Joe Thompson Cabin: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Region 11 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The Joe Thompson Cabin is located on the north shore of Lake Cark, in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The cabin sits within the Portage Creek alluvial fan. The site includes all known historic resources associated with the cabin and Joe Thompson. The boundary encompasses .69 acres, which includes the cabin, cache, outhouse, woodshed, and trash dumpsites. The site is a historic vernacular landscape. Joe Thompson constructed the cabin and outbuildings in 1962. He remained on the site year round until selling the property to Lorne Simpson in 1972. The period of significance starts with the date of construction in 1962 to 1972 when Thompson sold the site. A Determination of Eligibility was submitted to the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in 2003 for consideration. The site was determined ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as it was not 50 years old, of “exceptional importance,” or an integral part of a district that is eligible for listing (Tobey 2003, 4). Though the site is now 50 years old and is associated with Joe Thompson, a skilled builder in the Lake Clark area, there is not enough information from the period of significance to compare the current conditions to those of the past. Therefore, this Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) agrees with the determination made by the SHPO in 2003. The site is determined to be in good condition and it is recommend that it be managed as a cultural resource. In 2010, park staff completed a rehabilitation project with reconstruction work at the site. According to the Secretary of the Interior Standard’s for Treatment of Historic Properties, rehabilitation is “the act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values.” The rehabilitation project in 2010 aimed to rehabilitate the site for public use; however, once on site, park employees not familiar with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards determined the outhouse, woodshed, and shed addition to the cabin had deteriorated past the point of repair and reconstructed the structures. The cache had fallen from its original elevated height due to rotten logs, but was restored during the 2010 efforts. The deteriorated logs were replaced in-kind. The sill logs on the main volume of the cabin were replaced, and the shed addition was reconstructed due to rotten logs. The original blazo can roof had rusted beyond repair, and a new roof assembly was installed with replica blazo cans. Character-defining features addressed in this CLI include natural systems and features, circulation, land use, buildings and structures, small-scale features, views and vistas, and archeology. Due to the lack of information pertaining to the period of significance, this CLI considers some of the features on the site “undetermined” regarding their contributing status. Enough information does exist to determine the site maintains integrity in feeling, setting, and location.

Joe Thompson Cabin: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

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