Richard L. Proenneke Cabin Complex: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Region 11 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The Richard L. Proenneke Site is situated on the southeast shoreline of Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The landscape boundaries encompass 7.2 acres surrounding an array of buildings, structures, objects, and natural features that are directly associated with Richard Proenneke’s life at Twin Lakes between 1967 and 1979. The Richard L. Proenneke Site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The site boundaries include approximately 3 acres encompassing a cabin, cache, and woodshed-outhouse. In 2014, the original National Register boundary was amended to include additional features that contribute to the integrity of the landscape including the north bank of Hope Creek, a portion of the shoreline, 5 stone levees, a replica of the Proenneke Chair and the site of the original Proenneke Chair. Since then, additional objects have been discovered at the Richard L. Proenneke Site and several deteriorating features were removed for safe keeping in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Curatorial Center. This CLI examines the integrity of the site from a cultural landscape perspective and provides an up-todate inventory of the physical features and landscape characteristics present at the Richard L. Proenneke Site (Branson, 2007; Hood, 2014). The Richard L. Proenneke Site has a particularly strong association with Proenneke’s life at Twin Lakes and provides Lake Clark National Park and Preserve a unique opportunity to interpret his life there. The Richard L. Proenneke Site is significant under Criterion B, for its association with a historically significant person, Richard Proenneke, and also satisfies Criteria Consideration G, for achieving exceptional importance within the past 50 years. The period of significance for the Richard L. Proenneke Site begins in 1967 when Proenneke prepared logs for his cabin on the southeast shore of Upper Twin Lake. The following summer, he built the cabin and began his legendary odyssey at Twin Lakes. The period of significance ends in 1979, one year after he appeared in the film Alaska, The Closing Frontier, advocating for the worthiness of the greater Lake Clark area as a national park. Although the period of significance is less than 50 years old, the Richard L. Proenneke Site has achieved a great deal of exposure through books and films and is significant at the state level for Proenneke’s influence during the ANILCA debate of the 1970s. Its areas of significance are exploration and settlement, and conservation (Branson, 2007: 4; Hood, 2014). Richard Proenneke had a profound impact informing the public of the majestic beauty and precious natural resources of the Twin Lakes area during the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) debate of the 1970s.

Richard L. Proenneke Cabin Complex: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

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