NPS Cultural Landscapes

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President Jimmy Carter had a lifelong association with the Plains Depot. As a boy, he often played at the station or caught the train to nearby Americus to visit the movie theater. When he announced his candidacy for the President of the United States, Carter designated the Plains Depot as official headquarters for his 1976 campaign. Built around 1890, the Plains Depot was one of the first buildings constructed in town. By the 1950s, the depot had drifted into disrepair. To prepare for the campaign team, local residents, friends, and relatives of the Carters took it upon themselves to retrofit the interior of the building. Volunteers also decorated its exterior with green trim, spread pine straw mulch around newly-planted Crape myrtles and evergreen shrubs, and laid a gravel parking lot. On January 19, 1977, the day before Carter’s inauguration, more than 100 campaigners boarded a train bound for Washington D.C.’s Union Station. It was the first time the tracks had been used for passenger transport since 1951. Today, the Plains Depot closely resembles its former appearance as the Carter campaign’s official headquarters. A 2019 Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for the Plains Depot documents the layered history of the landscape, evaluates the current condition, and recommends actions to preserve it into the future. To residents of the small Georgia town, the Plains Depot has long stood as a literal and figurative center of the community. To people around the country and the world, it has become a connection to the life and legacy of the 39th President. 🔗 More about this cultural landscape: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/plains-train-depot-550105.htm 🔗 Download the CLR: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2278025 For more in the memory of President James (Jimmy) Earl Carter, Jr., visit nps.gov/jica or @jimmycarternps . #PresidentCarter #NationalParkService #CarterLegacy #CulturalLandscape #PlainsGA #JimmyCarter #HistoricPreservation #nps 📷 NPS / WLA Studio

This week, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis joined White House officials, prominent historians, museum leaders, conservation leaders, Members of Congress, and others to highlight the recent Executive Order to strengthen the recognition of women’s history within the @nationalparkservice . The event also announced the launch of new women’s history virtual exhibition, “Home and Homelands,” that invites viewers to consider how women played a central role in defining and defending the concept of “home.” It showcases how women have been at the heart of community building, making connections across cultures, fighting against exclusion and for change, and reclaiming their homelands and cultural practices throughout the Pacific West and across American history. The exhibition was made possible, in part, by a Women in Parks grant from the @nationalparkfoundation . The exhibit draws from the museum collections and resources of over 30 national parks and was developed with input, time, and expertise from members of Tribal Nations, descendant communities, NPS staff, and other subject matter experts. Take a look: https://go.nps.gov/PWR-Home-Homelands 📷Photo: Katherine ah Lan Lowe and four other women training with fire hose, from left to right: Elizabeth Moku, Alice Cho, Katherine Lowe, and Hilda Van Gieson, ca. 1940s. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/katherine-ah-lan-lowe.htm

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Arborist (WG7) Shiloh National Military Park Closes 4/29/24 Details and apply: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/787573100 Candidates aren't required to have ISA certification but should have a passion for preserving historic trees and establishing new trees in the national cemetery. Help to shape the rehabilitation of the historic landscape and become part of a growing network of NPS National Cemetery Preservation Stewards. More details: nps.gov/shil nps.gov/nationalcemeteries #NPS #preservation #culturallandscape #Tennessee #arborist #horticulture #npscareers #landscapestewardship @shilohnps

