Lower Vine Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Death Valley National Park, National Park Service

Hankinson, Mike; Cain, Cortney

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. Lower Vine Ranch, a property covering 1500 acres, is located on an alluvial plain on the mouth of the Grapevine Canyon. 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 a residence, garage, hay storage, blacksmith shop, corrals, reservoirs, roads, and a wooden bridge. The most prominent buildings, all constructed with redwood stained a dark brown, at Lower Vine Ranch include Scotty’s ranch house, garage, and grain shed. Scotty’s ranch house, along with the other out buildings, are simple, finely crafted structures in a bungalow style, a typical architectural style found throughout California in the 1920s. Although the National Register Nomination (1978) lists three contributing buildings on the Lower Vine property—Scotty’s ranch house, garage, and grain shed—the List of Classified Structures (LCS) has named eleven on the Lower Vine Ranch. In addition, the corrals located in the Scotty’s ranch house building complex, are identified as cultural resources that date to the historic period. The Death Valley Scotty Historic District is of regional architectural significance for several reasons. The choice of style for the Castle and Annex area is not unusual in California architecture. The particularly unique aspect of that choice, however, lies with its location. Because of the use of stucco and red mission tile on wood frame and concrete buildings, enormous amounts of building materials had to be hauled in to the isolated site at great expense. Construction with local, available material would have been a far more economic choice. However, concern with economy was not a major factor in the design. As has been stated so often, the structure would not have been out of the ordinary in Beverly Hills, but it certainly seems extraordinary at its site on the outskirts of Death Valley. The cultural landscape is regionally significant for several reasons. The choice of style for the Castle and Annex area is not unusual in California architecture. The particularly unique aspect of that choice, however, lies with its location--because enormous amounts of building materials had to be hauled in to the isolated site at great expense. Scotty's Ranch House seems extraordinary at its site on the outskirts of Death Valley. Today, Lower Vine Ranch 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. 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.

Lower Vine Ranch: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Death Valley National Park, National Park Service

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