Preliminary Inventory Of The Records Of The National Park Service
(Record Group 78)

Inventory

RECORDS OF REGIONAL OFFICES

RECORDS OF REGION I

Region I was established in 1937 with headquarters in Richmond. It was responsible for the following 23 States: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida. In 1953 Region V was established with headquarters in Philadelphia, including the following States formerly in Region I: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and part of West Virginia. Since 1962 Region I has been known as the Southeast Region. The numerical designation is used in this inventory because most of the records are for the years when the region included more than the Southeastern States.

The records of Region I include records of some of the Emergency Conservation Work districts established in 1933.

81.CENTRAL CLASSIFIED FILES. 1936-52. 62 ft.

Divided into general records and records relating to individual areas in alphabetical order. Thereunder arranged according to the decimal subject classification system used in the central files (see entry 7). Within headings and subheadings the records are usually arranged chronologically. There are a few records dated before 1936; and comparatively few records dated after 1946.

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, narrative and statistical reports, procedural issuances, naps, photographs, estimates and justifications, congressional bills and documents, tables, and clippings.

82.RECORDS CONCERNING WORK IN STATES. 1935-44. 179 ft.

Arranged alphabetically by State, including the District of Columbia, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Virgin Islands, and thereunder according to the decimal subject classification system used in the central office (see entry 7), with some arranged by subject. Frequently within decimal classifications or subject headings, records are arranged by project number. Within headings and subheadings the records are usually arranged chronologically; but when the same heading was used by more than one office, the records of each office are separated. There are not records of every office for each State. Among the records for Virginia are some, mostly those of inspectors, of a more general nature. Comparatively few records are dated after 1942.

Included are correspondence, memoranda, narrative reports, work progress reports, inspection reports, accident reports, geological reports, completed questionnaires, procedural issuances, press releases, maps, plans, photographs, clippings, copies of periodicals and other publications, estimates, bids, contracts, requisitions, purchase orders, vouchers, travel orders, applications for employment, and time sheets. Chiefly records of the regional office relating to the State park program, but other records have been incorporated. These include records of the Recreation Planning Division or Recreation Study (see entry 97); records of the regional geologist (see entry 91); records of the New York Procurement Office; records of ECW district offices, inspectors, and field supervisors; records of H. E. Weatherwax of the Central office relating to the North Carolina Beach Erosion Control Project; and records of the Swift Creek Recreational Demonstration Area. For some of these offices there are records concerning Federal areas.

83.CORRESPONDENCE OF THE REGIONAL OFFICERS WITH DISTRICT OFFICES. 1936-37. 3 ft.

Arranged by district and thereunder for the most part in chronological order.

Related chiefly to administrative matters. Included are some correspondence concerning rather than with the offices; correspondence of the ECW district offices (with some records dated 1934-35); and form reports, procedural issuances, plans, estimates, requisitions, vouchers, travel authorizations, and clippings.

84.RECORDS CONCERNING WPA PROJECTS. 1936-42. 3 ft.

There are general records and records relating to activities in New York and North Carolina. Thereunder some of the general records are arranged by district; but most of the records are arranged according to the decimal system used in the central office (see entry 7).

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, reports, memoranda, applications for camps, job estimate and allotment requests, project allotment requests, notices of concurrence, work programs outlines, procedural issuances, lists, plans, maps, photographs, estimates, and requisitions.

85.RECORDS CONCERNING JOBS AND CONTRACTS. 1936-42. 2 ft.

Arranged alphabetically by area. Thereunder divided into records relating to jobs and records relating to contracts. Thereunder arranged in part by job number and in part in rough chronological order. There are records only for areas with initials S-V.

Included are memoranda, correspondence, job application and completion record forms, plans, maps, photographs, estimates, specifications, abstracts of bids, contracts, and requisitions concerning individual jobs on CCC, WPA, and PWA projects, and contracts for goods and services on Federal areas.

86.INSPECTION REPORTS. 1938-43. 3 ft.

Arranged for the most part alphabetically by State and thereunder by project, or alphabetically by name of inspector or field supervisor and thereunder chronologically.

Chiefly two kinds of form reports: one for single inspections of particular areas or projects and one for monthly reports of inspectors. There are also a few narrative reports, photographs, processed memoranda, and other records. There are other such reports among other records of Region I, especially the monthly reports (entry 87) and the 207-26 classification of the records concerning State work (entry 82).

87.MONTHLY REPORTS. 1936-41. 18 ft.

Arranged chronologically. Many of these records are designated by the 207-02 classification of the Park Service decimal classification system (entry 7).

