martinhouseclr

138 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT Unlike many historic properties, the existing conditions of the Martin House landscape can be broadly characterized as being in a tabula- rasa condition. The landscape that existed throughout most of the property’s history, potentially historically significant or otherwise, has been compromised so substantially that most of it exists as merely open lawn waiting for an appropriate treatment. This is the result of both the demolition of original historic buildings and the more recent architectural reconstruction treatments that have taken place on the property within the past decade. Regardless of this condition, it is essential to document the existing landscape to substantiate the landscape preservation and treatment process. Therefore, this chapter provides a descriptive narrative of the Martin House landscape as it exists today. It includes a general overview of existing conditions, an existing conditions plan and photographs, and a descriptive documentation of the Martin House’s existing landscape characteristics. The chapter also provides a brief description of existing site functions, universal access, and an overall conditions assessment (state of physical repair; Good, Fair, Poor, Unknown) which summarizes any notable conditions issues within various landscape components. The content is based on investigative research and interviews with Martin House Restoration Corporation staff, a detailed digital instrument-survey, and on-the-ground site inventory and observation. The digital site survey was completed 17 June 2014 by Frandina Engineering and Land Surveying. Existing Landscape Characteristics The following landscape characteristics, which are based on the classification system developed within the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes, have been documented as existing within the Martin House landscape as of July 2014. Where appropriate, the characteristics have been descriptively organized by designated landscape unit in order to simplify understanding and location within the overall landscape. Visual and Spatial Organization The current visual and spatial organization of the Martin House landscape is dominated by the definition, barriers, and views created and provided by the architecture, site structures, circulation, and its relationship to the street and adjacent (off-site buildings). The house is distinctly set back from the public street compared to nearby residences and the massiveness of the landscape, as well as a pervasive open-to-the-sky character, is amplified by the lack of vegetative features. Even with substantial setbacks, it is the arrangement of buildings that dictate the house’s visual presence to the public realm, and that itself is amplified by the distinctive architecture. The historic core of the landscape currently reads as a matrix of defined spaces created by the buildings, structures, and circulation networks arranged on the property. These include a perceived “front yard,” encompassing the Jewett frontage, a “side yard” along the Summit frontage, a series of individually isolated terraces enclosed by projecting architecture or landscape walls, and a visually isolated “back yard.” The back yard is further defined into a series of subspaces, present at varying scales, defined by architecture, structures, a water feature, and circulation routes. The relationship between the buildings and the public right-of-way dictate the house’s visual presence from the street, which can be characterized as open in most areas, though subdivided by several interrelated architectural features. Nearly all views from the interior spaces of the house towards the street frontages (and across the yards) are greatly influenced by the high finished floor elevations, promoting near top- down views to adjacent landscape areas and a larger-than-human scale view of the landscape as a whole. This effect is dramatically noticeable when a relatable scale figure (another human) is standing or walking across the yard, making the landscape (with its distinct lack of plant material) seem unusually enormous. The Jewett Frontage is partially enclosed from the west by the large copper beech tree and the smaller setback of the adjacent house (143 Jewett), but looking eastward, no features of the landscape serve to frame or terminate views. Some low landscape beds and a walkway on the Existing Conditions 3