Montrose Park: Cultural Landscape Report, Rock Creek Park, National Park Service

architrave p.c., architects; Rhodeside & Harwell, Incorporated; Robinson & Associates

In 1911, the Montrose Estate was purchased to become a public park, Montrose Park. The site was converted from a neglected estate into a park over the next ten years, largely the work of landscape architects George Burnap and Horace Peaslee, both employed by the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, the agency responsible for developing, constructing, altering, operating, and maintaining public buildings and public parks in the District of Columbia. The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) was actively involved with the conversion of the estate to park with Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., CFA member, charged with direct oversight. Burnap, working on the park from 1913 to 1915, retained historic features from the estate period such as the 500-foot long Rope-walk where rope was manufactured from 1804 to 1814 and the Summerhouse, while proposing new features such as a Pergola with Boxwood Garden, tennis courts, a circulation system of loop paths, and several detailed planting plans. His work became the basis for the park. In 1917 Peaslee designed the Entrance Ellipse on the mansion site with a new location for the Summerhouse. The Lodge was built in 1917. Management of the park was transferred from the Office of Public Buildings and Ground’s successor agency to the newly formed National Park Service in 1933. While retaining features from the estate period as well as most of the elements designed for it as a park, Montrose Park’s present state reflects its evolution. This Cultural Landscape Report proposes a period of significance for the park of 1911-1919. These inclusive dates mark the period of formative development for Montrose Park. The property continues as a park, heavily used for active and passive recreation as well as providing a woodland experience singular for an urban park. Park features include paths (designed and volunteer, formal and informal, from the estate period and the twentieth century), gardens, lawns, woodlands, play areas, and gathering spaces as well as a number of built elements. The southern portion of the park is mostly flat and open with some gently sloping areas with large canopy trees. The northern section of the site slopes steeply and is heavily wooded. In spite of some invasive vegetation and some deterioration of park elements from heavy use, as well as loss of some features, Montrose Park retains a relatively high degree of integrity. Also in spite of alterations, the park retains the character of its early years. Its topography, large trees, tennis courts, Lodge, Summerhouse, Pergola, and Ropewalk continue to be important to its landscape character. The proposed Treatment Plan suggests a balanced approach between reestablishing Burnap’s original design, while continuing to accommodate the current needs of the park. The CLR recommends preserving and maintaining all existing historic features, reestablishing several missing historic elements, retaining some existing non-historic features, and removing the non-original second tennis court at the Ropewalk. This approach will make Burnap’s original design intent clearer and will generally improve the condition of the historic landscape.