Narrative reports submitted by supervisors, inspectors, and technicians—including engineers, landscape architects, historians, geologists, wildlife technicians, archeologists, and foresters. There are also some form reports from inspectors similar to those described in entry 86 and correspondence. Many of the reports include photographs, maps, and other illustrative material. For other monthly reports, see entries 93 and 98.

88.MASTER PLANS. 1935-42. 4 ft.

Arranged alphabetically by State and thereunder by area or project, with some separate plans for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Maplike depictions of work to be done in Federal and State park areas. Some letters, reports, memoranda, routing sheets, and other records accompany the plans. For other records concerning the plans, see the 600-01 classification of the records described in entries 81 and 82; see also the central office master plans (entry 32).

89.RECORDS OF ROBERT T. FROST, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. 1934-38. 2 in.

Arranged by subject and thereunder chronologically.

Letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, reports, maps, and plans relating especially to Public Works Administration projects in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

90. RECORDS OF THE REGIONAL ENGINEER CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS. 1936-43. 4 ft.

Arranged alphabetically by State, thereunder alphabetically by area, and thereunder in rough chronological order.

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, reports, tables, maps, plans, graphs, charts, drawings, photographs, and computation sheets. Most of the dams were in State parks or recreational demonstration areas.

91.RECORDS OF THE REGIONAL GEOLOGIST. 1935-42. 9 ft.

There are general records, arranged for the most part by subject and thereunder chronologically; and there are records relating to activities in individual States, arranged alphabetically by State, thereunder for the most part by project or area, and thereunder in rough chronological order. There are some records for States arranged by name of correspondent, type of record, or subject.

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, narrative reports, drilling reports, well data forms, maps, plans, drawings, photographs, charts, tables, lists, clippings, brochures, and copies of publications. Most of the records relate to dam and reservoir construction, drilling wells for water, or geological studies and displays in Federal and State areas. The records for some States are among those relating to State work described in entry 82.

Records of the Regional Wildlife Technician

Records for the years 1936-42 are described in entries 92-96. In December 1939 the duties and personnel of the Wildlife Division of the Park Service were transferred to the Bureau of Biological Survey and the Bureau of Fisheries. (These two agencies were merged on June 30, 1940, to form the Fish and Wildlife Service.) The Regional Wildlife Technicians were transferred to the Bureau of Biological Survey and called Regional Biologists. They continued to work at the regional offices of the Park Service, however. The records of the Regional Biologist assigned to Region I were kept among the regional office records.

92.GENERAL RECORDS. 1936-42. 5 ft.

Arranged in part alphabetically by subject, in pat alphabetically by State and thereunder by project or area, and in part by name of employee. Within individual heading the records are arranged chronologically.

Included are correspondence, memoranda, reports, tables, maps, photographs, procedural issuances, copies of publications, and receipts for property.

93.MONTHLY REPORTS. 1936-40. 5 in.

Arranged alphabetically by name of technician and thereunder chronologically. For other monthly reports of wildlife technicians, see entry 87.

Narrative reports of the regional wildlife technician and associate and assistant wildlife technicians. Also included are one annual report for fiscal year 1942 and three quarterly reports, 1940-42, of the regional biologist. Some of the reports include photographs or maps.

94.WEEKLY REPORTS OF THE REGIONAL BIOLOGIST. 1940-42. 1/2 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Form reports that give a daily summary of the itinerary and activities.

95.SPECIAL REPORTS. 1936-41. 4 in.

For the most part arranged alphabetically by name of individual submitting report.

Chiefly narrative reports of surveys and inspections. Some of the reports contain photographs and maps.

96.REPORTS OF STUDENT TECHNICIANS. 1937-38. 1 ft.

Arranged by year and thereunder alphabetically by name of student.

Narrative reports—often with photographs, maps, drawings, or tables—prepared by students employed during the summers.

Records of the Regional Supervisor of the Recreation-Area Study

97.GENERAL RECORDS. 1936-43. 6 ft.

In part arranged chronologically and in part arranged by subject, usually in alphabetical order, with some subheadings, and thereunder chronologically. The subjects include several area studies.

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, reports, maps, charts, tables, procedural issuances, press releases, drafts and copies of publications relating to the Park, Parkways, and Recreation-Area Study, a nationwide program conducted in cooperation with State and local governments to assist in planning the development of facilities. Among the records relating to a National Resources Planning Board study of the southeastern States are some of State Supervisor Charles M. Graves that he sent to the regional office when he was transferred to another post in 1941. Records relating to activities in individual States are among the records described in entry 82.

98.MONTHLY REPORTS. 1937-42. 2 ft.

Arranged chronologically.

Narrative reports on recreation study planning activities submitted by the regional supervisor, State supervisors, assistant State supervisors, recreation planners, recreation specialists, and park planners. Tables, charts, and other illustrations are often included. From January through April 1937 the reports were submitted weekly. For reports maintained in the central office, see entry 55.

