Mission 66 Entrances: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Joshua Tree National Park

Regions 8, 9, 10, & 12 Park Cultural Landscapes Program; Hennebery Eddy Architects

Joshua Tree National Park began as a largely undeveloped desert wilderness monument. Visitors were desert pioneers traveling on dirt rut roads to primitive camp sites with little to no contact with park staff. The Mission 66 era of development within the National Park Service brought the first planned development to the then Joshua Tree National Monument with a focus on improving the visitor experience and providing appropriate visitor services while conserving the park's natural and cultural resources. In 1962, funding was allocated to improving roads. Along with improvements to road surfaces, safer road conditions, shoulders, and restoration of the landscape, monument signs were designed for the three entrances to the park. Located on the main park road from Twentynine Palms (North Entrance) and Joshua Tree (West Entrance), and on Cottonwood Springs Rd. from the highway south of the park (South Entrance), the modern style monument signs were intended to denote the official park boundaries, provide a physical landmark for visitors, and become part of the visitor's experience with pullouts for photo opportunities with the signs. The monument signs were constructed of locally manufactured concrete block in a simple modern design that embraces the visitor with outstretched arcing wing walls and appears to rise from the natural materials of the surrounding desert. The wood signage was consistent with Mission 66 entrance sign standards. Today, the three park entrances retain a high degree of integrity including location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, felling, and association. Repairs made to the monument signs over the years have, for the most part, maintained the original design and replaced materials in kind. Pullouts associated with the signs remain intact, though they have been paved. The entrance roads within one mile of the monument signs retain their most important key features - the centerline of the road and the width. The addition of contemporary entrance/fee stations, a comfort station, parking, and curbs and sidewalks has not significantly impacted the integrity of the entrances. Though the Spanish style of these structures is not compatible with the modern style of the monument signs, they are building types typically found at park entrances and their scale and siting is logical and does not detract from the entrance experience. Future renovations could improve these buildings by better supporting the Mission 66 design aesthetic. The monument signs are in fair condition. Some common deficiencies include mortar failure, loss of the mortar cap, and past repairs made with mortar that does not match the original mortar or has stained the surrounding concrete masonry units. A restoration effort should be undertaken soon and include specifications for mortar testing to match the historic color, improve performance, and not stain the blocks. Per requirements and guidance provided by the Mission 66 Era Resources Multiple Property Documentation Form, the North, West, and East Entrances appear to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Contributing features include the monument signs and associated pullouts and road from the entrance to the one-mile mark. Noncontributing features include contemporary buildings, parking areas, curbs and planter islands, and wayside pullouts with interpretive kiosks within the first mile of road from each entrance.

Mission 66 Entrances: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Joshua Tree National Park

Series