Hubbell Trading Post Cultural Landscape Report

TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS (continued)

Issue 4: Routine Maintenance and View Management

Because the entire 160 acres that comprise the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site fall within the designated boundaries of the cultural landscape and include not only a vast array of significant, character-defining landscape features as well as significant architectural and archeological resources, all routine maintenance activities should be evaluated for potential impacts to the site's resources.

Routine maintenance activities should focus on the long term preservation of all of the site's significant resources and should be evaluated from an integrated, multi-disciplinary perspective. This should include even the most basic of maintenance actions such as controlled watering of the historic lawn to ensure that the surrounding areas (ie. the original trading post complex) are not adversely affected by run-off waters or insuring that repair of historic features such as the stile are replaced "in-kind" with like materials.

Even though the park housing and maintenance areas are located within an approved development zone for management the need for appropriate view management is essential as this area marks the entry into the historic site. The re-establishment of the row of cottonwoods that once marked the edge of one of the historic agricultural fields (now the park housing area) should be considered to provide an historically appropriate view screen for the new housing area. The cottonwoods should be planted using the approximate location and spacing as was used historically. The introduction of an earthen berm or a thick vegetative hedge — two ideas that have been proposed by others, should be avoided as these treatments will likely draw more attention to the area.

Other view management concerns should routinely be addressed prior to the introduction of any new or contemporary features within the historic landscape ranging from signage to picnic facilities.

The preservation of existing desirable views should also be considered with regard to proposed developments on adjacent lands beyond the park boundaries. The park staff should work with the community and potential developers to encourage the use of compatible materials, building scale, colors and overall siting to avoid unnecessary impacts to the visual quality of the historic resource.

Figure 108. Accessible design, visitor contact station and administrative offices: existing conditions. (click on image for a enlargement in a new window)

Figure 109. Accessible design, visitor contact station and administrative offices: design alternatives. (click on image for a enlargement in a new window)

Figure 110. Accessible design, visitor contact station and administrative offices: site development history. (click on image for a enlargement in a new window)

Figure 111. Recommended treatment for rehabiltation of agricultural fields. (click on image for a enlargement in a new window)