99. FEDERAL PARK USE STUDY REPORTS. 1940-41. 8 in.

Arranged alphabetically by name of area and thereunder chronologically.

Monthly form reports, sometimes accompanied by memoranda, for 24 National Park Service areas.

100.RECORDS CONCERNING THE FIRST NATIONAL REPORTS ON THE RECREATION STUDY. 1939-40. 9 in.

Arranged by chapter.

Drafts of chapters, memoranda, and correspondence.

Records concerning Recreational Demonstration Areas

101.RECORDS CONCERNING LAND ACQUISITIONS FOR RECREATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AREAS. 1934-45. 15 ft.

There are some general records arranged roughly by subject, but most of the records are arranged alphabetically by State. For the States there are general records and records relating to individual areas or projects. Thereunder the records are usually divided to some extent by subject or type of record. For some projects there are records relating to individual tracts arranged alphabetically by owner or by assigned numbers.

Included are correspondence, narrative reports, memoranda, offers to sell land, notices of acceptance, options, leases, appraisal reports, tract ownership data forms, weekly tract reports, tables, cumulative acquisition charts, schedules of land in purchase areas, acreage determination certificates, maps, plats, plans, opinions of attorneys, notices of disbursement, and photographs. Records transferred from other regional offices, district offices, offices of area attorneys, and Resettlement Administration offices have been incorporated. Comparatively few records are dated after 1939. See also the records of the central office relating to the purchase of land for recreational demonstration areas (entry 50).

102.CORRESPONDENCE WITH RESETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL OFFICES CONCERNING RECREATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. 1935-36. 3 in.

Arranged alphabetically by city and thereunder in rough chronological order. Related letters are often fastened together.

Letters received and copies of letters sent, with some other records as enclosures. There is correspondence with offices in Montgomery, Ala.; New Haven, Conn.; and Raleigh, N. C.

103.RECORDS RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL RECREATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. 1934-41. 1 ft.

Except for some general reports at the beginning, arranged alphabetically by State. Most of the records for Oak Mountain are arranged by job number; those for Virginia Waysides are arranged alphabetically by name of individual wayside and thereunder by job number.

Included are correspondence, job application and completion forms, job estimate and allotment requests, estimates and justifications, notices of concurrences, job record forms, job routing sheets, narrative reports, accident reports, specifications, maps, blueprint plans and profiles, and photographs. Most of the records relate to the Oak Mountain project in Alabama or the Virginia Waysides project (roadside parks).

Records of Colonial National Historical Park

Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia was established as Colonial Monument in 1930 and given its present designation in 1936. It comprises most of Jamestown Island, Yorktown, a 22 mile parkway connecting these and other colonial sites with Williamsburg, and Cape Henry Memorial (transferred from the War Department in 1939). The park headquarters is at Yorktown..

On March 15, 1936, the superintendent was designated coordinating superintendent for Cowpens National Battlefield Site, Guiford Courthouse National Military Park, Kings Mountain National Military Park, and Moores Creek National Military Park. He was relieved of responsibility for these areas in 1943, 1953, 1938, and 1953, respectively.

The records of Colonial National Historical Park include those of Yorktown National Cemetery for the period before 1933 when it was under War Department control.

104.CLASSIFIED FILES. 1930-54. 16 ft.

Divided into general records and records relating to each of the four areas under the supervision of the superintendent in his capacity as coordinating superintendent. Thereunder arranged according to a slightly modified version of the decimal classification system used in the central office (see entry 7).

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, narrative and statistical reports, procedural issuances, tables, charts, minutes, estimates, press releases, maps, plans, photographs, clippings, copies of publications, and programs for observances. Many of the records relate to the observance of the Yorktown sesquicentennial in 1931 and subsequent annual celebrations. Comparatively few records are dated after 1946.

Records of Yorktown National Cemetery

105.LETTERS RECEIVED FROM THE DEPOT QUARTERMASTER, WASHINGTON, D. C. July 13, 1915-Sept. 9, 1916. 1 vol. 1/2 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Original letters pasted in a volume. There are some accounting records in the volume.

106.LETTERS RECEIVED. 1916-30. 2 vols. 2 in.

Arranged chronologically. For the years 1922-29 there is a separate subject index (entry 107). For 1930 there is a subject index in the volume.

Handwritten copies. Most of the letters were received from the successive supervising quartermaster offices. During 1930 sometimes only abstracts were made.

107.INDEX TO LETTERS RECEIVED. 1922-29. 1 vol. 1/2 in.

Alphabetical subject index for part of the letters described in entry 106.

