martinhouseclr

204 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT As the property has been determined to have local significance under Criterion B for being the private residence of Darwin D. Martin, the owner’s continued influence does not negatively affect the overall treatment or interpretation of the landscape. Nevertheless, it does present complications when attempting to identify and accurately restore individual garden spaces. Impacts of Reconstruction: Prior treatments to the property include several substantial historic building reconstructions. These reconstructions were performed at a scale that required substantial disturbances to the grounds, including the addition of substantial underground utility infrastructure (including geothermal wells), removal of mature trees, construction vehicle access and materials storage, soil compaction, and likely leftover construction debris within the soil profile. The impacts of these reconstruction activities may require extensive mitigation measures and/or some level of alteration to the preferred treatments. Management Resources: In general, management and treatment resources are limited. The level of required vegetative management and maintenance must remain at levels that are operationally sustainable for the Martin House Restoration Corporation. Thus, concessions in accuracy may be required for the rehabilitation treatment of some vegetative features in order to maintain an appropriate level of management with current resources. Variation in Documentation: Due to the stated variation between photographic documentation of the designed landscape and historic design plans, it was necessary to identify a substantial amount of the property’s historic plant material from the photographic record. There are a large amount of photographs in the record, yet the quality and scale of most photographic records was insufficient to accurately identify all visible plants. Desire to Safeguard Features: Based on significant prior investments and the current use context, there is a desire by the Martin House Restoration Corporation to not perform treatments that may compromise historic or reconstructed structures or cause a potentiality excessive maintenance burden by reintroducing some aspects of the historic landscape documented to exist during the Period of Significance. These include the size and proximity of deciduous shade trees to structures and the extent and diversity of vine cover on structures. Historic Core vs. Interpretive Core For Significance, Evaluation of Integrity and National Register program purposes, the ‘Historic Core’ of the property has been previously identified as the intact parcels of land comprising the original Frank Lloyd Wright building composition (Barton House, Martin House, Pergola, Conservatory, and Carriage House) , as well as the Gardener’s Cottage parcel. Fig. 189, top & bottom The loss of historic plant materials is striking in this set of Summit Terrace/Lawn photographs (top 1923, bottom 2014). The Martin House verandah roof is highlighted for comparison.