Cultural Landscape Report: Cockspur Island Historic District

Hitchcock, Susan

Fort Pulaski is one of the "Third System" forts built by the U.S. Army along the east coast following the War of 1812. Constructed in 1847, the Fort was eventually taken by the Union during the Civil War, demonstrating the superiority of rifled cannon bombardment over the masonry fort. This cultural landscape report (CLR) documents the physical development of Cockspur Island from prehistoric times through the beginning of construction of Fort Pulaski in 1829 to the present. A site history is followed by an evaluation of Cockspur Island’s historic and contemporary landscape characteristics, such as changes in spatial organization, circulation, and vegetation. A description of the current conditions of the property and an analysis of historical significance and integrity follow. With an understanding of the historic fabric, character-defining features of the cultural landscape are identified. The report then describes treatment issues and makes recommendations to direct the active management of the cultural landscape. This study provides the documentation needed to return portions of the Cockspur Island cultural landscape to a more historically accurate setting. The Southeast Regional Office (SERO) cultural landscapes branch of the Cultural Resources Division completed the study. SERO staff performed archival research, prepared the site history, documented existing conditions, and prepared comparative analyses, integrity evaluations, and treatment recommendations. The site history, existing conditions, and analysis and evaluation sections identify the historical values associated with the landscape, document extant landscape characteristics and features, and define the significance and integrity of the landscape. Treatment recommendations will enable the park to better manage its cultural landscape. Archival and existing conditions research was conducted during three site visits: one in July 2005, one in March 2006, and one in May 2007 at Fort Pulaski National Monument. During these site visits, SERO staff met with key park staff to discuss management issues and treatment concerns regarding the cultural landscape. During both site visits, SERO staff ground truthed and annotated base maps and completed digital photography as part of the existing conditions survey. SERO staff completed comparative analyses and integrity evaluations by comparing historical information—taken from the written site history and historic maps and photographs—to existing conditions data in order to understand how the landscape changed over time. The landscape characteristics and associated features, values, and associations that make a landscape historically significant were identified. Integrity evaluations used the seven aspects of historic integrity as described in A Guide to Cultural Landscape Reports and standards set by the National Register

Cultural Landscape Report: Cockspur Island Historic District

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