Cultural Landscape Report: Ohio and Erie Canal, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

STRATA Architects; Quinn Evans; SK Design Group, Inc.; Regions 3, 4, & 5 CR Historic Architecture and Cultural Landscapes Program

This Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for the Ohio and Erie Canal at Cuyahoga Valley National Park: 1. Documents condition of existing cultural landscape features and attributes along the canal corridor, including an increased understanding of the condition of canal structures. 2. Assesses landscape integrity and establishes a comprehensive list of contributing features and attributes associated with the canal. 3. Increases understanding of hydrological processes and other natural resources within the canal landscape that might be impacted by preservation maintenance or landscape rehabilitation efforts. 4. Identifies a preferred treatment approach for the cultural landscape. 5. Provides clear direction for accommodating visitor use within the historic canal landscape while complying with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation and Rehabilitation and implementing best landscape maintenance practices. 6. Proposes design recommendations for site treatment that protect resources and are compliant with ADA and ABA Guidelines for Facilities and Buildings; Recreation Facilities; Outdoor Developed Areas and/or Shared Use Paths. 7. Provides direction for managing vegetation that is impacting structures, slopes, and historically significant views related to the canal. 8. Identifies priorities for recommended treatment to address current and future visitor needs. Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s 2013 Foundation Document identifies the Ohio & Erie Canal as a fundamental park resource. The Foundation Document highlights the need for a “Canal Management Plan” to guide appropriate repairs, prioritize routine and deferred preservation maintenance efforts, provide recommendations for repairing hazards or making compatible code-driven upgrades, protect natural resources, and enhance visitor experience. This cultural landscape report builds on previous documentation and recommendations provided by a 2019 Ohio & Erie Canal History and Historic Structures Assessment (HRA) and 2009 Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) to document, evaluate, and provide treatment guidance for the physical landscape associated with the Ohio & Erie Canal cultural landscape within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The CLR fulfills the requirements of a Canal Management Plan. This report is being prepared concurrently with a Community Access Plan (CAP), which will provide overarching guidance for managing visitor use at the park and address new and emerging visitor needs to ensure a connection with and protection of key resources. The Ohio & Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832 as a 308-mile inland waterway connecting Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio River at Portsmouth. The opening of the northern division of the canal between Akron and Cleveland in 1827 was the catalyst for the agricultural and commercial development of the Cuyahoga Valley. The canal was a key component of northeastern Ohio’s transportation network for several decades. Approximately 22 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal passes through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, following the general north–south path of the river between Cleveland and Akron. Today the cultural landscape contains the remains of numerous historic structures, including locks, aqueducts, waste structures, and culverts linked by the canal prism and Towpath Trail.

Cultural Landscape Report: Ohio and Erie Canal, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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