Transcripts For CSPAN2 Frederick 20240704 : vimarsana.com

CSPAN2 Frederick July 4, 2024

Second part of the Calvin Coolidge centennial Conference Marking the centennial of the 30th residence extension to the white house at 9 30 p. M. Eastern on the presidency pete souza for white house photographer for president S Ronald Reagan and barack obama talked about the daytoday workings of the presidency including the history making moment he witnessed, exploring the american story. Watch American History tv saturdaysn cspan2 and find a full schedule on your Program Guide or watch online anytime cspan. Org history. I am delighted to move us to our second panel. The Conservation Movement and state and National Parks. We are lucky to have lauren meyer a historic on an Landscape Architect serving as moderator kick off speaker for this event. Lauren has a longstanding relationship having edited a master list of Design Projects which i just mentioned, as well as parts of the papers of Frederick Olmsted amiri 12 volumes thousands and thousands of pages. She screw the coach of the friends the nonprofit partner of the Frederick Law Olmsted as well. With that welcome lauren. Thank you dd. If i could figure out the technology here i am going to pull up the next and might need someone. I am not a. User. There it is. Doubleclick in the middle. Different thann mine. [laughter] welcome everyone to session two. I am going to kick off this panel covering sort of a flyover National Park service. Followed by scholar and historian who will do a deeper dive and ending with sam potter who will it talk about thevi important historics and current work of saving and california. We are going to do this panel just boom, boom, boom speaker after speaker in order to create the most time possible for questions from all of you. During olmsted 200 we celebrate the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted senior part i will begin with three areas in which 19th century precedents contributed to this development of the National Park service. Some of these you have of course heard before. First we heard previously about Frederick Law Olmsteds advocacy for reservations such as an niagara and yosemite. It was an important responsibility of government to create parks for the people and of the healing power of natural scenery. There are two other areas where the olmsted firm influence the work of the National Park service. As the first fullscale office of the practice of architecture the olmsted firm developed a site based design process that integrated both Landscape Architecture and preservation into a single project that transforms a given place into a park. Their approach form the basis for conserving large areas with carefully designed public access. This was emulated and expanded by the National Park service and the 20th century and the development of park planning through the creation of general plans as well as more detailed studies for individual park facilities. Third olmsted collaboration with richardson resulted in parks that were enhanced with architectural features inspired utilizing materials for connection between the olmsted firms designed a static on the rustic architecture of the National Park service has been well documented by many including linda mcclellan, Laura Harrison and ethan carr. The National Park service took designed to new heights. Sometimesk called up architecte giving early National Parks a distinctive architectural field. Of character. Was one of the founding members of the American Society of Landscape Architecture jon charles served as its first president. In 1915 National Parks and National Forests. Devoted annual meeting in boston to aon discussion of National Parks. Articles presented by olmstedar junior, manning, James Sturgis and Henry Hubbard all called for an organized somatic approach to creating National Parks with the fundamental goal of preserving natural scenery using the art of eckert and chan of architecture to successfully design your parks. Olmsted also wrote about the importance distinction between National Parks and National Forests. I am referring to olmsted junior mostly in this talk. At that time there already approximately 14 National Parks and 28 National Monuments. But the administration was fractured as we heard earlier amongst the department of interior, war, and agriculture. Sorry i forgot to mention following the meeting olmsted work collaboratively with several legislatures and park advocates to draft the legislation that would create National Park service. Olmsted contribution toward the organic the legislation that created the National Park service as we know it today is its statement of purpose. The olmsted firm was involved in the National Parks in many ways, this included bothl external ad internal advocacy. When i sit external i mean working outside of the National Park service through organizations and congress to advocate and protect existing parks as well as advocating for new ones. Olmsted junior was embroiled in the controversy regarding event before the passage of the organic act and hope to talk more about that. After the 1906 San Francisco fire city officials increase their efforts to expand the citys water supply and select the valley in the northwest part of yosemite National Park is the best option. Olmsted was called upon by many to help fight the proposal. From 1910 until 1913 he wrote letters to members of congress and joined with Many National leaders opposing the project were the most eloquent record of his objection was a lengthy editorial in the boston transcript, noting potential damage to the scenery of the valley, a lack of definitive need for the project the potential precedents that would create regarding private interest and public land. Regardless the bill passed both the house and senates and the project advanced. Olmsted juniors role in the asl a committee such a consultationn with local florida National Park Service Officials regarding potential of the everglades as the new National Park. Ernest company and architect had been promoting the idea at a time when florida was undergoing a surgeon population. Speculation and poaching of a re wildlife and plants. Legislation to investigate the everglades passed in 19209. Olmsted was simultaneously engaged in an adversarial dialogue sterling yard of the National Park association who felt National Parks should be based solely on profound natural scenery. Olmsted argued for a broader interpretation including a wide range of landscape type and ecosystems and habitats including the everglades unique tropical ecosystem. He agreed to lead a special committee of the National Parks association and in january , 32 olmsted and others embarked on an extensive trip by automobile, motor cruiser, small boat, on foot and by blimp and airplane. [laughter] to examine the photos are fabulous by theto way. [laughter] to examine hundreds of miles of the everglades. The outcome was a written resolution of the National Park and hision by olmsted president William Wharton that conveyed the organization strong support which had a critical impact on the passage of legislation to create the park. Olmsted junior also prepared many planett reports for the National Park Service Related to the Current Conditions with recommendations for future actions. In 19209 he traveled to the territory of hawaii he made a detailed report on various