Scotty's Castle: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Death Valley National Park, National Park Service
Hankinson M and Cain C. 2011. Scotty's Castle: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Death Valley National Park, National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 725096. NPS Pacific West Regional Office. Pacific West Regional Office/CLI Database
The Death Valley Scotty Historic District is an area of regional significance in the fields of 20th century architecture, folklore and social history, and of local significance in the fields of archeology, art and invention. The Scotty’s Castle complex serves as a reminder of the excesses of mining promotion during the early 20th century, the frontier romanticism connected with it, and the conspicuous consumption practiced by the wealthy during the 1920s. The architecture typifies their values. The district as a whole is closely associated with one of the best known and most colorful figures produced by the American mining frontier—Death Valley Scotty (Walter Scott). Lower Vine Ranch served as the residence for Death Valley Scotty. Scotty lived in the main residence between 1930 and 1952. He spent the last two years of his life living at Scotty's Castle when he became old and infirm. Scotty's Castle, a property covering 300 acres, is located within the Grapevine Canyon at an elevation of 3000 feet. The historic extent of the property is physically defined by a perimeter fence that was built by Albert Johnson in the 1920s. Several buildings and structures remain and are characteristic of a small, working ranch. Features include Scotty's Castle and annex, the powerhouse, the chimestower, guest house, stables, garage bunkhouse/hotel, entrance gate, and gravel separator. The building complex at Scotty’s Castle appears much like a small Spanish village, with a number of single-story buildings tightly clustered together and distinguished by red roof tiles and adobe walls. Although the National Register Nomination (1978) lists ten contributing buildings at Scotty’s Castle, the List of Classified Structures (LCS) names twenty-two including primary buildings such as Scotty’s Castle, annex, guest house, gas tank house, power house, chimes tower, long shed bunkhouse, stable, and entrance gate. In addition, several other structures such as the watercourse and the stone retaining walls at Scotty’s Castle may be considered contributing resources because they were built during the historic period and were part of the overall design scheme for the property. Today, Scotty’s Castle retains integrity and is in an overall state of good condition. The cultural landscape displays the seven aspects that determine integrity as defined by the National Register of Historic Places: location, design, materials, workmanship, setting, feeling, and association through the retention of the relevant landscape characteristics. Together, these landscape characteristics and associated features convey the significance of the historic site with the majority of historic fabric remaining from the historic period of significance, 1907-1954.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Hankinson, Mike; Cain, Cortney
- Date of Issue
- 2011-09-20
- Publisher
- NPS Pacific West Regional Office
- Units
- DEVA , PWR
- Keywords
- Albert Johnson, Archeology, Architecture, art, Bessie Johnson, Bunkhouse, Charles MacNeilledge, Chimestower, Death Valley Ranch, Death Valley Scotty Historic District, domestic, Estate Landscape, Grapevine Canyon, Guest House, Historic Designed Landscape, Invention, Landscape architecture, Matt Roy Thompson, Mining, Mission Revival Style, Paiute, Powerhouse, ranches, Recreation, residential, Social History, stables, Steiniger Ranch, Tilework, Timbisha Shoshone, Upper Grapevine Ranch, Upper Vine, Walter Scott
- Subjects
- CRIS-CL: 725096: Scotty's Castle (725096)