George Washington Birthplace National Monument: Cultural Landscape Report Volume I, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, National Park Service

Oculus, Contractor; FPW Architects, Contractor; John Milner Associates, contractor

This two volume Cultural Landscape Report has been prepared by OCULUS to further National Park Service goals of better understanding and managing the landscape of George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Established in 1931, the park protects and interprets landscape resources associated with Washington family ownership of the site, as well as other past occupants, features that have been developed to commemorate the site of George Washington’s birth, and a myriad of natural resources. Volume One of this Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) addresses the physical development and character of the park landscape as it has evolved since American Indian occupation. This information is presented in two chapters: a site physical history organized according to periods of landscape chronology, and a documentation of existing conditions. Volume Two provides a comparative analysis of existing and historic landscape conditions, an evaluation of the landscape’s integrity and significance, and a treatment plan that proposes long-term management strategies for the park’s cultural, historic, and natural resources. One of the primary goals of this CLR is to provide a holistic understanding of the evolution of the park’s landscape. The current and continuing interest of the National Park Service (NPS) in presenting an accurate and compelling account of the site’s extended history of occupation, settlement, and agricultural use, as well as the probable impact of the landscape on its most famous occupant, George Washington, is best served through a comprehensive understanding of this landscape over time. In June 1995, NPS developed a scope of work for Volume One of the George Washington Birthplace National Monument Cultural Landscape Report that included the following items: Volumes One and Two Attendance at a pre-project conference in order to: establish project administration procedures; coordinate proposed project activities; clarify and refine the scope and schedule of activities as necessary; review the available government resource material pertinent to the project; identify available community resources; and complete an inspection tour of the national monument; Preparation of a project outline based on initial research and early investigative efforts; Development of a minimum of two base drawings, produced using AutoCADD, Version 12, of the project area using available information and on-site investigation, on of would depict the entire National Monument, the other, the historic core area; Preparation of Volume One and Two of a Cultural Landscape report, organized as a series of sections. This Cultural Landscape Report for George Washington Birthplace National Monument was produced in accordance with the guidance offered in NPS 28: Cultural Resource Management Guideline, Release No. 4; NPS-77: Natural Resources Management Guidelines; Draft NPS Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Landscapes; NPS-10: Preparation of Design and Construction Drawings, Release No. 3; National Register Bulletin 16A: How to Complete the National Register Form; National Bulletin 18: How to Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes; National Register Bulletin 30: Guidelines for Documenting and Evaluating Rural Historic Landscapes; Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design; and The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition. The methodology developed by OCULUS to complete each of the components.

George Washington Birthplace National Monument: Cultural Landscape Report Volume I, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, National Park Service

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