Hubbell Trading Post Cultural Landscape Report

DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES (continued)

Issue 2: Circulation

Historically and to the present day circulation in and around the Hubbell landscape is characteristically informal. As early as 1902 the family had installed boardwalks to reach from one point to another and over time these were replaced with a variety of materials from simple stepping stones to a sidewalk in the vicinity of the residences and guest hogan.

The Park Service has honored the family's vernacular approach to circulation by retaining the gravel parking area and entry drive. The NPS did improve both the parking area and entry drive by surfacing them with gravel over a reinforced and well prepared subgrade. The vernacular nature of the circulation system has been retained by avoiding the use of pavements for these areas and the use of simple stepping stones to facilitate circulation from one point to another such as along the narrow alley between the main residence and the trading post, or simply creating a worn foot path such as that found between the staff housing area and the trading post complex.

With the conversion of the school house to the community chapter house a flagstone walk was added to provide easy access into the old school building. Years later as the building was converted to serve as administrative offices and visitor center and the adjoining pumphouse was converted to provide restroom facilities for visitors and staff alike, additional walks were added to accommodate easy access. In an effort to improve access to this area, a new design meeting federal standards and guidelines for accessibility was developed and although it retains much of the character and feeling of the earlier design there are some changes to the overall alignment.

The new accessible design provides for access in and around the school house/chapter house tract including two accessible parking spaces, the public restrooms, and the visitor center/administrative offices and with minimal effort will provide for easy access to the trading post (refer to figure 109).

Circulation immediately around the Hubbell residence, manager's residence, and guest hogan is also readily accessible yet the rest of the compound and many of the historic structures do not meet the new guidelines for accessibility. Due to the informal character of the historic compound and surrounding agricultural area the introduction of formalized hard surface walks would have an adverse effect upon the overall integrity of this resource. It should be noted however that the relatively level and hard packed ground surface does generally provide a stable, firm, and slip resistant surface for visitors to traverse.