Cultural Landscape Report: George Washington Birthplace National Monument

The following constitutes a two volume Cultural Landscape Report that 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. For almost thirty years, management documents prepared for George Washington Birthplace National Monument have identified a need for more information regarding the park's historic landscape and its extant and missing historic resources in order to improve management and interpretation. The 1966 Interpretive Prospectus, for example, states that interpretive programs at the park "must be based upon resource management of the highest integrity and knowledge. This will be particularly difficult due to the presence of non-historic memorial structures, the circumstances of their inception, the administrative history of the area, and the lack of a definitive archaeological and historical base."! This CLR is intended to provide the aforementioned historical base. It is also anticipated that the much-needed archaeological base will be provided by the comprehensive archaeological investigation currently being undertaken by NPS.

Cultural Landscape Report: George Washington Birthplace National Monument

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