Typology

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Vegetation

Planting Concepts

Prior to implementation of the master plans for Rim Village, the landscape between the lodge and the new entry road was barren and devoid of vegetation. In addition to a predominance of infertile pumice soils, volcanic dust, and sand, the area had been impacted over many years by unrestricted circulation and intense visitor use, resulting in what was described as an "unattractive sand waste." The goal of the landscape architects during the initial implementation of the general development plan was to restore the landscape to its "original beauty," and develop the site so that it could accommodate visitors safely and without further damage to the landscape. This program of landscape restoration and enhancement was called naturalization. In terms of design and composition, three different planting treatments were commonly used at Rim Village:

new plantings -- establishing vegetation where none existed;

supplemental plantings -- adding materials to "fill-out" areas for design or functional purposes; and

integrated plantings -- using vegetation to blend introduced features such as buildings and roads with the surrounding landscape.

All three treatments reflect basic principles and expressions of the Rustic style. For example, new plantings along the linear strip between the Rim Village Road and the caldera were designed to recreate a "natural looking landscape" -- a concept drawn from looking at areas adjacent to Rim Village such as Sun Notch, where natural meadows were broken by small groupings of trees and shrubs. At the rim, recreating this image, in addition to the goal of maintaining views from the road to the lake, led to the development of several small planting beds placed along the entire length of the rim. Trees were planted in clusters and grouped to lend variety in the landscape, but not planted dense enough to obstruct views. Shrubs and herbaceous materials were added to reflect natural associations and plant communities, and sod was transplanted from other areas in the park to provide the appropriate ground cover.

In the summer of 1929, work was underway on the landscape restoration at Rim Village, including large-scale replacement and amendment of infertile soils, the development of test plots, and general clean-up from previous construction.

Nineteen-thirty marked the first full year of planting and naturalization at Rim Village. Eight shrub beds were laid out, starting at the head of the Crater Wall Trail and moving east. Ninety hemlocks, 15 fir trees, and 300 deciduous shrubs were planted in this first season (see Plant Materials, section B, below). In addition to the work at the rim, 27 trees, 5 to 15 feet in height, were root-pruned, dug, and boxed for transplanting the following year.

In 1931, planting continued east an additional 300 feet along the rim. The area outside the parapet was also planted from the Cafeteria as far east as the Sinnott Memorial. There are suggestions that some of this planting was done for the purposes of controlling erosion near the top of the caldera wall, but as discussed by the landscape architects, the primary effect of the planting was to visually extend the landscape so that the parapet appeared to "fit" into the site. Shrubs were planted on either side of the steps leading down to the memorial to mark the trailhead. During the peak construction season at Rim Village, from early August through September, a crew of twelve men was working full-time on the revegetation program. Seven thousand five hundred square feet of sod was transplanted and installed around the shrub beds. Using special equipment the first of the large trees -- prepared the year before -- were moved to the rim, and shrubs were planted on the north side of the lodge.

In 1932, ten additional planting beds were laid out between the Sinnott Memorial and the lodge. Sodding was carried out as far east as the Kiser Studio (although an area immediately around the building was left open in anticipation of the removal of the structure). The entire bank above the Sinnott Memorial was planted and additional shrubs were placed at the southwest corner of the building. Many large trees were moved during this construction season. Three large hemlocks were planted on the west corner of the lodge, two smaller hemlocks were placed on the southeast comer of the Sinnott, and many large hemlock and fir trees were installed in front of the Kiser Studio.

In 1933, the final two acres along the rim, from the Kiser Studio to the lodge, were carefully planted with sod, shrubs, and trees. This area of the rim was the most disturbed and required the greatest amount of work to restore and landscape. Grading was done in order to reestablish "natural" contours along the side of Rim Village Road which had been impacted during construction. Subfill was hauled to fill low spots and peat and top soil were added prior to the plantings. Also during this year, the area in front of the lodge was prepared for planting.

By 1934, the entire area between Rim Village Road, and the caldera was landscaped as designed in the master plan. Three CCC men were stationed full-time at the rim to maintain existing plantings, water, prune, and generally cleanup debris as needed. The next phase of naturalization at Rim Village, which lasted three years, involved the establishment and integration of plantings around individual buildings, and supplemental plantings in the campground for design and functional purposes.

Plant beds were prepared around the Cafeteria and initial plantings were established in order to "improve the ridged appearance that confronts the arriving tourist." Planting areas were also prepared around the lodge and the Community House. As a component of the Rustic design at Rim Village, foundation plantings were an important landscape tool for integrating and easing the demarcation between the building and the ground plane. At the lodge, tall coniferous trees were transplanted and clustered at the corners of the building to give height and define the structure within a landscape context. Shrubs were massed against the building to mask the foundation and reflect indigenous plant associations. During the year, planting was also completed in the circle on the south side of the lodge and along the north side of the building. In the campground, individual units were laid out, each with a stone fireplace, tent site, table, and parking area. Plantings were used to delineate individual spaces and create privacy between sites.

Between 1935 and 1938, 75 small trees, 250 shrubs and 300 miscellaneous plants were planted in the campground and around the lodge and Community House. The following year, 2000 shrubs and 225 small trees (2-4 feet in diameter), and 12 truck loads of sod, were used at the rim in what was called "undifferentiated plantings."