Washington Canoe Club: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Ribeiro Jones A. 2024. Washington Canoe Club: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 976173. National Park Service. NPS National Capital Regional Office, Washington, D.C. / CRIS-CL Database

The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) is a comprehensive inventory of all cultural landscapes in the National Park System. Landscapes that are listed, or eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places, or are otherwise managed as cultural resources and in which the National Park Service has, or plans to acquire, legal interest are included in the inventory. The Washington Canoe Club (WCC) cultural landscape comprises approximately 4.05 acres and is located within the Georgetown Area of the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park (CHOH) on land that is owned by the NPS in fee simple. The boundaries of the WCC cultural landscape are defined by the shoreline of the Potomac River to the south corresponding with CHOH’s park boundary, by the westernmost boundary of the Georgetown Area CLI (its parent landscape) to the west, the retaining wall separating the C&O Canal prism from Canal Road NW to the north, and the eastern wall of the northern abutment of the Potomac Aqueduct/Aqueduct Bridge to the east. The WCC constructed its Shingle style boathouse between August and December 1905 following the design of architect George Percival Hales. Dempsey’s boathouse was soon thereafter built within the CLI boundary between the WCC boathouse and the aqueduct abutment (1906-1908). These two clubs established the presence of a boating community along the Georgetown waterfront, which continued to grow into a boathouse row of six clubs in the early 20th century (most of which were outside of the WCC CLI boundary). In the present-day, the WCC boathouse is extant within the CLI boundary and the Potomac Boat Club (PBC) stands east of the cultural landscape, outside of CHOH’s park boundaries. Significance Summary The WCC cultural landscape is eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A and C, both at a state level of significance with a period of significance spanning 1905 to 1966. Under Criterion A, WCC is significant for the role it played in development of flatwater canoeing and kayaking as a competitive sport and in establishing a community of competitive paddlers within Washington, DC, beginning in the early 20th century. The continued occupation of the WCC boathouse by the WCC organization from its founding through the present day strengthens the cultural landscape’s significance under Criterion A. The WCC is significant under Criterion C as an example of a vernacular boathouse exhibiting Shingle style architecture, which was designed by architect George P. Hales. Club tradition holds that the club itself was built by WCC club members and over the course of the 20th century and into the early 21st century, members completed both major and minor repairs to the building. Analysis and Evaluation Summary and Condition The WCC cultural landscape contains features within multiple landscape characteristics that contribute to the historic character of the property, specifically natural systems and features, spatial organization, land use, cultural traditions, topography, circulation, buildings and structures, views and vistas, constructed water features, small-scale features, and archeological sites. Notable extant features on site include the WCC boathouse, the aqueduct abutment, and the C&O Canal prism and towpath. The WCC cultural landscape retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, thereby exhibiting six of the seven aspects of integrity as defined by the NRHP. As of June 2023, the WCC cultural landscape is in fair condition and notable impacts to the resource include deterioration of the WCC boathouse, poor drainage on site (particularly in the vicinity of the boathouse), graffiti on the Potomac Aqueduct/Aqueduct Bridge, and erosion along the canal prism and towpath.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Ribeiro Jones, Angelina
Date of Issue
2024
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
CHOH , NCR
Keywords
Alexandria Aqueduct, Alexandria Canal Company, aqueduct abutment, Aqueduct Bridge, Architecture, B&O, B&O Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Rail Road, Beall & Shoemaker’s Analostan Mills, boathouse, bridge, C&O, C&O Canal, Canal, canal prism, Canal Road, Capital Crescent Trail, Chesapeake, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, circulation, CLI, club, Conservation, constructed water feature, Creating Social Institutions and Movements, Cultural Landscape, Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Dempsey’s boathouse, Engineering, Entertainment/Recreation, Expressing Cultural Values, Georgetown, Georgetown Area, Georgetown Spur, Historic Site, Historic Vernacular Landscape, landscape, landscape treatment, Little Falls, Little Falls Skirting Canal, locks, mill, Ohio, Palisades District, park, Potomac, Potomac Aqueduct, Potomac Canal Company, Potomac River, recreation, Reservation 404, river, riverfront, Shingle Style (1880-1900), Skirting Canal, social, Sports (Active), Tenney & Sons’ Analostan Mills, towpath, trail, Transportation, Washington, Washington Canoe Club, WCC
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Human Use | Cultural Landscapes | Cultural Landscapes , NPS.gov Subject Site: Cultural Landscapes , CRIS-CL: 600268: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal , CRIS-CL: 975990: Georgetown Area

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