Complete Report - Cultural Landscape Recommendations, Crater Lake NP

Date of Inventory: July 1990
Project Team: Cathy Gilbert, historical landscape architect and
Marsha Tolon, landscape architect.

This Cultural Landscape Catalog provides a preliminary analysis and evaluation of the historic landscape at Munson Valley in Crater Lake National Park. The purpose of the Catalog is to identify and evaluate historic landscape resources, and based on that evaluation, develop preliminary guidelines and recommendations for preservation, rehabilitation, maintenance, and interpretation of those resources. This document is a technical supplement and does not replace a standard cultural landscape report. Additional work will be required prior to implementation of specific recommendations and/or design concepts. Both the Catalog and future projects resulting from the Catalog's programmatic information will receive review from appropriate local, state and federal entities.

Project boundaries are based primarily on the Munson Valley Historic District boundaries, yet are drawn to reflect the physiographic characteristics defining the district. When the field inventory occurred, the employee cabins at Sleepy Hollow had been demolished and new quarters were being constructed at the site. Due to the loss of historic integrity the area was considered non-contributing to the extant historic district and was not included in this project. However, the new development at Sleepy Hollow contains design elements and characteristics based on historic precedent; future preservation work for Munson Valley may include the area as part of the project boundary. The Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, as a designed landscape, is significant for its association with the Park Headquarters area and National Park Service interpretive programs of the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s. Located adjacent to the study area, access to the trail begins at the east boundary of the historic district and project boundary. Preliminary documentation of the trail as a cultural landscape is included in the appendix of this report.

This document was developed in the Pacific Northwest Regional Office by the Cultural Resources Division. Previous documents prepared for the park addressing historic resources at Munson Valley include: Historic Resource Study, Crater Lake National Park, 1984; Munson Valley's Designed Landscape, 1990; and The Rustic Landscape of Rim Village, 1927-1941. Crater Lake National Park, 1990.

Park headquarters is located in Munson Valley, one of three prominent glacial valleys on Mount Mazama's south flank. The valley is north-south trending and holds Munson Creek, a spring-fed tributary of Annie Creek that eventually reaches the Klamath Basin, southeast of the park.

Park headquarters is located three miles south of Rim Village. Munson road connecting Highway 62 and Rim Village creates the east boundary of the site.

The site contains administrative offices for Crater Lake National Park and Oregon Caves National Monument, utility buildings, and employee housing. The property is owned and managed by the National Park Service and is registered as the Munson Valley Historic District.

A mature forest creates an edge along Rim Drive to the southeast and west sides of the maintenance area. Clearings in the canopy cover mark the Administration Building and Visitor Center entrance on the east edge of the site, and the Superintendent's and Naturalist's residences in the northern portion of the site.

The valley walls are distinct features to the west and east of the site, creating an enclosed crescent shaped space. Munson Creek creates an edge on the northwest and northeast.

Munson road connecting Highway 62 and Rim Village creates a strong site boundary on the east. Within the site, more discrete areas are created by an intersection of roads leading south to the maintenance area, and to the Steel Circle housing area.

Wood post signs and large boulders delineate and accent the entrance to the Visitor Center and maintenance area.

A 1911 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey convinced Congress to fund construction of a road around Crater Lake. In 1913, money was appropriated for the project, and road opening scheduled for late 1918. A site central to the park's proposed road system was selected at the upper end of Munson Valley by the Corps as a seasonal headquarters site. The headquarters site was located three miles from the rim in an area relatively protected by the surrounding valley walls where water and wood for building materials were readily available.

In conjunction with the first work season, the army built six log structures with steeply-pitched roofs including a headquarters building, storage barn, blacksmith shop, aid cabin, and cook shack that housed a kitchen/dining room downstairs and a dormitory upstairs. The structures were clustered on both sides of the main road to the rim, bisecting the site, and creating a general north-south orientation to the complex. There were no other "formal" roads through the site (or defined parking), and other than this main road, circulation was generally random and unstructured. Because of this random pattern of circulation, vegetation around the complex was virtually eliminated. With the exception of a flagpole erected near the headquarters building, and a stone sculpture, the landscape was primarily functional with little ornament. Open areas functioned as service and staging areas for Army crews. Built only for seasonal use during the short construction season, the complex was abandoned by the army when the road was complete in 1918.

Few remnants from the Army road crew occupation in Munson Valley exist today. Aside from several road segments that have been well disguised over the years and a general concentration of administrative uses, the Lady of the Woods sculpture is perhaps the only physical feature remaining from the Army's presence in the area. The stone sculpture was carved in 1917 by Earl Russell Bush, a medical doctor who was attached to the Munson Valley road project and wanted to express his "deep love for the virgin wilderness." It is located west of the administrative compound.(1) A similar intent was to guide systematic efforts of the National Park Service to implement the landscape design at Munson Valley in the 1930's.

Increased visitation to Crater Lake National Park and the use of the site as seasonal quarters for park staff led park officials to make Munson Valley a summer headquarters for park operations in 1924. Within a year of moving to the site from Annie Springs, an addition was made to the former engineer's office, and the building was converted to serve as the park administration building. Though the site provided much needed space, it was soon apparent that the complex was inadequate for the park's needs. In 1925, as part of a park-wide planning program under the direction of Thomas Vint, work was underway on a general master plan for redevelopment of the site. The planned development took "...advantage of topography and forest screening to place out of sight almost every building that is not of direct concern to the visitor."

Thus, at Government Camp, the only building that will be in sight when this program is finished will be the Administration Building, the Museum [Ranger Dormitory] and Service Station [removed in favor of the present one]..."(2). Implementation of the master plan for Munson Valley began in 1927. The major components of the plan included the development of a new administrative complex, utility and maintenance area, residential areas for staff and seasonal employees, a formalized circulation system, and a revegetation program for the site as a whole. Initial construction focused on basic services and operations. Between 1927 and 1930, four small cottages, a mess hall, comfort station, meat house, warehouse and two utility buildings were constructed. The road from Munson Valley to the rim was relocated to its present location early in the development of the site (ca 1927), but the majority of other roads, pedestrian walks and trails, and bridle trails remained informal in character. Structures were rustic in character. Over scaled elements such as locally quarried stone and timber were used to blend, in scale and color, with the surrounding trees and rough terrain. The 1931 master plan outlined the need for as many as 21 additional buildings in addition to extensive road improvements, utilities, and plantings, but it wasn't until the 1932-1933 season that intensive development in the district was undertaken.

