DOCUMENTING AMERICA’S The Intent and Focus of HALS Promoting this critical ethic What are historic landscapes? among future stewards and design Historic landscapes range from several thousand-acre LANDSCAPE HERITAGE Recognizing the value of landscape professionals mirrors ASLA’s own rural farms and ranch complexes, to several acre urban documentation, the stated purpose: “The advance of plazas and parks, to a residence with a yard less than an acre. The Historic American Landscapes Survey established HALS as a permanent federal knowledge, education, and skill in Like historic buildings, historic landscapes reveal aspects of In an effort to preserve, protect and interpret America’s program in October 2000. HALS builds on the art of landscape architecture.” HALS our country’s origins and development through their form, significant and threatened historic landscapes, the American HABS and HAER documentation traditions, Through their existing features, and the ways they were and are used. In fact, Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the National Park while expanding the range of stories that can be documentation programs, HABS, HISTORIC AMERICAN almost every historic property has a landscape component. told about human relationships with the land. HAER and HALS have educated Imagine a historic residential district without sidewalks, HALS documents the dynamics of landscapes, thousands of professionals lover the LANDSCAPES SURVEY lawns, and trees; an agricultural complex with buildings as HABS and HAER have documented past 80 years. but no fields, garden plots, or hedgerows; a densely populated unique building and engineering structures city with no park system or plazas; or a Native American and systems. Although the HALS program The location, duration and settlement with no gathering place, irrigation systems, has officially been established, the effort to complexity of HALS projects or animal corrals. comprehensively develop the program are determined on the basis of needs your support. historical significance, landscape Why should we care about historic landscapes? type, state of endangerment, and Historic landscapes are typically “invisible” to both the Teams of students and interested professionals potential partnership opportunities. public and policy makers. Hence, like many historic in landscape architecture, architecture, HALS works with the ASLA; state, North Family, Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, properties, America’s historic landscapes are subject to planning, horticulture, and related disciplines New Lebanon, New York; view east from left to local, and national preservation loss and change through inappropriate use, development, conduct fieldwork for HALS as short term right of the Sister’s Shop, stone walkway, and organizations; academic institutions vandalism, and natural forces such as flooding. projects. Guided by HALS documentation daylilies and hostas growing along the north side and other interested parties to of the Second Dwelling House; James W. Rosenthal When historic landscapes are publicly identified as specialists, the participants record significant and Renee Bieretz, photographers, 2009. develop projects and explore significant, unique resources they become “visible” and Stratford Hall, Stratford, Virginia; east garden and elevation of house; historic landscapes nationwide through funding possibilities for both short can be incorporated into local, state, and federal planning Jack E. Boucher, photographer, 1969. measured and interpretive drawings, and long-term efforts. and recording processes. Documentation of historic large-format photography, written narratives and other landscapes through research, photography and drawings Service (NPS) and the (LoC) documentation is crucial to their preservation. We must act now to record cooperated to create the Historic American Landscapes techniques. , Washington, DC; south lawn and façade of house through historic tulip poplar; Jack E. Boucher, photographer, 1998. our landscape legacy before it is too late. Survey (HALS) program. The results not only document What is happening to our landscape legacy? HALS is modeled on two existing historic resource significant The evolutionary nature of historic landscapes makes them documentation programs: the Historic American landscapes, but fragile and highly vulnerable to loss and alteration. Sprawl Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American instill a greater claims over one million acres of farmland each year. Road Engineering Record (HAER). Established in 1933, HABS understanding of widening projects disturb the rolling splendor of scenic comprehensively documents historic American architecture. the relationship parkways. Redevelopment undermines historic industrial Established in 1969, HAER documents historic sites, between land and landscapes. Modernization of urban centers impacts the structures, and objects associated with the development of history for the park and plaza master works of landscape architects from engineering, industry, and maritime resources. Growing participant and the the late-1800s to today. Incompatible development warps interest in historic landscape research, planning, and related community. neighborhood parks and estate landscapes. The collective stewardship, underscores the value of a parallel program story of these places needs to be captured and documented devoted to historic landscape documentation. To date the Woodlands Cemetery, for future generations. three programs have documented over 40,000 structures Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; view looking north and sites, with these records publicly available through the from house into circular Briarwood, The Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve, Saline, Louisiana; view of DOCUMENTING AMERICA’S Library of Congress. driveway and cemetery bay garden; James Rosenthal, photographer, 2004. LANDSCAPE HERITAGE background image background image beyond; Joseph Elliott, Tudor Place, Washington, DC; view through south portico of south lawn; Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; general landscape plan; photographer, 2003. Jack E. Boucher, photographer, 1998. Courtney L. Gunderson, delineator, 2004.

