George Washington Memorial Parkway - North, Visual Resource Inventory & Assessment: Spout Run to the Capital Beltway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Park Service

Schaible, Daniel

The Visual Resource Inventory & Assessment (VRI&A) was prepared to provide additional data and support the ongoing planning process related to the proposed rehabilitation and safety improvements along the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a nationally significant historic property. This project is being initiated by the National Park Service (NPS) in concert with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project, a 3R rehabilitation of the Parkway, spans roughly 10 miles, from the Spout Run intersection to the Parkway’s northern terminus at I-495. While planning for this rehabilitation began nearly 10 years ago, proposed treatment options raised concerns related to potential scenery impacts to Parkway vistas as a result of proposed changes to guardwall height. These concerns were raised within the NPS and with historic preservation organizations and the general public. Further planning was put on hold as a review of the 3R rehabilitation project’s needs and examination of other potential alternatives took place. In addition, an analysis and characterization of the scenic qualities of the Parkway was determined to be necessary to move the project forward. This study serves to help analyze and describe the significance of the Parkway vistas. An essential aspect of the project was to locate as much information as possible on the planned scenic vistas historically located along the Parkway. Vista preservation along the Parkway is particularly important, as the enabling legislation for the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), the Capper-Cramton Act, describes the need to protect and preserve the Parkway’s scenic resources “including the protection and preservation of the natural scenery of the Gorge and the Great Falls of the Potomac”. In addition, the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the nationally significant GWMP states that “The landscape values for the George Washington Memorial Parkway have always been the preservation of scenic and aesthetic qualities associated with the Potomac River valley.” Furthermore, in 2005 the U.S. Department of Transportation designated the George Washington Memorial Parkway as an All-American Road in the National Scenic Byways Program, in recognition of “This sweeping grand gateway [with] sweeping views of our Nation’s Capital.”

George Washington Memorial Parkway - North, Visual Resource Inventory & Assessment: Spout Run to the Capital Beltway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Park Service

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