Historic Structure Report: D-3 Park Police Substation, Rock Creek Park

Clemson University Graduate Program in Historic Preservation

The Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) and Clemson University (CU) entered into Cooperative Agreement Number P22AC01967-00 on 08/24/2022 to record and evaluate the D-3 Park Police Substation at Rock Creek Park in Washington DC and prepare a Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the building and landscape features designed and constructed by NPS in 1935 and 1936. The building has remained under the same management organization and in continual use since construction was completed. As a police facility the building has experienced some, largely sensitive, changes to accommodate evolving policing needs. The building under study is a well preserved, well-used example of NPS’ colonial “park rustic” design aesthetic. The building speaks to the lasting legacy of the NPS at Rock Creek Park, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Public Works Administration (PWA) eras of public infrastructure development in the United States during and following the Great Depression, and the enduring built legacy of the park system in the National Capital Region. Students, faculty and staff of Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation pursued this research through the Master Cooperative Agreement, with the intent of 1) engaging institutions in the study of National Park System Resources and 2) creating an opportunity for cooperative research and training programs (Figure 2). The project promotes greater public awareness about Rock Creek Park, its history, and historic preservation. The cooperative agreement enabled the production of a HSR, which provided a valuable educational experience for future preservation leaders. Five students and recent alumni of Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation participated in the creation of this report. The HSR, requested by the National Park Service, National Capital Region, documents the construction history of the D-3 Park Police Substation and modifications to the structure over time. It documents the landscape features of the site, including critical landscape and civil engineering infrastructure of a retaining wall, circular access drive, flag poles, and vegetated areas. This HSR will support park managers in the maintenance and preservation of the historic structure. The D-3 Park Police Substation is a significant historical resource that represents an important aspect of the nation’s response to the Great Depression through the use of PWA funding to build the facility, and CCC labor to add and modify the building. The building served, and continues to serve, functions that are essential to the management and operations of Rock Creek Park. The significance of the D-3 Park Police Substation is recognized by its listing in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource to the Rock Creek Park Historic District.

Historic Structure Report: D-3 Park Police Substation, Rock Creek Park

Series