With the realignment of the road to the rim, and the new design for the plaza, there was need for general revision of the road system throughout the district. The main entrance road was moved so that entry to the site was from the east. The old road was obliterated and planted. Secondary roads provided access throughout the site, linking residential areas, service areas, and the utility area. These roads were surfaced with gravel and then oiled to reduce dust and provide an improved driving surface. The trail to the Lady of the Woods was also surfaced with gravel.

In the 1932-33 construction season, several major buildings and site structures were built. Two large residences--a superintendent's house and a naturalist's house--were completed, along with four utility buildings, a comfort station, additional employee residences and a dormitory for the rangers.

In 1934 the old log administration building was removed and construction of a new rustic stone administrative structure was underway. Stone curbing was set along the roads through the center of the site creating a circular drive and a more defined and structured circulation system. The plaza in front of the new administration building was designed to accommodate 50 cars, and had a large elliptical planting island in the center. This area was planted based on a design by landscape architect Francis Lange, and included 13 varieties of plants. Additional landscape work was done around the cottages on the hill above the plaza. Structural additions to the Mess Hall and Warehouse as well as the construction of a garage/woodshed and three frame storage sheds were all completed in this construction season.

Major landscape work was undertaken over the 1933- 34 construction seasons. Over a thousand trees and several thousand shrubs were transplanted to the area as part of the "naturalization" program for the site begun by landscape architect Merel Sager. Civilian Conservation crews (C.C.C.) planted shrubs at the newly constructed residences that had proven successful at Rim Village, including spirea, mountain ash, willow and twinberry (purple flower honeysuckle). In 1936, landscape work at the new Administration Building went beyond previous efforts using sedges and grasses for the open areas, several shrub species and tree groupings of mountain hemlock, lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir. Large quantities of top soil and peat were brought in from the south end of the valley to supplement, and in some cases, to replace the pumice soil prior to planting. Small-scale features including flagstone walks, rustic signs, stone bridges, planting beds and drinking fountains were incorporated into the landscape for both functional and design objectives. Additional road improvements were made and a parking area was added in back of the Administration Building (1936). A new parking facility was added in front of the Mess Hall and below the Machine Shop in 1938. Numerous "bitumuls" walks were installed around the Rangers' Dormitory and the Administration Building.

Until 1938 park headquarters was known as "Government Camp." In order to avoid confusion with Government Camp on Mount Hood, some 180 miles north of the park, the name was changed to Park Headquarters by Superintendent Ernest P. Leavitt. Munson was the name of an early visitor who died on a ridgeline two miles southwest of the headquarters site in 1872.

Although some planting and landscape work took place at the residential complex in 1940, by 1939 the designed landscape at Munson Valley was largely in place. In terms of a construction sequence the architectural structures generally preceded the installation of plant materials and other landscape features at the site. In terms of stylistic objectives, landscape treatments were a critical component of the site, and were designed to integrate man-made structures and circulation systems into the natural surroundings using weathered boulders, masonry, and rustic wood signs to accentuate design elements and evoke a rustic appearance.

Vint, Sager, Lange and others were against using Munson Valley as a year-round headquarters area, recommending instead that a suitable site at lower elevation be developed. However, after WW II, year- round operations at Munson Valley began, although winter occupancy was not officially approval until 1982. This was a major shift in the function of the area and had tremendous impact on the designed historic landscape. Landscape features including curbing, planting beds, porches, and narrow roads with curves were all seen as obstacles to the snow plow. Structures with steeply pitched roofs tended to dump snow close to the building preventing access and requiring the addition of tunnels on a seasonal basis.

In 1954 all of the planters, lawns, and walks around the employee cottages were removed to accommodate the snow plow. The traffic island near the upper group of cottages was also removed to allow turning radius for the snow plow. Roads throughout the district were widened. The utility building, which had enclosed the maintenance area was removed in order to allow snow plow access through the entire area. This building was later replaced by a machine shop in 1966.

Additional changes included the obliteration of the old access road to the site, construction of a new gas station across the road from the existing one, which was later removed, and realignment of the intersection with Munson Road. The now abandoned second gas station will be removed in 1992. The Firehall was removed in 1969 and the Oil House was removed in 1990. In 1986, the Ranger Dorm and the Administration Building were rehabilitated. A permanent snow tunnel was added to the west side of the Administration Building replacing the south entrance tunnel built in 1958. A snow tunnel was also added to the east side of the Ranger Dorm. Despite the loss of plant materials and landscape detail in the administrative complex due to the adaptation of Munson Valley for winter use, the infrastructure of the original designed landscape is still evident. The site as a whole remains a good example of the Rustic style.

The natural landform and physiographic features of Munson Valley had a strong influence on the spatial organization and development of the Park Headquarters site. Most of the glaciated valley displays hummocky moraines intermixed with pumice, with the proportion of pumice gradually diminishing in the upper part of the valley. Linear sloped terraces of the valley provided natural siting opportunities for structures and roads and required only minimal grading. A steep north-south valley wall creates a west boundary for the site. Munson Creek, a spring-fed tributary of Annie Creek traverses and dissects the valley site into three distinct areas or subdistricts, physically stepping down in elevation from north to south. The Munson drainage is part of the Klamath Basin, an area south of the caldera and east of the Cascade Divide (Munson Ridge).

Munson Creek divides this glaciated valley into three spatial areas which reflect a specific hierarchy of land use: residential, administrative and maintenance. Thomas Vint's 1925 master plan sited three contiguous complexes within these areas with the administrative complex as the structural and symbolic center. Forest canopies and meadows separate and distinguish activity areas creating visual buffers between the residential areas at the highest elevations on the north end of the site, and the maintenance area on the south end. As stated in the 1928 plan, the administrative complex had potential for visitor contact and remains the most prominent and commanding area of the park headquarters complex.

