Cultural Landscape Report for Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site: Updated Treatment Plan and Record of Treatment

DiMatteo, Samantha; So, Olivia; Mealey, James

Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, located in Massachusetts, and managed by the National Park Service, within the United States Department of the Interior. The 1.98-acre park is in the city of Cambridge, near Harvard Square and overlooks the Charles River. Established in 1972, this national historic site conserves the house and grounds that served as George Washington's headquarters during the Siege of Boston and later as the home of the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Between 1991 and 1997 NPS a three-volume Cultural Landscape Report was prepared for the Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters landscape. The report described the history of the landscape and the existing conditions, analyzed the significance and historic integrity of the landscape, and recommended a rehabilitation treatment. Following this, landscape Architect Norma Williams contracted with the National Park Service to complete a 1928 Period Plan, a 1998 Existing Conditions Plan, and a 1998 Landscape Rehabilitation Plan. Williams’s revised work was used to prepare construction documents to guide a program of landscape rehabilitation. The Williams Landscape Rehabilitation Plan was included in a thirteen-page 2001 flyer engaging the public and interested parties in the pending landscape rehabilitation work. A fundraising campaign to support the landscape rehabilitation was begun in September 2002 by the Friends of the Longfellow House. In 2003, Save America’s Treasures (SAT), a national public-private initiative which funds preservation projects, provided the NPS with a $200,000 donation, their first grant for a landscape rehabilitation. By 2007, most of the rehabilitation work was complete. Major improvements had occurred in all sections of the grounds, including the forecourt in front of the House, Alice Longfellow's small sitting garden, the East Lawn which has been the site of many events, and the Colonial Revival formal garden at the rear of the parcel. Treatment Tasks - This report carries forward two treatment tasks that were included in Volume 3: Treatment (1997) but have not been completed. Additionally, new treatment tasks developed in response to the findings of this report address a wide variety of issues including resurfacing circulation pathways, realigning the Forecourt elms to reflect their historic configuration, and the installation of lighting along the Carriage Drive. Several new treatment task recommendations relate to maintenance and management of the Formal Garden. These tasks seek to adapt treatment of the garden to improve sustainability and long-term stewardship while preserving the space’s historic character. Specific related tasks include evaluating plants to identify species that are consistently failing to thrive and replacing them with comparable varieties that are more promising. In addition, a permanent irrigation system should be installed to allow plants to thrive and reduce labor. Consistent with Volume 3: Treatment, this report’s treatment task recommendations are informed by a proposed treatment reference date of 1928. Record of Treatment - This report provides a record of treatment documenting physical changes made to the cultural landscape from 1997 to the present. This chapter includes an examination of planning efforts for the 2003–2007 rehabilitation project focused on the Formal Garden. Also included is a description of the funding provided for the garden rehabilitation project, including a Save America’s Treasures grant and the role of the Friends of the Longfellow House in raising funds. The record of treatment also includes an inventory of treatment tasks completed since 1997.

Cultural Landscape Report for Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site: Updated Treatment Plan and Record of Treatment

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