Hey @nationalhistoriclandmarknps we saw your message. And guess what? @charlesyoungnps is only an hour away and is on our cultural landscape bucket list. Ohio road trip! In 1907, Charles Young and his wife Ada bought the nearly 80-acre property in Wilberforce, Ohio and called it “Youngsholm.” Colonel Charles Young was the highest ranking African American commanding officer in the United States Army from 1894 until his death in 1922. He had an assignment to Wilberforce College as a professor of Military Science and Tactics (1894–1899), and later served three tours of duty as a military attaché. In 1903, Young served as acting superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant (now Kings Canyon) National Parks while commanding troops of the 9th US Cavalry, commonly called “Buffalo Soldiers.” Youngsholm was the backdrop to Charles Young’s distinguished military career, even though he traveled frequently. He continued to be involved in life at Youngsholm while Ada oversaw daily management of the household and farm. Through the years, they improved their property with new building construction, expanded agriculture and livestock, and the addition of perennial beds, fruit trees, and shrubs around the house. Youngsholm also became a social and intellectual hub for the many leaders, performers, and students who visited the Youngs. ➡You can read about the historic landscape before a visit: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/charles-young-buffalo-soldiers-cultural-landscape-975798.htm#14/39.7098/-83.8935 And guess what, it’s also a #NationalHistoricLandmark! Perfect pairing for an Ohio road trip! nps.gov/chyo #PlanForVacationDay #PlanLikeAParkRanger #FindYourPark #culturallandscape #roadtrip #ohio #BlackHistory 📷: 1) January 30, 2024 is National Plan for Vacation Day! 2) Colonel Charles Young (seated) and family gather at Youngsholm (ca. 1908). It shows the shrub-lined lawn beside the house, which was a common location for play and posed photographs (in NPS Cultural Landscape Report).

Picture this: A summer immersed in the gardens of Eleanor Roosevelt, activist and former First Lady. A landscape shaped by Beatrix Farrand, one of the first female landscape architects in America. Just a train ride from New York City. Interested? ➡ Apply for a Landscape Stewardship Corps internship today! More than 30 paid positions focused on cultural landscapes – from the White House to Yosemite – will be open for the next few weeks. Many include free park housing. Young adults (to age 30, or 35 if a veteran), especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in the horticulture and historic preservation trades, are encouraged to apply for these 26-week opportunities. ➡ Check out the program details and apply: https://go.nps.gov/LandscapeStewardshipCorps 📷: 1 and 2) Gardens at Hyde Park, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (NPS); 3) Early view of the swimming pool and surrounding landscape at Val-Kill in 1940, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (NPS/Cook-Dickerman Collection). #NPSHydePark #HomeofFranklinDRoosevelt #EleanorRooseveltNHS #VanderbiltMansionNHS #FDRHomeGarden #GardensoftheHudsonValley #NewYork #NPS #FindYourPark #CulturalLandscape #LandscapePreservation #BeatrixFarrandGardenAssociation #historicpreservation #internship #NYinternship #horticulture #landscapearchitecture @americanconservationexperience @nps_hydepark @npsyouth

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Biological Science Technician Are you at the intersection of landscape preservation AND education? Apply now: Seasonal GS-7 position open in Philadelphia, PA. Support landscape training programs, dive into horticulture and arboriculture curriculum development, and learn about other projects in the regional office. 📌Application closes 1/18/24 Full details and apply: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/769685200 📷: Students use a variety of instructional materials, in the classroom and in the field, during the Arborist Training Program course (NPS). #NPSjobs #landscapepreservation #culturallandscapes #training #horticulture #education #landscapemaintenance #arboriculture #historicplants #historiclandscapes #job #science #culturalresources

Interested in spending this summer in the rolling hills of Cornish, New Hampshire, working under the mentorship of expert horticulturists in the gardens of the artist Saint-Gaudens? Apply for a Landscape Stewardship Corps position today! More than 30 paid positions focused on cultural landscapes – from the White House to Yosemite – will be open for the next few weeks! Many include free park housing. Young adults (to age 30, or 35 if a veteran), especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in the horticulture and historic preservation trades, are encouraged to apply for these 26-week opportunities. ➡ Check out the program details and apply at: https://go.nps.gov/LandscapeStewardshipCorps (or link in story) Please share, and stay tuned to learn about more opportunities and locations. 📷: Features of the Pan Grove at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. The original statue was placed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens around 1893, when the garden was designed. While the original statue has since been reproduced, characteristics of the garden still reflect the historic landscape. A tall hedge and birch trees create the sense of an outdoor room, which contains a three-sided wood bench that faces a small pool, fountain, a gilded statue of Pan, and views to Mount Ascutney. More at nps.gov/saga #historicpreservation #internships #culturallandscape #landscapepreservation #FindYourPark #garden @nationalparkservice @hhpreserveitnps @saintgaudensnps

