National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2009 Washington Monument Grounds Washington Monument Washington Monument Grounds Washington Monument Table of Contents Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Unit Description............................................................................................................. Page 2 Site Plan........................................................................................................................................ Page 4 Concurrence Status Inventory Status ............................................................................................................................ Page 6 Geographic Information & Location Map Inventory Unit Boundary Description ............................................................................................ Page 7 Boundary UTMs ............................................................................................................................ Page 7 Location Map................................................................................................................................. Page 8 Management Information Management Category................................................................................................................ Page 19 National Register Information Existing National Register Status................................................................................................ Page 11 National Register Eligibility.......................................................................................................... Page 13 Statement of Significance ........................................................................................................... Page 14 Chronology & Physical History Cultural Landscape Type and Use.............................................................................................. Page 17 Chronology.................................................................................................................................. Page 18 Physical History………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 55 Analysis and Evaluation of Integrity Analysis and Evaluation of Integrity Narrative Summary............................................................ Page 61 Landscape Characteristics and Features Views and Vistas......................................................................................................................... Page 65 Buildings and Structures ............................................................................................................. Page 70 Circulation ................................................................................................................................... Page 85 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................... Page 97 Topography ............................................................................................................................... Page 110 Land Use................................................................................................................................... Page 114 Spatial Organization.................................................................................................................. Page 115 Cultural Landscapes Inventory Washington Monument Grounds Washington Monument Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan Inventory Summary CLI General Information: The Cultural Landscape Inventory Program 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 150 Washington Monument Grounds Washington Monument treatment guidelines for the cultural landscape. Inventory Unit Description: The Washington Monument Grounds is a cultural landscape within National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA). It is located in Washington D.C. and comprises U.S. Reservation 2. Containing approximately 106 acres, the inventory unit is bounded by 14th Street to the east, Constitution Avenue to the north, 17th Street to the west, and the Tidal Basin to the south. The National Park Service assumed responsibility for the property in 1933, when the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks, and all the land they controlled, was reorganized under the administrative responsibility of the Department of the Interior. The Washington Monument Grounds was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places automatically in 1966 under the National Historic Preservation Act. An updated 1980 nomination concluded that the site possesses national significance, and is listed under Criterion C for its architecture, engineering and landscape architecture, with a period of significance lasting from1848-1849. In 1997, a National Register nomination for the L’Enfant Plan for the City of Washington, D.C. was accepted by the Keeper and found Washington D.C.’s Monumental Core, within which the monument grounds are located, to be nationally significant under Criterion A in the areas of politics/government, social history, and commemoration. The period of significance listed by this nomination is 1791-1943. These existing nominations inadequately describe contributing landscape features and so do not adequately document the cultural landscape. The most significant structure of the Washington Monument Grounds is the Washington Monument. This structure was listed as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1981 and is also listed in the National Register. Other structures located on the monument grounds that are also listed in the register are the Monument Lodge, the Survey Lodge, the Jefferson Pier and two U.S. Capitol Gateposts (designed by Charles Bulfinch). This CLI finds that the Washington Monument Grounds retains integrity for its period of significance, 1791-1943. While there have been some changes to the landscape, especially in circulation, and the loss of some features, the overall integrity of the Washington Monument Grounds is high. The period of significance for the Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape is 1791 to 1943. This period begins with the initial conception of the National Mall design by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, and continues through the completion of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in 1943 (CLR 2005:5-2). This CLI finds that the Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape retains integrity to its period of significance, 1791-1943, with all seven aspects of integrity represented. While there have been some changes to the landscape and the loss of some features, the overall integrity of the Washington Monument Grounds is high, and the existing landscape characteristics successfully invoke the historic significance of the property. The Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape is in