Historically, the headquarters complex at Munson Valley was organized as a hierarchy of spaces according to land use function and activity. With the exception of seasonal employee housing at Sleepy Hollow to the southwest, residences were grouped in the north end of the site. The Superintendent's residence and the Naturalist residence, both display site design principles common to the period used in "estate planning" (residential planning). Sited at slope apex the aim was to "suggest openness and freedom, a naturalistic treatment, at least an informal treatment...[where] the lawn is treated as an extension towards the observer of a distant outside view,...making the estate seem larger than it is by merging its boundaries in those of the surrounding country and repeating within the estate planning found in the adjoining scenery."(3) South of these structures and separated from them by open areas of meadow and pumice fields, the administrative buildings were located in the center of the site.

This broad level area functioned as the heart of the site, a focal point of activity. Located southwest of the administrative area in the lowest portion of the site are the maintenance and utility areas. During the historic period the maintenance area was closed on three sides, efficient for use during the summer season. In contrast the present layout is two sided, designed to accommodate vehicle parking and winter snow plows. The service oriented function of these structures is reflected by their site location in an outer area of the development away from visitor contact.

This original land use pattern generally continues in the same configuration today. Housing for permanent employees is located at Steel Circle south of the maintenance area, while seasonal employee housing remains at Munson Valley. Although there have been several physical changes to the site over the years (roads widened and visitor and administration services expanded), the primary historic land use patterns have remained intact.

Mountain hemlock forest with open park-like meadows and sparse underbrush characterizes the vegetation cover of Munson Valley. These plants along with the presence of white bark pine, Shasta red fir, and noble fir are typical of the Hudsonian Life zone. Wood rush is the dominant understory; Scouler's willow and subalpine fir are found along the creek and in low wet areas where montane meadow conditions exist.

The native plant community provided a palette for the landscape "naturalization" program of park headquarters. "Native materials were used because they were most suited to survive, not because they necessarily imitated the surrounding forest."(4) In terms of design and composition, the planting concepts and treatments used at Rim Village were also employed at Munson Valley. Plantings were used to establish vegetation where none existed, or in disturbed areas, to fill-out planting beds for design or functional purposes.

The placement of trees and shrubs into groups was considered naturalistic not random. Plants such as Mountain hemlock and Subalpine fir were used to provide variation of texture and form, and because they did well at high elevations. Other shrubs such as honeysuckle, spirea, Scouler's willow, and mountain ash were used to cast a sweeping appearance of boughs forming an unbroken reach of green. Near the Ranger Dormitory these materials were combined to create irregular plantings within a lawn of native grasses and sedges. Guided by landscape design principles of the period the planting design at Munson Valley included an emphasis on the placement of trees to promote their use as framing devices and as features which augment shade and shadow.

With the exception of minor changes, naturalistic planting design principles have provided the foundation for the relatively unchanged appearance of park headquarters. To accommodate efficient snow removal some plantings (among other landscape features) were removed in 1944. In 1954, planted islands in front of the middle row of employee cottages, and between the warehouse and messhall were removed. In 1958, the south entrance to the administrative complex was obliterated and planted. Landscape architects wanted to blur the distinction between "formal design" and the natural vegetation of the site. The survival of many remnant plant materials such as alpine perennials in the ellipse at the administrative complex, hint at the original planting scheme.

The structural complexes of government camp - administrative, residential, and utility (maintenance) areas - included 36 structures sited in a generally crescent shaped arrangement within Munson Valley. Overall, structures were oriented on a north-south axis, however, east-west orientation of the Administration Building, messhall and warehouse formed distinct building clusters. In the center of the site, the Ranger Dormitory and Administration Building faced the elliptical plaza, creating a sense of enclosure and defining the public spaces of the site. West and south of the plaza several utility buildings were sited at the edge of a paved maintenance work area. On the south end of the site the Sleepy Hollow cabins were aligned on various axes and grouped at the base of the slope.

With the exception of the Sleepy Hollow cabins redevelopment and expansion of the maintenance area, structural clusters remain basically the same. The oil and gas house was removed and replaced by a large covered maintenance building on the east side of the maintenance yard in 1955. The concessioner service and comfort stations once located south of Munson road to the Rim were moved to the north side of the road in 1958.

Munson Valley Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, extends south from the Superintendent's residence (which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987) and ends at the maintenance area warehouse. Structures contributing to the rustic theme of the district, totaling 18, were built between 1926 and 1949, and include the Naturalist's Residence, the middle cluster of residential cabins, the lower cabins, the Administration Building, Ranger Dormitory, Transformer Building, Comfort Station, Mess Hall, Warehouse, and Machine Shop. The Oil and Gas House was removed in 1990.

The circulation system at Munson Valley has remained relatively unchanged since the design development of Government Camp began in the 1930's. Primary vehicular access to Park Headquarters is from Munson road between Highway 62 and Rim Village. Secondary roads run north-south connecting housing areas to the administrative core. Located at the center of the district is a circular drive and plaza serving the Administration Building and Ranger Dormitory (the Visitor Center or Steel Building). Leading northwest from the central plaza, a winding one lane road, known as Sleepy Hollow road, rises approximately 160 feet to its terminus at the Superintendent's residence. Along this road, limited access is provided to other employee residences sited along this road. The spur road access to these residences is known as Stone Houses Road. A second road runs southwest from the plaza, crossing Munson Creek, and widens to a large work area which serves as the maintenance yard. The road narrows beyond the maintenance group and intersects with a secondary site entrance and the Sleepy Hollow area. Pedestrian trails cross Munson Creek, leading north from the Ranger Dormitory to the employee residences, and to the Lady of the Woods. Access to Castle Creek Trail is located southeast across the road at the main site entrance. A bridle trail to Rim Village starts at Sleepy Hollow and runs close to the Superintendent's residence before switching back along Munson Ridge and north to the Rim.

