Cultural Landscape Report for Fort Hill, Cape Cod National Seashore

Kneedler-Schad, Lynn; Lacy, Katharine; Lowenthal, Larry

This Cultural Landscape Report for Fort Hill was initiated by a direct request from the Superintendent of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The park management staff were seeking guidance on the protection and long-term maintenance of the landscape at Fort Hill. It was also realized that a Cultural Landscape Report could inform the Development Concept Plan being prepared for the Fort Hill area in association with the forthcoming General Management Plan for Cape Cod National Seashore. Of particular concern was the need to balance the protection of landscape features in the open, eastern portion of the site (e.g. field patterns, stone walls, trails, and ponds) with current maintenance, safety, and visitor needs. When this project was initiated, it was assumed that the property to be addressed was limited to this formerly agricultural area. As the site history was prepared, was it determined that the appropriate boundaries for the study area should encompass all of the NPS-owned land in this area. Thus, the focus of this report gradually expanded to include the Penniman House property, the Red Maple Swamp, and the privately-owned Avery and Burrill residences. The development of the site history began with a review of the earlier historical and archeological studies of Cape Cod National Seashore in general, and the Fort Hill area in particular. Published histories of New England, Barnstable County, and the towns of Eastham, Wellfleet, and Orleans were examined, as were personal and family histories found in the collections of the Town of Eastham’s Historical Society. While the Penniman House and Barn have been well-documented through the preparation of the 1985 historic structure report on that property, there is notably less information available regarding the surrounding landscape. Fortunately, the curatorial collection of Cape Cod National Seashore includes an extensive collection of historic photographs of the Penniman House and grounds dating from 1880-1913. These were printed from glass-plate negatives found in the house when it was acquired by the National Park Service. These historic photographs, reputed to have been taken by Captain Penniman’s daughter Betsey (Bessie) Augusta Penniman, were very useful in the study of historic site conditions. The story of ownership and land use for the site was developed from primary source materials such as the records at the Eastham Town Clerk’s office and the Barnstable County Land Records. Replacement records for the period before the fire consists of donated copies of deeds and documents, and are therefore incomplete. Nevertheless, it was possible to piece together the chain of title for the site. The examination of records of the Massachusetts State Archives at Columbia Point, Boston and the Federal Archives at Waltham, MA was helpful in this regard. Changes in land use also were documented through examination and charting of the Town of Eastham’s assessors’ records. An understanding of the site after its acquisition by the National Park Service was gained from an analysis of the administration of the site. This was done using largely National Park Service documents, and interviews conducted with current and former Fort Hill residents, neighbors, and NPS employees. Based on the information compiled in the site history, and gleaned from the historical maps, plans, and aerial photographs, periods of significance were identified and illustrative period plans were developed. These period plans then allowed for a comparative analysis of the historical versus the existing conditions. The comparative analysis achieved the goal of determining the overall integrity of the site, and identifying character-defining features of the landscape.

Cultural Landscape Report for Fort Hill, Cape Cod National Seashore

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