martinhouseclr

240 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT use. The designed space should identify the former limits or footprint of the former Pierson-Sefton greenhouse in a restrained manner that does not visually disrupt views to or from the historic courtyard or conflict with program needs. 3. Assess and Plant Gardener’s Cottage Front Yard: The Gardener’s Cottage front yard should reflect the general landscape character of late 19th-early or 20th century residential garden suburb, and be compatible with the overall Parkside historic district character. A suitable planting composition that achieves this goal should be prepared for this area. A brief evaluation of the existing landscape should be made within this historic context (rather than Wright landscapes) to determine whether or not existing plant material should be removed or what appropriate replacement planting treatments are necessary. 4. Remove and Replace Unit Paver Pathways: Remove, design and replace concrete unit pavers on linear pathways with an overall circulation design and paving material that is consistent across the visitor services area, subordinate to the interpretive core, durable for maintenance access, and visually restrained. 5. Interpret Property Lines: Identify the property line limits of the original narrow Gardener’s Cottage parcel in a restrained visual manner for interpretive purposes. Vegetation that straddles the property line or otherwise disrupts this interpretation, or that is not comprehensively designed as part of program services needs, should be removed and replaced with a compatible design composition. 6. Preserve Reconstructed Steps: Preserve reconstructed concrete steps that recreate the path taken from the courtyard area to the south side of the greenhouse. The Conservatory What’s not being replaced in the Conservatory: • n/a – no specific landscape features are recommended to be altered from the historic condition Conservatory Treatment Tasks 1. Plant with Increased Diversity: Design and plant a tropical / sub-tropical composition for the conservatory utilizing period Victorian conservatory planting pallet and which attempts to visually replicate documented historic conditions. Efforts should be made to increase diversity of plant material height, texture, and habit, while limiting potential damage to the reconstructed building features. Additionally, a selection of woody stemmed drawn ornamental trees or other plants should be added to the Conservatory. Artificial plant material should not be used within the Conservatory if possible. 2. Remove Non-Contributing Features: Non-contributing features, such as synthetic plants or other objects not representative of the Period of Significance should be removed. Areas Outside the Historic Core Visitor Center / Greatbatch Pavilion property 1. Replace Pavers: Replace pavers with less conspicuous colors and patterns, more consistent with the minimal visual disruptions presented by the pavilion itself. Paver textures and colors, and patterns created by the paving field, should be subordinate to the view relationships presented between the visitor center and interpretive core. 2. Remove and Replace Ferns: Remove fern plantings along the interpretive core boundary and replace with a planting composition that allows clear visual access to the stone wall that defines the boundary between the historic and non-historic properties. 3. Assess Visual Impacts of Locust Trees: Evaluate the visual impacts of the locust trees and asses their effectiveness in meeting interpretive goals or impacts on H H H H H L L L L The Conservatory