A rustic sign program directed by Francis Lange using CCC labor, began in 1936 replacing many standardized metal signs in the park. A directional sign placed in the ellipse of the headquarters plaza near the road entrance was supported by cut, unpeeled cedar logs. Most probably, the sign was a large four-foot diameter circular slab of oil-impregnated pine with yellow-orange painted raised lettering on a brown background for increased visibility. Signs were designed to be dismantled and stored over winter to prevent cracking of the enamel lettering through wood expansion. Extant rustic wood signs on site are at the Lady of the Woods and the Warehouse. Rustic signs at Munson Valley gave way to routed wood signs painted brown with creme white lettering, as of Mission 66 (1956-1966) improvement programs. Today, few Mission 66 signs are extant with the exception of building and identification signs. Standard metal reflecting signs for traffic are common on site. Other sign types found on site include interpretive, identification of natural features, trails, directional and boundary.

Battered or "rusticated" stone features were a functional, harmonizing element of the Munson Valley landscape. Designed to stand alone yet fit visually into the landscape, stone features provided definition and organization to circulation and plantings. Features at the Administrative complex include stone curbing and a drinking fountain in front of the Administration Building. Other features include a stone bridge over Munson Creek, stone steps between the Ranger Dormitory and the lower cottages, masonry work to hide culverts where the roads crossed the creek, and flagstone walkways at several buildings. Weathered boulders once used for visual effect and to control traffic along the 1934 entrance to the Administrative complex are extant and visible among the plantings south of the ellipse.

Carved by Earl Russell Bush in 1917, the sculpture stands approximately three feet high and is located 400 feet west of the Ranger Dormitory. A rustic wood sign identifies the site which can be reached by trail from the plaza area.

The Munson Valley Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as part of a multiple resource nomination for Crater Lake National Park. The following statement of significance and integrity draws on information from the National Register nomination form, a Historic American Building Survey report documenting the district, and the "Analysis and Evaluation" section of this document.

Although Crater Lake was established as the nation's sixth national park in 1902, development of an administrative headquarters for the park did not occur until 1926. During this time, a camp located in upper Munson Valley and used by the Corps road crews, gained increased use as summer headquarters for National Park Service employees. Over the next fifteen years at the Government Camp site, the park embarked on one of the most ambitious rustic architecture programs ever undertaken by the National Park Service. Designers transformed an open landscape of infertile pumice soils into an administrative complex comprised of three distinct areas of use. Native stone building construction, use of indigenous plant materials, and careful siting of structures resulted in a highly manipulated designed landscape that was "naturalistic" in character.

Landscape architects Thomas Vint, Merel Sager, and Francis Lange were key practitioners of the Rustic style and influential in shaping the Munson Valley landscape. Their drawings, photographs, and monthly project completion reports provide a wealth of detailed formation about the site's development and insight into the philosophy of non-intrusive design known as Rustic. Landscape architects Sager and Lange directed general construction and landscape work on the site using Civilian Conservation Corps and Emergency Conservation Work crews. Their responsibilities were far-reaching ranging from design and construction supervision of trails and grading, and finishing portions of Rim Drive, to supervising major construction projects at the Rim and Munson Valley. The park's "naturalization" program, instituted by Sager, was implemented throughout the park, creating a consistent and cohesive appearance in all the developed areas. Lange continued implementation of the program through additional planting and maintenance of those materials.

By 1941, the Munson Valley area was "home to the most concentrated and coherent expression of Rustic Architecture in the park." The structures and related landscape formed one of the most extensive developments ever undertaken by the Park Service using this type of naturalistic design.(5)

The Munson Valley Historic District, designed and built between 1926-1941, is significant as a historic designed landscape under National Register Criterion A: for its association with events that made significant contributions to the broad patterns of history; under Criterion B: for its association with the lives of persons significant in our past; under Criterion C: for the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of design; and under Criterion D: for the important historic information the site has yielded and is likely to yield.

Munson Valley is integrally linked to efforts by the National Park Service to develop, manage and protect the natural recreational resources of one of our oldest national parks. Extant landform and major features, such as stone curbing, trails and roads both contribute to the rustic character of the district. Enough components of the designed landscape survive to demonstrate the nature of park planning and construction of the rustic idiom developed during the late 1920's and 1930's which strove to tie rustic-style buildings to their environment. Landscape design development and construction of park headquarters by PWA and CCC crews is representative of a major expansion period in the National Park System made possible under the Hoover administration in the early 1930's and by the New Deal public works programs.

The comprehensive expression of Rustic architecture and naturalistic design principles at Munson Valley is in large part due to the early site planning and design development directed by three NPS landscape architects, Thomas Vint, Merel Sager and Francis Lange. Under Vint's direction and influence as chief landscape architect, the Rustic Style and its associated design ethic was brought into national parks throughout the system. Vint was specifically responsible for planning the developed areas in the western national parks and monuments. At Munson Valley early development of Rustic architecture is demonstrated by the extant warehouse, constructed as a result of Vint's 1925 plan for a summer headquarters.

Vint hired Merel Sager to prepare and implement NPS plans for western parks, including Sequoia, Lassen and Crater Lake National Parks. Incorporating the tenets of the Rustic Style, Sager coordinated and directed the construction of large developments at Rim Village and Park Headquarters. Massive boulder construction of headquarters structures characterize the work of Sager, who also oversaw the revegetation and siting of structures and trails. Sager's work provides a design link between developed areas within the park and other parks in the region, including Oregon Caves National Monument. After Sager's direct supervision of Crater Lake construction ceased, his National Park Service career (1928-1953) included a term as chief of Park Planning in National Capitol Parks and as chief landscape architect for the overall park system.

Francis Lange, who began as Sager's assistant and continued as resident landscape architect in the park from 1934 to 1940, had significant impact on the appearance of Park Headquarters. Using PWA and CCC workers, Lange continued the planting program implemented by Sager; designed detail site features and most of the site's now non-extant rustic signs; and began efforts to better adapt Munson Valley structures to winter conditions. Under Lange's direction the designed landscape of Munson Valley Historic District was virtually completed.

