George Washington Carver National Monument: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, George Washington Carver National Monument

Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The George Washington Carver National Monument is located in rural southwest Missouri in the foothills of the Ozark Highlands. The park preserves the setting of the Moses Carver farm and birthplace of George Washington Carver, encompassing the original 240 acre farm of George’s childhood. The park, established on July 14, 1943, was acquired by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1951 and has been slowly transformed into the simple yet dignified memorial it is today. Features of the commemorative landscape include a formal, yet natural entrance way, a visitor center, nature trail, statuary and inspiring interpretive media, the birth cabin site, the Moses Carver late period home, and the Moses Carver cemetery. Moses Carver built a log cabin on the property around 1838, and later built a second cabin when he purchased a thirteen year old enslaved girl named Mary in 1855. In circa 1881 Carver built a third home known as the Moses Carver late period dwelling. This house was later moved by subsequent owners across the Carver Branch to its current location. Documentation indicates that George Washington Carver visited with the Cavers at this house on perhaps a couple of occasions. Land use during the Moses Carver period included farming and horse breeding. Of the 240 original acres, Moses Carver cultivated 100 acres, growing maize, wheat, oats, Irish potatoes, fruit, hay, flax, and rye. The remaining 140 acres were riparian woodland and native prairies filled with wild fruits, grasses and game. George Washington Carver spent his childhood years exploring the woods, fields and watercourses that make up the landscape. These resources played a major role in shaping his attitudes and values toward nature and humanity, and significantly influenced his later accomplishments at Tuskegee Institute. The park consists of four main types of habitats: grassland, forest, aquatic, and developed. There are two natural springs of historical and natural significance within the park: the Carver Spring and Williams Spring. The Carver Spring contributes to Carver Branch, which bisects the park from east to west. The Williams Branch originates at the Williams Spring, and flows westward through the park. With the exception of the cemetery, no above ground historic features remain from the period when George Washington Carver lived at the property. Due to the lack of detailed information and remnant historic features, there is insufficient information for the NPS to restore the boyhood landscape to the period. As such, park legislation directs the park to be a memorial to the life of George Washington Carver, and does not require a restoration of the landscape or buildings.

George Washington Carver National Monument: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, George Washington Carver National Monument

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