A Study of the Probable Original Layouts, Uses, and Interior Appearance of the Officers' Quarters (HS-11) at American Camp
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Date
2005-12-09
Authors
Lemchen, Aaron
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
A study originally prepared for the National Park Service to guide future restoration and interpretation of a c.1859 Military Officers' Quarters located in San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington State. The building had been modified for residential use after the property was abandoned by the military in 1874. The exterior was restored in 1978 by the National Park Service (NPS) in a way that was incompatible with the modified interior condition of the building, dating from the early twentieth century; the interior of this resource is currently inaccessible to the public. Evidence was developed from contemporary sources including documentation by the Historic American Building Survey (HABS). In addition, original documentation of the site and building were used in combination with current physical investigations to discover locations of former interior walls. Samples of the finishes were recorded and/or physically removed for later analysis.
Information about the layering of finishes, current physical investigation and historical documentation was used to construct a matrix documenting the evolution of the building and its finishes. The matrix consists of 6 periods divided into roughly 3 eras: Military, Agricultural, and Park eras. Based on this analysis 4 approaches to the treatment of this resource were identified: (I) Status Quo, (II) Restoration, (III) Study House, (IV) Hybrid Study House / Restoration. Option IV, was the recommended option for the National Park Service to pursue. It is a zoned approach allowing for the restoration of a wall where there is extensive evidence supporting it, while allowing for its spatially incompatible predecessor from the Agricultural era to be removed. The proposed restored wall will be historically sensitive, yet spatially compatible, on the east side of the building. In contrast the west side of the building would be left unmodified, preserving interior finishes from the agricultural era. The goal of this treatment plan is to interpret the historical change over time that has occurred within this resource and the landscape that surrounds it.
Description
122 pages
Keywords
San Juan, Historic architectural context, historic preservation, physical investigation, HS-11