The designed landscape of Munson Valley is significant nationally as an expression of naturalistic design developed and employed by the National Park Service from the mid-1920's to the early 1940's. The style, commonly referred to as the Rustic Style or NPS Rustic, influenced state park systems and national forests throughout the country. In western mountain parks, buildings were constructed of native materials and incorporated local colors, shapes, and textures: building forms were designed to suit local conditions and environments, and were sited to blend into the surrounding landscape. At Munson Valley, larger site planning efforts and design detailing successfully blend the overall physical development with the natural setting. Principle features of the designed landscape at Munson Valley are: structures sited against a forest backdrop with the appearance of little disturbance to the natural topography, and the economic as well as aesthetic use of native plant materials to present a highly naturalistic looking landscape in terms of massing and grouping. Enhancement and development of views meld key concepts of the Rustic style and naturalistic design into a cohesive landscape composition.

The Munson Valley landscape yields important information about the precepts of naturalistic planting design theory and practice as used at Crater Lake National Park. Landscape features of the administrative complex and Superintendent's Residence include spatial organization, site plan, views and visual character all of which remain largely undisturbed. These resources contribute significant information relating to estate (residential) planning concepts prevalent in the 1930's. In addition, the use of native plant materials and natural groupings, and the materials, colors and textures of structures contribute information relating to naturalistic design principles as part of the rustic idiom developed in national parks.

The historic designed landscape of the Munson Valley Historic District possesses integrity of:

Location: The primary structures defining the administrative, maintenance and residential complexes at Munson Valley, including the buildings, circulation system, and vegetation (canopy cover), are in their original location.

Design: The original spatial organization for this site, including land use functions (residential/administration/maintenance) and activities is intact. Though many plant materials have been lost over the years due to natural processes and/or lack of maintenance, the framework of the original planting scheme is still evident.

Setting: The landscape surrounding the Munson Valley Historic District remains virtually intact. From Rim Drive the administrative complex remains visually prominent, and the district's mature forest continues to screen the maintenance and residential structures from the public. The Steel Circle employee housing development, built in the 1960's south of the historic district, is physically separate and does not visually impact the main site. Views to Garfield Peak from the Superintendent's Residence and other areas within the site remain unobscured.

Materials: With the exceptions of snow tunnel additions to the Administration Building and the Ranger Dormitory, and replacement in-kind of building materials during a recent rehabilitation project, structures in Munson Valley remain intact. Existing plant materials are compatible with the historic site although the original plantings are in remnant condition at best.

Workmanship: The buildings of the Munson Valley district are an excellent example of rustic architecture in the park, and represent one of the National Park Service's most ambitious development programs using naturalistic design to guide the improvements.

Feeling: The historic district possesses a distinct presence within the greater landscape context, evoking a sense of the era in which it was designed and created through its buildings, structures, circulation system, materials and organization.

Association: Munson Valley continues to function as it did historically, as headquarters for Crater Lake National Park. The historic district continues to reflect its associations with the CCC and the Rustic Style of design through its buildings, structures, circulation system, materials and organization.

Recommendations for the historic landscape at Park Headquarters at Munson Valley are based on an analysis and evaluation of significant historic landscape features and components identified in this report. The purpose of the recommendations is to provide an appropriate framework and programmatic basis for preservation, maintenance and interpretation of the historic site. The historic site as defined in this study includes employee residential areas, the administration buildings and maintenance areas.

The recommendations serve as guidelines and address issues surrounding stabilization and preservation of significant historic resources, removal of non-historic components that compromise the historic scene, and enhancement or reestablishment of historic features as part of a design program for the site as a whole. The six program areas are:

1. It is important to retain the integrity of the historic landscape at Munson Valley by protecting the general canopy cover, viewsheds, and building and circulation layout. These land patterns and relationships define the historic context of the site and contribute to the historic scene. It is important to maintain "a commanding view" of the administrative complex upon arrival to the site (Lange, 1932). The view corridor to the administrative plaza from the road should remain unobstructed and other areas adequately screened.

2. All modern intrusions such as above ground utilities, maintenance structures, and service areas that conflict with the historic scene should be screened or ideally removed. Future intrusions on the site should be avoided, but if necessary, should be appropriate in scale, color, and mass and adequately screened. (See Building and Structures Recommendation #2.)

3. Additional site work is necessary to identify and document existing and remnant plant materials and stonework to verify location, design, function, condition, and maintenance requirements.

4. Based on recommendations in this document concerning the plaza area and Superintendent's Residence, Treatment Guidelines should be developed to address maintenance issues common to both sites involving one or more of the following: replacement of plant materials; appropriate construction details; and general maintenance practices for the grounds. These guidelines should be generated by the Cultural Resources Division in collaboration with Park staff.

5. An overall site design and specifications for the historic landscape should be developed for the site. Upon completion of this plan, a comprehensive maintenance plan should be developed according to the conditions outlined under item four.

1. All historic structures on site within the historic district should be preserved and maintained under an approved cyclic maintenance preservation program. All significant structural resources should be incorporated into the Maintenance Management System, and the Inventory Condition Assessment Program (ICAP), including the Superintendent's Residence, Administration Building, and Ranger Dormitory.

2. Propane tanks sited in front of the employee residences are inappropriate and negatively impact the historic landscape. Burial, relocation or removal of the tanks is required.

3. No new structures should be sited in the historic district or in view corridors surrounding the district. If new structures are required, they should be compatible in siting, orientation, texture, color and materials to existing structures.

1. The administrative plaza should remain the main visitor arrival point. Visitor parking should remain concentrated in the plaza area. Employees should continue to use the parking lot north of the Administration Building.

2. Altering the width or character of historic roads is strongly discouraged. New roads should not be added to the site without careful consideration of the potential visual and physical impact to the historic site.

3. The condition of remnant stone curbing throughout the plaza area should be assessed to determine an appropriate strategy for rehabilitation or replacement as noted under the maintenance and management recommendations.

4. Reestablishment of stone curbing surrounding the planted "island" between the Mess Hall and Warehouse should be considered.

5. Bicycle parking should be provided in the plaza parking area and in the parking lot north of the Administration Building.

2. The condition of all flagstone walkways, stone steps and the Munson Creek bridge should be assessed and an appropriate maintenance strategy for stabilization and preservation determined as noted under the maintenance and management recommendations.

3. Random paths that cut across the ellipse in the plaza and in front of the Ranger Dormitory, and Administration Building negatively impact vegetation and should be discouraged. Plantings should be reestablished as a way to discourage the development of random paths.