NPS_HALS Brochure Ravas rev.indd 1 10/17/11 6:04 PM Past Landscape Documentation Efforts Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, DC. While HALS is the first permanent federal program to focus on historic landscape documentation, it is worth At the federal level, both HABS and HAER have produced noting that examples of landscape documentation already some historic landscape records, while undertaking primary exist. Since the 1900s landscapes have been recorded at documentation of historic structures and engineering local, state, and federal levels, but never systematically. resources. Simultaneous to the Garden Club of America Beginning in the 1930s, the Garden Club of America efforts, ASLA members worked with HABS in the 1930s undertook an inventory and documentation of “gardens and on the Historic American Landscape and Garden Project, gardeners of the American colonies and the Republic before recording over 40 historic gardens in Massachusetts and 1840.” influencing the early landscape documentation efforts in This effort led to HABS in other states. Other HABS historic landscape the publication of documentation projects include and the seminal two- Park in Washington, DC and the volume Gardens of Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Since the 1980s, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Vermont; view from the east entry door across the veranda and the big meadow of the Billings Colony and State. HAER Roads and Bridges Documentation Project Farm and Museum to Blake Hill; Jack E. Boucher, photographer, 2002. Kykuit, Pocantico Hills, New York, garden plan;, Ivano D’Angella and Angelo Interest in Frederick increasingly have incorporated aspects of landscapes into Procaccino, delineators, 1991. Law Olmsted, Sr. their recording projects. HAER projects notable for historic Partnerships between HALS, private practice firms, academic and his park legacy, landscape content include road and bridge documentation institutions, and like-minded preservation and landscape inspired the 1983 in Acadia National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National organizations benefit all parties. Standard documentation Massachusetts Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Rock Creek and methods have been developed, landscape preservation Association of Potomac Parkways. professionals have been educated, and long-term relationships Olmsted Parks’ effort have been established. Consider the role that your firm, university to document the For more information about the HALS program, or to access or organization could play in the development of HALS. Could Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, DC; east and west history, design, and the HALS Guidelines for Drawings, History, or Photographs, they sponsor a project or offer support services? fountains; Meghan Clemmens, Anne E. Kidd, and Cal J.Mincey, existing conditions visit our website: http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp/. delineators, 2007. of parks planned by Mount Vernon Square, Baltimore, Maryland; http://www.facebook.com/ view of the with Olmsted, Sr., his Visit us on Facebook: Peabody Conservatory in the foreground; son and stepson, and HeritageDocumentationPrograms. Renee Bieretz, photographer 2009. their successor firm in the thirty seven The HABS/HAER/HALS Collection is available through the states. By 1984, the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division via the ASLA Historic Preservation Open Committee developed a internet: http://loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/. model survey form to assist with historic landscape survey and documentation. Landscape recording efforts have occurred on local and statewide levels, typically emphasizing specific landscape types and are completed with the assistance of community volunteers, university faculty, students, and specialized consultants. Some examples of the local Hale O Pi’ilani Heiau, Maui, Hawaii; isometric view, Edward Byrdy, and state efforts include the landscapes Khanh Dao,and Dana Lockett, delineators, 2003. of Syracuse and Rochester, New York; John Bartram House & Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Missouri; Chicago’s Burnham Plan; and general view of the stone retaining wall looking west towards Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley National Park, California; general view looking west; the house; Joseph Elliott, photographer, 2002. background image background image Jack E. Boucher, photographer 1989. John Bartram House & Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Meridian Hill Park, Washington, DC; view of Tassi Ranch, Grand Canyon-Parashant Monument; view of ranch house; Jet Lowe, photographer, 2009. landscape plan; David Calderon, delineator, 2002. cascade; Jack E. Boucher, photographer, 1985.

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