELMA and its Mission ..........................................................140 Phases of Historical Interpretation at Stratford Hall ............................................145 The Evolution of Historical Interpretation at Stratford Hall ................................146 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................175 viii 6 STRATFORD HALL: OPENING A NEW CHAPTER IN THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................177 The English Landscape Garden as a Precedent and Model for Historical Interpretation at Stratford Hall .............................................................................177 The Stables, Stable Yard, Coach House, and Paddock ........................................184 The East Garden ...................................................................................................189 The Kitchen, Kitchen Yard, and Smokehouse .....................................................191 The Trails, Wooded Areas, and Fields .................................................................193 The Mill, Pond, and Landing ...............................................................................200 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................204 7 CONCLUSION: THE PROMISE OF RE-INVENTING THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN FOR HISTORICAL SITE INTERPRETATION .....................................206 Fattoria di Celle....................................................................................................207 The Spoleto Festival ............................................................................................209 ArtPrize ................................................................................................................212 Management Considerations ................................................................................215 Summary of Findings ...........................................................................................218 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................221 ix LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: Percentage of Americans Who Visited a Historic Site in the Previous 12 Months ......3 Figure 1.2: Rates of Historical Site Visitation .................................................................................3 Figure 3.1: The Pediment of the Temple of Concord and Victory at Stowe Landscape Garden ..64 Figure 3.2: The Palladian Bridge at Stowe Landscape Garden