1. Additional research is recommended to determine if recommendations for plant maintenance were made with the original design and, when appropriate, those guidelines should be incorporated into new guidelines. A maintenance plan should be developed for the site incorporating those recommendations as appropriate. All landscape maintenance guidelines should be integrated into the Maintenance Management System, and Inventory Condition Assessment Program (ICAP).

2. Selective clearing and removal of plant materials currently obstructing views or undermining the integrity of historic structures should be removed after consultation with the regional historical landscape architect.

3. All new plant materials used at the site to replace materials in poor condition or to reestablish plantings that are no longer evident should be selected from the plant list on page 18.

1. Site furnishings (light fixtures, garbage cans, bike racks, signs and interpretive displays) should be visually compatible with the identified elements of the rustic style including scale, texture, and the general site character of Munson Valley. Furnishings should meet all applicable codes and regulations. Complementary design rather than replication is the preferred treatment for rehabilitation and/or replacement of site features.

a. An overall sign for the site plan should he developed based on a hierarchy of style and type of information required. The plan should be consistent with the park-wide plan and should address the possibility of reestablishing Rustic style signs at the administrative complex.

a. The condition of remnant stone features should be assessed in collaboration with the regional historical architect and historical landscape architect to determine an appropriate strategy for stabilization and maintenance, including cleaning and clearing of vegetation to enhance visibility as noted under the maintenance and management recommendations.

b. Replacement of the Mission 66 routed sign with a rustic wood sign should be considered.

c. Routine cleaning of the sculpture should be included within the cyclic maintenance preservation program.

The historic designed landscape of the Administrative complex and Superintendent's residence, respectively, possess moderate to high integrity of the characteristics that shaped the sites during the historic period, 1924-1941. Composite qualities of integrity - location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association - reflect the spatial organization, physical components, and historic associations attained during the period of significance. While structures of the administrative complex are keystone representatives of NPS Rustic, loss of plant materials and site details present an incomplete picture of the naturalistic design idiom. The designed landscape of the Superintendent's residence is relatively intact. However, natural processes and lack of a preservation maintenance plan at both areas will adversely impact the degree of historic integrity. Based upon the framework for preservation maintenance defined in the recommendations section, alternative treatments are provided to address issues of stabilization and preservation of these significant historic resources

Since the establishment of Munson Valley as the headquarters for U.S. Army Corps of Engineer road crews in 1913, the plaza area has been a focal point for development. Development of Government Camp took "advantage of topography and forest screening to place out of sight almost every building that is not of direct concern to the visitor."(6) The only buildings planned to be in sight were the Administration Building and Ranger Dormitory. Today, six structures compose the complex, the most prominent being the Mess Hall (Canfield Bldg.), the Ranger Dormitory (Steel Center) and the Administration Building (Sager Bldg.). Located near the Mess Hall are three other buildings that are part of this cluster, including two comfort stations and a meat house.

Construction of the ellipse and circular drive in 1934 formally established the plaza as the main visitor contact point. Adaptation of the site for winter use and closure of the south entrance brought some change in design and the loss of several small-scale design elements. The plaza, however, stands as a coherent example of rustic architecture and naturalistic design. The composition and relationship between buildings and plant materials, scale, and symmetry suggest a semblance of order and unity with the natural surroundings. The asymmetrical Ranger Dormitory, a balance of two irregular structural masses, is located at the western edge of the plaza. In contrast, the symmetrical Administration Building balances equal structural masses around a central axis and frames the north side of the plaza. These structures, along with the overall layout and organization of the plaza, create a somewhat formal and structured landscape. The plaza area as a whole clearly articulates one of Lange's design principles that "...government units [should be set] on high points of land for a commanding view."(7)

continue existing maintenance programs for features including maintenance of the historic site through preservation of the view corridor between the administrative plaza and Munson road. Preservation of this view corridor is essential to the design intent and integrity of the original plan and should be retained.

2. Enhance the historic landscape through reestablishment or landscape features:

prepare a cultural landscape report to assess and evaluate all historic landscape features and patterns, and to determine historic integrity and site functions. Integrate historic and contemporary site issues to develop and implement a restorative restoration planting plan. The plan should employ naturalistic design principles described in 1929-38 park documents, including tree placement to create shadows, and the general placement of native plant materials in natural groupings and associations. Prepare a preservation maintenance plan with recommendations for stabilization of remnant plant materials, routine and winter maintenance considerations.

Meat House Ranger Dormitory snow tunnel, completed 1990	Paint Shed (formerly a comfort station) Administration Building; west view showing the snow tunnel and north parking lot
Administration Building (Merl S. Sager Building)
Ranger Dormitory (William G. Steel Center); current visitor center
Administrative plaza looking north from the entrance; Ranger Dormitory (left), Administration Building (right)

In 1932 Merel Sager described the Superintendent's Residence as "... one of the most attractive residences in the National Park Service."(8) In terms of site planning and use of plant materials, period design principles for estate (residential) planning were employed. Located on a knoll at the extreme north end of the headquarters district "... a magnificent view towards the slopes of Garfield [Peak]" was possible from the site. Considerable "groups of [adjacent] hemlock..." provided an effective framing device so that shade and shadow would augment an asymmetrical appearance. "The location is also nicely screened from the road, it being only possible to get a very occasional glimpse of the building as one travels the main highway."(9)

The structure, built of massive stone masonry using the techniques developed by Sager, relied upon elements of form and scale to harmonize with the natural environment. Still evident are foundation plantings such as twinberry, spirea, Scouler's willow, and mountain ash installed by Civilian Conservation Corps crews as part of the 1932-34 "naturalization" program. Flagstone walkways provide "formal" access and control foot traffic from the parking area to the residence. A large rolling meadow east of the house is also a fundamental element of the site. Suggesting openness and freedom, the character of the meadow allowed the distant view to be part of the site, expanding the sense of natural setting and context.

