Peaks of Otter Lodge: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Blue Ridge Parkway
Regions 1, 2, & 4 Park Cultural Landscapes Program. 2014. Peaks of Otter Lodge: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Blue Ridge Parkway. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 550209. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. NPS Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta, Georgia / CRIS-CL Database
Inventory Unit Description: The Peaks of Otter Lodge and Abbott Lake component landscape, one of eight component landscapes of the Peaks of Otter developed area, is located along the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 85.6 in the state of Virginia. While construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Peaks of Otter began in 1939, the Lodge and Abbott Lake component landscape was constructed from 1962 to 1964, with trails added in the 1970s, restaurant modifications in 1999, and improvement to the trails around Abbott Lake in 2010. Major features associated with the Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant complex include the Lodge, Restaurant, Gift Shop within the Restaurant and associated vehicular and pedestrian circulation routes around the site. Along the Abbott Lake shore between the Lodge and lake is a commemorative plaza dedicated to Blue Ridge Parkway designer Stanley Abbott. Additional features associated with Abbott Lake include the dam, a trail around the lake, and the structure interpreted as Polly Wood’s Ordinary, a local nineteenth-century inn and tavern. This component landscape is significant under Criteria A, C, and potentially D. The period of significance identified for the parent landscape—Peaks of Otter developed area—is 1939–1965, which encompasses initial parkway construction through completion of proposed developments consistent with early master plans for the site. Parkway design principles are conveyed throughout the developed area, including the Lodge and Lake component landscape, tying it to the broader 469-mile linear historic landscape. In addition, Peaks of Otter affords several of the key components that early designers considered important for motorists to experience when traveling the corridor, including opportunities for visitors to connect more deeply with the region through recreation and education, and to avail themselves of food, lodging, and other amenities
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Regions 1, 2, & 4 Park Cultural Landscapes Program
- Date of Issue
- 2014-03-24
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- BLRI , SER
- Keywords
- Abbott Lake, architecture, commemorative plaza, dam, food service, historic designed landscape, hotel, landscape architecture, lodge, lodging, master planning, mission 66, parkway development, recreation, restaurant, rustic architecture, Stanley Abbott, tavern, tourism, trail, transportation, Virginia