Cultural Landscape Report for Gettysburg National Cemetery: Gettysburg National Military Park

Auwaerter, John; Curry, George

The project area for Cultural Landscape Report for Gettysburg National Cemetery includes the seventeen acres of the original cemetery (Soldiers’ National Cemetery) and the ﬁve-acre cemetery annex. The report addresses the context of adjoining properties, including Evergreen Cemetery, commercial properties along Baltimore Street, and national military park lands, to the extent that these impact the character and management of Gettysburg National Cemetery. The Site History emphasizes the cemetery’s establishment in 1863 to the present. The site history narrative is organized according to four periods, each deﬁned by changes in land-use, landscape character, and ownership: 1.) Before the Cemetery, To July 1863; 2.) Construction of Soldiers’ National Cemetery, 1863–72; 3.) National Cemetery System Era, 1872–1933; and 5.) National Park Service Era, 1933-Present. Each period includes an illustrated narrative of the physical history of the landscape and related contexts, and concludes with a summary overview of changes to the landscape’s characteristics. Note: A detailed account of burials in the cemetery lay beyond the project scope, yet the report does address the historical development and design of the grave markers. The Existing Conditions chapter provides a narrative and graphic description of the existing landscape, including its larger setting and operations. Existing landscape conditions are documented on a plan that is similar to the 1933-present period plan, omitting those features that have been added or removed, and including additional documentation on built and plant materials, operations, and adjoining properties. The Analysis and Evaluation chapter evaluates the historical signiﬁcance of the landscape according to the criteria established by the National Register of Historic Places. Recommendations are provided for updates to the National Register documentation based on project findings. The second part of the chapter inventories and evaluates the landscape according to National Park Service cultural landscape methods to assess changes in landscape character since the end of the historic period. The Treatment Recommendations chapter articulates a management philosophy for the landscape based on its history, existing conditions, historic signiﬁcance and character, and on park planning and current operations; provides general treatment guidelines; and recommends actions known as treatment tasks based on the goals of enhancing the landscape’s legislated purpose, historic character, and operations. Research for this report has been undertaken at a thorough level of investigation. These efforts have focused on holdings in the park archives, extensive prior research conducted by park historians and planners, consultation with park staﬀ, and historical documentation available online. The existing conditions chapter is based on ﬁeld inventory, the park’s GIS data, and discussions with park staﬀ relative to current issues involving maintenance, administration, and interpretation. The Analysis and Evaluation chapter is based on the 2004 National Register documentation for Gettysburg National Military Park that includes Gettysburg National Cemetery. Treatment recommendations were developed collaboratively, based on the ﬁndings of CLR Part I; national cemetery regulations and park planning; research on landscape treatment at other national cemeteries; and by way of through discussions with park staﬀ that included a workshop held in January 2016.

Cultural Landscape Report for Gettysburg National Cemetery: Gettysburg National Military Park

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