Today, the relatively unaltered residence and site is an exquisite example of rustic architecture and naturalistic design, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Physical history of the district and documentation by the Historic American Building Survey provides evidence that the designed landscape of the residence may merit comparable recognition as a cultural landscape. Current use as seasonal housing and increased visitor use heightens the need for preservation management to mitigate any loss of landscape integrity.

1. No action/maintenance or status quo: continue existing maintenance programs for features including maintenance of the spatial and visual character of the meadow. Preservation of the view corridor to Garfield Peak and between the residence and Rim Drive access road is essential to the design intent and integrity of the original plan.

2. Enhance the historic landscape through reestablishment of historic features: prepare a cultural landscape report to assess and evaluate all historic landscape features and patterns, and to determine historic integrity and site functions. Integrate historic and contemporary site issues to develop and implement a restoration planting plan. The plan should employ naturalistic design principles described in 1929-38 park documents including tree placement to create shadows, and the general placement of native plant materials in natural groupings and associations. Prepare a preservation maintenance plan with recommendations for stabilization of remnant plant materials, routine and winter maintenance considerations.

1. Portland Oregonian, August 28, 1921, sec. 4 p.7, quoted in Richard M. Brown, "The Lady of the Woods Revisited", Crater Lake Nature Notes XXI (1955), 11 in Munson Valley's Designed Landscape, 1990, 5.

2. General Scheme, Development Program, Crater Lake National Park, n.a. [Charles G. Thompson, Superintendent] Medford, Oregon, January 1928, RG79, 67A614, Box 8936, File 600-03-01 Development Outline, FRC Seattle in Munson Valley's Designed Landscape, 9.

3. Hubbard, Henry Vincent and Theodora Kimball. An Introduction to the Study of Landscape Design. New York: MacMillan Co., 1929, 267.

4. Mark, Stephen. Notes from an Oral History Interview with Francis Lange, February 1, 1991.

5. Mark, Stephen. Munson Valley's Designed Landscape. Historic American Building Survey No. OR-144, 1990, 1.

6. General Scheme, Development Program, Crater Lake National Park, 1928, ibid., 9.

7. Lange, Francis G. A Tourist Center in a National Park. St. Louis: Washington University, unpublished Master's thesis, 1932, 128.

8. Merel Sager to the Chief Landscape Architect, 11-30 July 1932, National Park Service Records, RG79, Landscape Architects' Reports to the Chief Architect through the Superintendent, Box 1 Crater Lake National Park 1929-34," National Archives and Records Center, San Bruno, CA.

"Crater Lake National Park Munson Valley" by Kurt Klimt, 1989, three sheets, Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service.

"Crater Lake National Park and Vicinity, OR," U.S. Geological Survey, 26x25 minute series, 1956.

Gilbert, Cathy A. and Gretchen A. Luxenberg. The Rustic Landscape of Rim Village, 1927-1941, Crater Lake National Park. Seattle, WA: Pacific Northwest Region, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1990.

Good, Albert H. Park and Recreation Structures, Parts I-III. Boulder, CO: Graybooks, 1990 Reprint of the Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1938.

Greene, Linda W. Historic Resource Study, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Denver, CO: Denver Service Center, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984.

Hubbard, Henry Vincent and Theodora Kimball. An Introduction to the Study of Landscape Design. New York MacMillan Co., 1929.

Lange, Francis. G. A Tourist Center in a National Park. Washington University, St. Louis, 1932. Unpublished Master's thesis.

Lange, Francis G. Interviews with Crater Lake National Park Historian Stephen R. Mark. Vacaville, California, August 1987; 12-14 September 1988; 28 December 1990; 1 February 1991. Typed field notes on file in park.

Mark, Stephen. Munson Valley's Designed Landscape. Historic American Building Survey No. OR-144, 1990.

"Munson Valley, Crater Lake National Park, topography", 1984, drawing no. 106-41025, ten sheets, National Park Service.

"Munson Valley Historic District", National Register of Historic Places registration form, 1988.

San Bruno, California. National Archives and Records Center. Record Group 79, Records of the National Park Service, Landscape Architect's Monthly Narrative Reports, 1929-1938. Copies on file in the PNRO Cultural resources Division.

Seattle, Washington. National Archives and Records Center. Record Group 79, Records of the National Park Service, Crater lake National Park.

Shiltgen, Lora. "Managing a Rustic Legacy: A Historic Landscape Study and Management Plan for Longmire Springs Historic District, Mount Rainier National Park." Master's thesis, University of Oregon, 1986.

Shiltgen, Lora Ed. Munson Valley, Crater Lake National Park: A manual for Preservation, Redevelopment, Adaptive Use and Interpretation. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon, 1984.

"The Master Plan, Crater Lake National Park" coordinated by the Branch of Plans and Design [drawn by Francis G. Lange], 1939-40, nineteen sheets, Library Collection, Crater Lake.

Tweed, William C. and Laura E. Souliere, Henry G. Law. National Park Service Rustic Architecture: 1916-1942. San Francisco, CA: National Park Service, 1977.

Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is located southeast of the Administrative plaza on the east edge of Munson Valley, at a toe slope of Castle Crest Ridge. A branch of Munson Creek begins at the north portion of the site and runs south, eventually joining the main creek tributary.

The Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, originally known as the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden or Nature Trail, is accessible via footpath southeast of the main entrance to the Administrative plaza. Access is also possible from Rim Drive eastbound towards Vidae Falls. This portion of Rim Drive creates the south boundary of the garden area. The property is owned and managed by the National Park Service.

"In order that visitors unable, through lack of time or physical strength, to visit all parts of the park may see and enjoy as many varieties as possible of the exquisite wild flowers that abound in out-of-the-way places, wildflower gardens have been constructed in several of the national parks."(1) Visitor accessibility was the incentive behind construction of the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden east of the Administrative plaza in 1929. Chief naturalist Ansel Hall (1923-1930), of the NPS Research and Education Branch, may have directed the layout of the .4 mile loop trail and organized the presentation of interpretive information. The trail contained at least 29 interpretive stops through an area of forest, swamp, wet-meadow, and grassy slope featuring native wildflower display and an occasional glimpse of wildlife through the spring and summer seasons. Boy Scouts constructed the trail and attached aluminum identification labels to plant materials adjacent to the trail.(2) At an approximate construction cost of $160.00, the unpaved trail featured five log bridges and four rustic benches.

