Laserfiche WebLink
Evaluating: How to Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes, National Regi... Page 2 of 8* <br />and therefore requiring special justification. (See National Register Bulletin: How to <br />App1y the National Register Criteria for Evaluation.) <br />1. Obtain Information <br />An evaluation of a designed historic landscape should begin with compiling a general <br />description and history of the property including: <br />• dates of design and construction; <br />• names of owners, landscape architects, designers, and administrators; <br />• identification of construction techniques, methods, and plant materials; <br />• landscape style; <br />• existing and previous uses with the dates of these uses identified; and <br />• the acreage and existing boundaries of the original tract and any subsequent additions <br />or reductions. <br />The researcher should determine the original intent of the landscape design based on original <br />plans, photographs, correspondence, etc., as well as any alterations to the original design and <br />the dates such alterations occurred. Additional information may be important, including the <br />introduction of hybrid or exotic plant materials; the innovative use of new construction <br />materials or techniques; and the relationship between this and other nearby properties, <br />designed by the same individual or firm, or owned by the same individual, family, <br />organization, agency, municipality, or State or Federal government. Information should not <br />be limited to that concerning design and physical appearance, but should also include data <br />concerning the function of the landscape during its history and the individuals or groups <br />associated with its ownership, design, and uses. <br />Narrative Description and Mapping of Present Features and Function <br />The present features and functions of a designed historic landscape should be described in a <br />written narrative and located on a map or plan. Both the written narrative description and the <br />map or plan may include the following features: <br />• existing topography and grading <br />• natural features <br />• land uses <br />• circulation system of roads, paths, trails, etc. <br />• spatial relationships and orientations such as symmetry, asymmetry, and axial <br />alignment <br />• views and vistas into and out of the landscape <br />• vegetation by botanical name and common name with caliper for trees and heights for <br />shrubs (put this onto maps) <br />• landscape dividers such as walls, fences, and hedges <br />• drainage and engineering structures <br />• site furnishings and small scale elements such as benches, planters, and urns <br />• bodies of water such as pools, fountains, lakes, streams, and cascades <br />• lighting: include actual fixture such as street lights and lanterns, as well as the use of <br />both natural and artificial lighting as design elements (e.g., intensity, color) <br />• signs delineating entrances, street names, and other features <br />• buildings such as houses, barns, dormitories, or hospitals that may be contained within <br />httn • / /www.nns.eov/hiR/oublications /bulletins /nrbl8 /nrb18 5.htm 2/28/2014 <br />