Fort Spokane: The Historic Landscape, A Design Proposal, Coulee Dam National Recreation Area, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, National Park Service

Gilbert, Cathy; Niedzwiecka, Renata

Established in 1880, Fort Spokane was one of the last military forts built in the Northwest. Its primary purpose was to maintain peace and settle potential conflicts between Indians on the Northern Columbia Plateau and white settlers arriving in the area. For over fifteen years the fort carried out its mission, creating a significant impact on the social fabric of both groups. After the post was placed on caretaker status in 1898, the Colville Indian Agency moved to the fort and established an Indian school and hospital. This facility continued for ten years. From 1914 to 1929 that same agency used the old post as a hospital for children with respiratory diseases. The Indian Agency left the post in 1929, and for the next thirty years, Fort Spokane was largely an abandoned site. Many of the structures and buildings were dismantled or removed during these years. For a period, local farmers used the grounds of the fort for cultivating crops and grazing livestock. In the 1930’s construction of Grand Coulee Dam created Lake Roosevelt, and the recreational use of the area increased dramatically. Finally in 1960, jurisdiction of Fort Spokane was transferred to the National Park Service which maintains the fort today as a historic site within Coulee Dam National Recreation Area. In 1984 a preliminary landscape study explored and identified significant historic landscape patterns, components and remnants that define the historic integrity of the fort. The purpose of this project is to build on that base and develop a landscape design that specifically addresses the readability of the historic scene. Although it is not the intent to reconstruct fabric, many of the key landscape components can be re-established or “drawn-in” relatively easily. Goals for this project include expanding visitor understanding of the site through enhancement of historically significant features, and expanding contemporary use of the site while preserving historic integrity. The project was conducted over a twelve week period and was divided into three primary phases of different lengths and overlapping time frames. The first phase, lasting approximately four weeks, included general research and a review of historic resources. A comprehensive site survey, in which all existing site features were documented, was also done during this phase of the project. The findings from this research and documentation are included in Part I of this report. In the second phase of the project historic information and base data from the site was mapped and analyzed. From that synthesis an evaluation of historic landscape components was conducted according to National Register criteria, and a determination of significance and integrity was made. This portion of the project covered approximately three weeks and is explained in Part II of this report. The final phase of the project, design development, consisted of integrating research, site data, and significant historic features into a comprehensive design proposal for the fort. The design is illustrated both verbally and graphically in Part III of the report. Specific recommendations support the primary design features and a preliminary phasing plan outlining implementation procedures is also included. The intent of this project is to identify significant historic landscape patterns and develop an appropriate landscape design for the grounds of Fort Spokane based on those patterns. It is not within the scope of the project to provide construction drawings, specific details, or cost estimates. Further, specific elements of the design as discussed in Part III of this document will require additional study before undertaking design implementation.