issues related to design and planning. With a focus on the section of the island of hawaii part of what was then called hawaii National Park established in 1916. Olmsted reported on the challenges of human use d in development in a fragile setting with significant cultural and Natural Resources and advocated for the preservation of native species and that use implanting projects. He addressed the management of the parks foundry recommending Design Review for areas visible from the park. He wrote extensively on the appropriate design of park facilities in order to preserve the essential quality of the park and for the creation of the general plan. The resultingor report stands aa thorough and thoughtful evaluation of park planning and design in a sensitive, visual, cultural and ecological setting. The first and largest project undertaken by Frederick Law Olmsted junior in his role as National Park service collaborator an official position he held from 1941 until 1950s the Colorado Riverin basin recreational survey. This project came at a time National Park servicece needed a representative to work cooperatively and collaboratively with other federal agencies around the complex issues of water rights, dm construction, waterbased recreation and scenic preservation in the areas southwest. I think it is very, very interesting to think of this project 30 years after the controversy it had become that water was needed but olmsted clearly was so committed to the importance of National Parks he was a great outside entity to help facilitate the National Park Service Interest in this work. In his first set of assignments he covered some 3500 miles in 1941. Resulting in a list of potential recreation sites from Steamboat Springs to Dinosaur National monument and working continually through 1942 in 1943 covering a vast t geographic area. He continued to consult on matters of water and reclamation on the Colorado River as late as 1950 when he was asked to todevelop pros and cons relatedo the inclusion of the echo park and splits the mountain they had in Dinosaur National monument. In 19206, Steven Mather asked olmsted junior for his assistance in evaluating the area in the vicinity and grand Canyon Village of the south rim. Daniel whole had taken of the design of the village but the National Park service remain concerned about the potential expansion of the hotel which was operated by concessionaire. Olmsteds role was to assess if and how the hotel could expand without a detrimental effect on the park and its facility. Its primary concern was preservation of the view the arrival sequence for visitors. And also the canyon. He recommended separating arrival from internal circulation and the establishment of corridors keeping new development away from the rim and creating soil conditions that would facilitate recovery of the landscape through revegetation. Picking up on something talked about the grand canyon is one of the few parks mecca nationall parks were junior was involved in land issues with Indigenous People. When the tribe s the federal government for boundary adjustments to provide more suitable grazing land. What is interesting to note is olmsted provided input because t he was asked to. Solely based on the preservation of the parks scenery. But not on the merits of the proposal. The firm had the longest relationship with yosemite. Olmsted junior began officially advising the National Park service as early as the 1920s related to conflict and overcrowding in Yosemite Valley. In 19208 stepped in as the first chair of the committee of expert advisors. A position he held intermittently until 1953. The committee was to provide guidance and a broad plan for it yosemite that would ensure it scenic preservation of the National Park service considered Park Development to accommodate increasing public use. It also gave the park service the opportunity to address outside criticism by selecting a committee the agencys critics could support. Served with mcduffie with whom his work on the california state park system and a geologists at caltech. The committee studied several locations inn the park and advised on topics from winter orecreation activities to public sanitation, to a proposed cable away from the valley floor up the rock face to palatial points in a lieu of costly road construction, which of course you know he opposed. This work was most often cements the National Park service in the form of letters and reports that did it sometimes require solving sitespecific designs for which olmsted junior turned to the firm for help as in the case of the parking area at glacier point. The proposed development of a new village in Yosemite Valley was a major activity of the board in the late 1930s. Particularly with respect to a public uses were appropriate. Where to locate new trails on how the vehicular circulation and placement of New Buildings would occur. The board also advised on road alignment to minimize potential scarring of the steep slopes and rock cliff that wouldld diminish the parks scenic value. Often involving the olmsted firm and the development of design options. The olmsted firms work and im really just talking about acadia began with bar island in 1908. It was the work on the motor roads that left the greatest imprint on the new National Park. In 19206, daniel hall and thomas visited the road were rockefeller junior was doing his private estate on the island. The patronage of the motor road. Rockefeller contacted the office in 19209 regarding the opportunity in over the next six years the olmsted brothers completed approximately 130 design plans for the park focused primarily on the roads rockefeller hope this would ensure protection of the serene Natural Beauty of the island with the olmsted brothers also serving as a neutral party to mediate differences of opinion with the parks first the superintendent perhaps you are seeing a little theme here. Indi 1937, the National Park Service Director wrote to olmsted junior regarding the design of the memorial at the newly established Great Smoky Mountains National Park this is also funded by jon the d rockefr junior. Henry hubbard stepped in to assist the National Park service rockefeller was design. The new cap site was selected the new design created stone terraces built which provide outstanding views of the gap. Construction of the memorial beganr in 1939 with local labor and local stone served as a setting for the dedication of the parks in 1940. The National Park service also consults with the olmsted firm regarding the bureau of public roads plans and hubbard was appointed as consulting Landscape Architect to assist with the design with you. and in 1951 of olmsted juniors last projects for National Parks was the developmentlo of an poly on wilderness values and National Parks that was necessitated by public concern regarding the preservation of the south appalachian and smoky mountains. As you heard earlier, the Olmsted Brothers Firm made a significant contribution to the public landscape of the National Capitol now managed by the National Park service. In 1901 olmsted junior was appointed to mcmillan also known commission. E park in 1910, the u. S. Commission on fine arts in 19206 the National Capitol and planning commission. The firm understood took in the vicinity of the mall potomac park, the washington monument, the

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