National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory Appomattox
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Table of Contents Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Concurrence Status Geographic Information and Location Map Management Information National Register Information Chronology & Physical History Analysis & Evaluation of Integrity Condition Treatment Bibliography & Supplemental Information Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Summary The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Overview: CLI General Information: Purpose and Goals of the CLI The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI), a comprehensive inventory of all cultural landscapes in the national park system, is one of the most ambitious initiatives of the National Park Service (NPS) Park Cultural Landscapes Program. The CLI is an evaluated inventory of all landscapes having historical significance that are listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise managed as cultural resources through a public planning process and in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any legal interest. The CLI identifies and documents each landscape’s location, size, physical development, condition, landscape characteristics, character-defining features, as well as other valuable information useful to park management. Cultural landscapes become approved CLIs when concurrence with the findings is obtained from the park superintendent and all required data fields are entered into a national database. In addition, for landscapes that are not currently listed on the National Register and/or do not have adequate documentation, concurrence is required from the State Historic Preservation Officer or the Keeper of the National Register. The CLI, like the List of Classified Structures, assists the NPS in its efforts to fulfill the identification and management requirements associated with Section 110(a) of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Park Service Management Policies (2006), and Director’s Order #28: Cultural Resource Management. Since launching the CLI nationwide, the NPS, in response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), is required to report information that respond to NPS strategic plan accomplishments. Two GPRA goals are associated with the CLI: bringing certified cultural landscapes into good condition (Goal 1a7) and increasing the number of CLI records that have complete, accurate, and reliable information (Goal 1b2B). Scope of the CLI The information contained within the CLI is gathered from existing secondary sources found in park libraries and archives and at NPS regional offices and centers, as well as through on-site reconnaissance of the existing landscape. The baseline information collected provides a comprehensive look at the historical development and significance of the landscape, placing it in context of the site’s overall significance. Documentation and analysis of the existing landscape identifies character-defining characteristics and features, and allows for an evaluation of the landscape’s overall integrity and an assessment of the landscape’s overall condition. The CLI also provides an illustrative site plan that indicates major features within the inventory unit. Unlike cultural landscape reports, the CLI does not provide management recommendations or Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 1 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park treatment guidelines for the cultural landscape. Inventory Unit Description: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a rehabilitated 19th century Virginia courthouse town and surrounding agricultural landscape that commemorates Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant there in 1865, ending the Civil War and beginning the peace. The village homes, outbuildings, and businesses formed a hub for county government dating from the 1840s. Of the 27 existing structures in the village, 14 have been reconstructed. The focal point of the village is the reconstructed Courthouse building, which now houses the Visitor Center. The village as a whole offers a cohesive experience of a rural courthouse town of its time, with narrow lanes surfaced in crushed stone and grass leading the visitor among homes, fenced yards, and outbuildings; the tavern, jail and store; small family burial plots; and orchards. Sweeping views of the surrounding pastureland and forested hills are visible throughout the village. Appomattox Court House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is noted for its association with the final battle of the Civil War and Lee’s surrender to Grant, and with the lives of Lee, Grant, and others commanders who served there. The period of significance for both these criteria is 1865. In addition it is significant for the distinctive characteristics of architecture for the ensemble of restored or reconstructed buildings in the village, and the values of commemoration and conservation expressed through them. The period of significance for architecture is currently noted in the National Register documentation as 1930, and for historic preservation as 1935-1940. The condition of the village core landscape is good. The village is generally well-maintained and retains integrity of location, feeling and setting for the rural courthouse town it represents. With a few exceptions, it also illustrates the materials and workmanship of both this 1865 period and the period of commemoration. Vistas within the park and to adjacent lands are somewhat more restricted than they historically would have been, but create the setting and feeling of the rural community in 1865. The landscape characteristics of the village generally retain integrity to 1865 or the period of commemoration. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 2 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Site Plan Site plan for village component landscape; see attachments for enlargement (PHSO 2000) Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 3 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Property Level and CLI Numbers Inventory Unit Name: Appomattox Court House Village Property Level: Component Landscape CLI Identification Number: 300120 Parent Landscape: 300089 Park Information Park Name and Alpha Code: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park -APCO Park Organization Code: 4180 Park Administrative Unit: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park CLI Hierarchy Description Appomattox Court House National Historical Park consists of one individual landscape, which includes the greater area of the park with its fields, forest, cemeteries, and buildings outside of the village. Within that landscape, the village of Appomattox Court House is a separate component landscape. The park is located in the Chesapeake Cluster of the Northeast Region of the National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 4 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Concurrence Status Inventory Status: Complete Completion Status Explanatory Narrative: The Level 0 information, initially gathered by David Sonka in June, 1997, was updated and incorporated into Level I. In the summer of 1999, the field survey work for Level I was done by student interns Fowler and Ong under the supervision of Brown. Brown and Fowler did the Level II field work in May and completed the report in the summer of 2000. Sams assisted with the editing of the maps. The park Cultural Landscapes Inventory contact is Ron Wilson, Historian/Chief of Interpretation, who can be reached at 804-352-8987. Concurrence Status: Park Superintendent Concurrence: Yes Park Superintendent Date of Concurrence: 12/14/2001 National Register Concurrence: Eligible -- SHPO Consensus Determination Date of Concurrence Determination: 05/29/2001 Concurrence Graphic Information: Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 5 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Revisions Impacting Change in Concurrence: Change in Condition Revision Date: 08/08/2007 Revision Narrative: Condition Reassessment Geographic Information & Location Map Inventory Unit Boundary Description: Appomattox Court House Village includes lots 01-101, 01-102, 01-105 to 01-109, 01-113, and 01-122. The village runs along either side of three roads that together form a triangle: Back Lane, Richmond-Lynchburg Road, and Prince Edward Court House Road. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 6 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park State and County: State: VA County: Appomattox County Size (Acres): 90.00 Location Map: USGS map of Appomattox Court House NHP Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 7 of 76 Appomattox Court House Village Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Regional Context: Type of Context: Cultural Description: Appomattox Court House NHP is a village preserved or reconstructed with much the same appearance it would have had in the late 1860s. It represents a small, rural courthouse town of the day. The homes, tavern, and other buildings are connected by a network of roads, with the main street encircling the county courthouse. Nearby railroad lines allowed for troop and supply movement during the Civil War. Around this settlement, the agricultural landscape of 19th century Virginia is represented through pastures and fields. Preservation of this village and