Cultural Landscape Report for Rapidan Camp, Shenandoah National Park

Hammond, John

The National Park Service uses cultural landscape reports as the primary tool to inform long-term management decisions regarding cultural landscapes. Research for this report has been undertaken at an overall “thorough” level of investigation as defined by the National Park Service NPS-28: Cultural Resource Management Guideline. Historical sources consulted include published materials, unpublished reports, historic maps and images, aerial photographs, oral histories, and personal communication. Primary sources include lease records, land survey notes, newspaper articles, local directories, and land records. Research conducted for the Existing Conditions and Analysis and Evaluation chapters include field investigations, review of existing GIS data and other maps, and personal communication with park staff and volunteers.Historical documentation, geospatial data, and field investigations, combined with consultations with park staff, volunteers, subject experts, and informants,have been synthesized into an analysis of the cultural landscape and the essential qualities that impact its management. This report is organized into four chapters,beginning with a detailed history of the evolution of Rapidan Camp, followed by documentation of the existing conditions in 2014, an analysis and evaluation of the integrity of the formal gardens with respect to the historic period of 1929 to 1933, and treatment recommendations for the management of the cultural landscape. Each chapter is supplemented by images, historic maps, period plans, and existing conditions and treatment plans.Chapter 1, Site History, documents in narrative and graphic form the physical evolution of the landscape from prehistory to present and includes pertinent images, historic maps, aerial photographs, and period plans. Chapter 2, Existing Conditions, documents the condition of the property and its resources in 2014 with photographs, narrative, and existing conditions maps.Chapter 3, Analysis and Evaluation, provides a concise discussion of the property’s historic significance according to the National Register criteria, and an evaluation of the landscape characteristics and associated features that contribute to that significance.Chapter 4, Treatment, outlines the framework for treatment, including the relevant legislation and management policies that govern the management of the property, treatment issues, general treatment approach, and an overall treatment philosophy. The treatment framework is then followed by specific recommended tasks to help preserve and enhance the historic character of the property.

Cultural Landscape Report for Rapidan Camp, Shenandoah National Park

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