Establishment of the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden in 1929 may have been part of an NPS interpretive program to provide accessible and educational nature trails. Other gardens developed at this time include a garden at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley and an area adjacent to the Museum and Administration building at Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Both garden designs used transplanted materials from other areas in the parks to exhibit a "profuse" array of native flowers and to attract wildlife. In contrast, park records indicate that plant materials of the Castle Crest garden were not imported but are indigenous to the site. Trail construction and interpretive devices constitute the only design elements of the site.

Research to-date suggests that the historical significance of the Castle Crest Trail is a designed landscape associated with NPS interpretive programs of the mid-1920s to mid-1930s, and the work of naturalist and forester Ansel F. Hall. Hall's NPS career (c.1920-1938) included terms as senior naturalist and chief forester, and chief of the Field Division. His vision for environmental education in national parks combined a deep feeling for youth and nature. Hall's "plans" were ready for implementation when the New Deal public works programs were formed. He brought private funds and public involvement to the parks as he developed the first museum association at Yosemite and organized Eagle Scout trips in park areas. Although further research is required to properly assess the historic contexts and significance of the Castle Crest Wildflower garden, the site possesses many of the design features and qualities from the original design. Additional field investigation is required to assess the site boundaries and the extent of historic materials present at the site.

Suggested research topics include: Boy Scouts of America; history of interpretation in the National Park Service; and the history of accessible design, general and NPS.

Trees
Abies lasiocarpa	subalpine fir
Abies magnifica shastensis	Shasta red fir
Pinus albicaulis	whitebark pine
Pinus contorta	lodgepole pine
Pinus monticola	western white pine
Tsuga mertensiana	mountain hemlock
Shrubs
Arctostaphylos nevadensis	pinemat Manzanita
Dicentra formosa	Pacific bleeding heart
Eriogonum umbellatum	sulfer eriogonum
Gilia aggregata	skyrocket gilia
Haplopappus bloomeri	rabbitbrush goldenweed
Kalmia polifolia microphylla	alpine bog kalmia
Luzula glabrata	smooth woodrush
Pachistima myrisinites	myrtle pachistima
Penstemon rydbergii	Rydberg's penstemon
Ribes erythrocarpum	Crater Lake currant
Salix eastwoodiae	eastwood willow
Sambucus racemosa v.microbotrys	Pacific red elder
Sorbus sitchensis v.cascadensis	Sitka mountain-ash
Spirea densiflora	subalpine spirea
Vaccinium caespitosum	dwarf blueberry
Ground Covers
Aconitum columbianum	Columbia monkshood
Agoseris aurantiaca	mountain dandelion
Agrostis hiemalis	ticklegrass
Agrostis idahoensis	Idaho bentgrass
Anaphalis margaritacea	common pearl-everlasting
Anemone occidentalis	western windflower
Calamagrostis canadensis	bluejoint
Castilleja miniata	scarlet paintbrush
Crytogramma acrostichoides	parsley fern
Deschampsia autropurpurea	mountain hairgrass
Dodecatheon alpinum	Alpine shooting star
Epilobium angustifolium	fireweed
Epilobium brevistylum	barbey
Filix fragilis	brittle fern
Grimmia alpestris	gray-green moss
Habenaria stricta	green bog orchid
Hackelia micrantha	blue stickseed
Hygrohypnum bestii	moss
Hypericum Scouleri	Scouler's St. John's wort
Juncus Parryi	Parry's rush
Letharia vulpina	staghorn lichen
Ligusticum ligulatus Grayi	Gray's lovage (licorice root)
Lupinus latifolius	KIamath lupine
Mimulus Lewisii	Lewis monkeyflower
Phlox diffusa	spreading phlox
Pogonatum alpinum	haircap moss
Polygonum bisfortoides	American bistort
Pseudoleskea altrovirens	light-green moss
Ranunculus Gormanii	Gorman's buttercup
Senecio triangularis	arrowleaf groundsel
Sitanion Hanseni	Hansen's squirrel-tail
Tofieldia occidentalis	western tofieldia
Trifolium longipes	long-stocked clover
Viola Macloskeyi	small white violet
Viola purpurea v.venosa	mountain violet

1. Bryant, Harold C. and Wallace W. Atwood Jr., Research and Education in the National Parks. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932, 18.

2. Telephone conversation with CRLA park historian Stephen Mark based on Oral History Interview with former Boy Scout Drew Chick, September 17, 1991.

Bryant, Harold C. and Wallace W. Atwood, Jr. Research and Education in the National Parks. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932.

Crater Lake National Park. "A Trail Guide to Castle Crest", current pamphlet, n.d.

Crater Lake National Park Archives. Park Naturalist Reports, July 31 - August 23, 1929. Crater Lake Oregon.

Crater Lake National Park. "A Delightful Walk" Reflections. Summer 1982, volume 6.

Greene, Linda W. Historic Resource Study, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Denver: Denver Service Center, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984.

Hitchcock, C. Leo and Arthur Cronquist Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1973.

Sontag, William H., Ed. National Park Service: the First 75 Years. Philadelphia: Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1990.

Warfield, Ronald G. Crater Lake: the Story Behind the Scenery. Las Vegas: KC Publications, 1985.

Yocom, Charles F. Shrubs of Crater Lake. San Francisco: Crater Lake Natural History Association, Pisani Printing Company, 1964.

Hall, Ansel F. A Guide to Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. Berkeley: National Parks Publishing house, 1930.

-----, Guide to Yosemite: A Handbook of the Trails and Roads of Yosemite Valley and the Adjacent Region. San Francisco: Sunset Publishing house, 1920.

-----, Yosemite Valley: An Intimate Guide. Berkeley: National Parks Publication house, c.1929.

Mackintosh, Barry. Interpretation in the National Park Service: A Historical Perspective. Washington D.C.: History Division, National Park Service, 1986.

Rath, Frederick L. A Bibliography on Historical Organization Practices. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1975.

Tilden, Freeman. Interpreting our Heritage: Principles and Practices for Visitor Services in Parks, Museums, and Historic Places. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1957.