Making plans for 2024? Are you looking for mentoring, hands-on experience, and an opportunity to connect your interests in environment and history? ➡ Apply now for Landscape Stewardship Corps positions! Through the Landscape Stewardship Corps (LSC), a program of the National Park Service in partnership with American Conservation Experience, participants train and work alongside experienced NPS staff to care for historic #culturallandscapes as they learn the fundamentals of landscape preservation and practical skills in horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, and public land management. Young people (age 18-30, or to 35 if a veteran) interested in landscape conservation—especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in the horticulture and historic preservation trades—are encouraged to apply for these 26-week, park-based immersive positions. Prior landscape or preservation experience is not required. ➡ Learn more about the program and find current openings and deadlines: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1098/landscape-stewardship-corps.htm (link in story) Check back for new position listings, and please share! 📷Photos: 1) Tall, colorful flowers bloom near a greenhouse at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont, one of the sites hosting a LSC position in 2024. 2) Lines of uniform, white grave markers stretch over the Andersonville National Cemetery landscape behind the New Jersey Monument. One of the LSC positions is located at Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia. (NPS) #historicpreservation #internships #culturallandscape #landscapepreservation #FindYourPark @nationalparkservice @nps_hptc #horticulture

Many national park units commemorate and honor the service of American military veterans through this nation's history. The National Park Service also recognizes the ongoing contributions of employees who have served in the armed forces. ➡ Hear from three veterans on their military service and their care for the landscapes of NPS national cemeteries: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalcemeteries/people.htm Commemorating Veterans Day around the NPS: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/veterans-day.htm More on NPS National Cemeteries: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalcemeteries/index.htm 📷Image: AJ Gilland, in NPS uniform, bends to spray the surface of a grave marker as part of headstone cleaning at Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Cemetery (NPS). #VeteransDay #Preservation #CulturalLandscape

New Cultural Landscape Profile! Located along the southern edge of the Tidal Basin close to the Jefferson Memorial, the George Mason Memorial offers peaceful seclusion from the activity of nearby downtown Washington, D.C. Here, visitors can experience the intimate design and bright floral blooms of the historic designed landscape, while also catching views toward the Potomac River and Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge. George Mason was a Virginian politician in the latter half of the 1700s and the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which influenced Thomas Jefferson while drafting the Declaration of Independence. While the George Mason Memorial is relatively new addition to the landscape (dedicated April 9, 2002), the #garden landscape was in place much earlier. Fountain No. 4, one of the oldest features in West Potomac Park, appears much the same as it did in 1905. The Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital designated the space around Fountain No. 4 as a flower display area in 1931, formalizing it as the pansy garden. The varieties of flowers have changed through the years, but the concentric planting beds remained a constant. Construction began on the nearby Thomas Jefferson Memorial in 1938 and continued until 1943. Between 1965 and 1966, new flowers, shrubs, and trees were introduced to the site as part of Lady Bird Johnson’s Beautification Program. Groundbreaking for the memorial began October 18, 2000. The George Mason Memorial was rehabilitated between 2017 and 2019. In 2022, the @nationalparkservice documented the history, significance, and features of the landscape for the Cultural Landscapes Inventory. This care and documentation of the cultural landscape help ensure that the George Mason Memorial will continue to serve as a place of respite and reflection for years to come. Discover more in the #culturallandscape profile: 🔗https://go.nps.gov/600gpz Part of @nationalmallnps : nps.gov/nama nps.gov/cultural landscapes #FindYourPark #preservation