Nominate “Mission 66” Properties at Crater Lake National Park to the National Register of Historic Places
Project ID: P17AC01303
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: University of Oregon
Fiscal Year: 2017
Initial Funding: $23,088
Total Funding: $23,088
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Cultural
National Park: Crater Lake National Park
Principal Investigator: Sardell, Shannon
Agreement Technical Representative: Denniston, Sean
Abstract: Crater Lake National Park (CRLA) is a unit of the National Park System established by Congress and signed into law on May 22, 1902. It is among the first ten national parks in the United States and presently consists of 183,224 acres of federal land in south central Oregon, located about 60 miles north of the state’s boundary with California. The namesake feature consists of 10,605 acres and is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake is a closed basin and encircled by a steep-sided rim of volcanic origin, where distances to the water are from 550 to more than 1,000 feet. Surface water elsewhere in the park is restricted to a few streams fed by snowmelt, seasonal ponds, and several small mires or bogs. The park is mostly surrounded by national forest, with the exception in the southeast corner, which is abutted by the Sun Pass State Forest.
Development within CRLA is concentrated in three main areas: Rim Village, Park Headquarters, and Annie Spring/Mazama Village. They are connected by several approach roads to the state highway system, and one main circuit route called “Rim Drive,” which is only open during the summer. Several much smaller satellite developments are accessible by road and consist largely of picnic areas, viewpoints, and a small campground at Lost Creek. Other facilities, such as some viewpoints and two fire lookouts, can be reached by trail.
The park currently has three historic districts (Rim Village, Park Headquarters, and Rim Drive) listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), all of which highlight rustic architecture and naturalistic landscape design perfected by the NPS during a period that stretched from 1916 to 1941. All of these historic districts were nominated as designed cultural landscapes and have been interpreted for park visitors, most notably through a short circuit for hikers called the Lady of the Woods Loop. There are also facilities designed by the NPS and constructed during a later period called “Mission 66,” that reflects modernistic principles of architectural and landscape design from 1945 to 1972. As a period of modernistic or “mid-century” design, much of the park infrastructure was executed under contract and in contrast to rustic architecture (where developments were to reflect the unique character of a place) following precedents established in other NPS units.
The purpose of this project is to collaborate on collecting information and assessing integrity in order to produce a nomination to the NRHP that includes at least four contributing resources which are emblematic of Mission 66 design at CRLA. These resources include the Mazama Campground Amphitheater, Goodbye Creek Bridge, Annie Creek Bridge, and the Mount Scott Lookout. This effort requires technical assistance and collaboration from experienced historic preservationists with expertise in mid-century (Mission 66) architecture to complete a nomination that meets professional standards described in the NPS Director’s Order 28.
B. Objectives
Investigators from UO and NPS staff will collaborate to accomplish the following specific objectives:
To develop and deliver a nomination to the NRHP for eligible Mission 66 properties at CRLA that addresses the following components in one document, ultimately for listing on the NRHP:
1. Complete all ten sections of the nomination form in accordance with the applicable National Register bulletins and guidance contained in the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office’s (SHPO) “Preparing National Register Nominations in Oregon” of April 2014 and on an approved nomination form;
2. Pay particular attention to Section 7, Description, and include narrative that addresses the site and orientation of the contributing resources, then continue (where applicable) to describe form, height, footprint, roof style, decking, fenestration, and construction method along with notable interior and exterior features or details. Articulate character-defining features and address subsequent alterations if present, then describe the contributing resources in reference to the seven aspects of integrity (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association);
3. Identify applicable National Register criteria in Section 8, along with area(s) and period(s) of significance, while also making an argument for listing based on how the facts support listing on the NRHP. The context presented in Section 8 includes a comparative analysis that demonstrates the architectural importance of the identified contributing resources at CRLA as they relate to other campground amphitheaters, bridges, and fire lookouts (for example) of the same period;
4. Produce three sets of photographs of the contributing resources (nominated properties) in accordance with the latest National Register Digital Photo Standards established by the NPS, labeling as detailed in “Preparing National Register Nominations in Oregon,” and insert resized images into the nomination form;
5. Develop maps acceptable to the Oregon SHPO, including a photo location map, list of figures, general location map, and a site map through a geographic information system (GIS) for each contributing resource;
6. Complete a separate condition assessment for each contributing resource, prioritizing treatment recommendations for all nominated properties;
7. Archive all project materials in support of developing a subsequent publication of an interpretive guide (currently unfunded) aimed at park visitors.
C. Public Purpose
This project will generate new information on the “Mission 66” properties at CRLA, will identify and document the qualities that make them worth preserving, and will develop recommended treatments for each property. The information and products from this project will be shared in several ways to increase public awareness, knowledge, and support for preservation of the park’s cultural, historical, and architectural heritage. The nomination and assessments will be shared with park visitors and the general public through interpretive media, such as a booklet published through CRLA’s cooperating association that highlight designs during the period of 1945 to 1972, and the challenges posed by aging historic fabric at conspicuous facilities like the Mazama Campground amphitheater, where evening programs occur during the summer travel season. An electronic version of the nomination will be part of the larger National Register database, but also available locally through the park’s interpretive media in the form of a site bulletin or booklet on the facilities and landscape design of “Mission 66.” This project will also support a UO student assistant who will benefit from participating in a real world experience involving cultural, historical, and architectural resources.