108.LETTERS RECEIVED. Sept. 19, 1931-May 25, 1932. 1/2 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Original letters and copies of circulars in a ring binder. Most were received from the Office of the Quartermaster of the Third Corps Area. One circular is dated October 17, 1932.

109.LETTERS SENT. 1916-30. 2 vols. 3 in.

Arranged chronologically. For the years 1922-29 there is a separate subject index (entry 110). For 1930 there is an index in the volume.

Handwritten copies. Most of the letters were sent to the successive supervising Quartermaster offices. During 1930 sometimes only abstracts were made.

110.INDEX TO LETTERS SENT. 1922-29. 1 vol. 1/2 in.

Alphabetical subject index for part of the letters described in entry 109.

111.LETTERS SENT. Sept 21, 1931-May 31, 1932. 1/2 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Typewritten copies in a ring binder. Most of the letters were sent to the Office of the Quartermaster of the Third Corps Area.

112.QUARTERLY REPORTS. 1917-25. 1/2 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Standard forms completed by the superintendent. One 1930 report differs.

113.INTERMENT REPORTS. 1910-29. 1 in.

Arranged chronologically.

Standard forms completed monthly by the superintendent. They were included to provide information concerning individual burials; but for most months the reports indicate there were no interments or disinternments.

Records of Petersburg National Battlefield

Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia was established as Petersburg National Military Park in 1926, transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933, and given its present designation in 1962. Its records include correspondence of the Petersburg National Military Park Commission and the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial Park Commission (entry 115).

114.GENERAL RECORDS. 1935-53. 1 ft.

Arranged according to the decimal system used in the central office (entry 7), but there are records under only a few classifications.

Included are correspondence, memoranda, narrative and statistical reports, tables, schedules, estimates and justifications, specifications, procedural issuances, and photographs. There are some records that were transferred from the Colonial National Historical Park.

115.CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PETERSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION AND THE FREDERICKSBURG AND SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY BATTLEFIELDS MEMORIAL PARK COMMISSION. 1928-33. 4 in.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and thereunder chronologically.

Letters received, copies of letters sent, and some other records. These two commissions were organized under the War Department to supervise the establishment of the two parks. The records of the two commissions were probably interfiled by Lt. Col. Arthur E. Wilbourn, who served as a member and secretary of both.

RECORDS OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

The system of Federal parks in the District of Columbia, established by an act of July 16, 1790 (1 Stat. 130), became a unit of the Park Service on August 10, 1933. It had previously been directed by a succession of offices, ending with the Office Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, which was merged with the Park Service in 1933. The system of National Capital Parks has been operated as a separate unit of the Park Service since that year, and in 1962 it was made the sixth region, the National Capital Region. It included the Mall, Rock Creek Park, Potomac Park, Theodore Roosevelt Island, numerous smaller parks and recreation areas (including circles and triangles at intersections), cemeteries, parkways, the White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and other memorials, statues, and historic structures in and about the District of Columbia. For photographic and cartographic records of the National Capital Region maintained apart from the textual records, see entries 138-141 and 153-158.

116.RECORDS RELATING TO REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING. 1925-37. 1 ft.

Arranged for the most part by job and thereunder chronologically.

Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, advertisements for proposals, specifications, proposals, abstracts of proposals, estimates, contracts, bonds, insurance policies, invoices, drawings, and plans. Almost all these records were created by the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, which was merged with the Park Service in 1933.

117.DRAWINGS AND TABLES CONCERNING ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES. 1934. 2 in.

Blueprint drawings, calculations, and record of work done by the Fort Pitt Bridge Works.

118."CABINET SKETCHES" OF THE THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL. n.d. 1 in.

Nine architectural drawings showing exterior and interior views and floor plans of the John Russell Pope design for the memorial. There were probably submitted to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission sometime between 1937 and 1943. Other records of the Commission have been kept by the National Capital Region.

119.REGISTER OF BURIALS AT BATTLEGROUND NATIONAL CEMETERY. n.d. 1 vol. 2 in.

Entries for individual burials give name, rank, company, regiment, date of death, grave mark, and sometimes other information. The dates of death are from 1864 to 1936. There are also some copies of records concerning the case of James Millay vs. the United States, involving a dispute over land acquired for the cemetery.

120. REGISTER OF VISITORS AT BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL CEMETERY. 1879-1903. 1 vol. 1 in.

The entries are chronological. Some newspaper photographs, chiefly of World War I soldiers have been pasted in the volume.

121.CLIPPINGS CONCERNING WASHINGTON, D. C. 1934-37. 3 vols. 1 ft.

Arranged in rough order by subject and thereunder chronologically.

Mostly mounted in scrapbooks, but some items are loose. They relate to construction, use of parks, trees, police protection, the White House, and other subjects.