Attachment_21_EISE_FoundationDocument.pdf

Foundation Document Eisenhower National Historic Site Pennsylvania August 2016

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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Equipment Shed

Show Barn

Bu Pen

Bu Pen

Se f Feeder

Loaf ng Shed

Ba n burned

Garage

Herdsman s Home Pa k Headquar e s

Barn

Put ng Green Reception

Center

Horse She e

He cop er Land ng Pad

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Eisenhower Home

Guest House Secre Se v ce

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Garden

Greenhouses

Teahouse

Corn C b

B eed ng and Too Shed

Matern ty Barn

Path to ca t e barns

Shu e bus om Get ysburg

V s tor Cen e

FARM 2

EISENHOWER FARM

Hand capped park ng

(Restroom and water available April to October)

Drinking waterNo h

RestroomsScale varies in this perspective view. Background features appear smaller than similar features in the foreground.

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3

Park Purpose 5

Park Significance 6

Fundamental Resources and Values 7

Other Important Resources and Values 9

Related Resources 10

Interpretive Themes 12

Part 2: Dynamic Components 13

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 13

Special Mandates 13

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 13

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 14

Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values 29

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 32

Planning and Data Needs 33

Part 3: Contributors 38

Eisenhower National Historic Site 38

Partners 38

NPS Northeast Region 38

Other NPS Staff 38

Appendixes 39

Appendix A: Order of Designation for Eisenhower

National Historic Site 39

Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments Appendix C: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and

Data Collection Efforts 41

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project.

The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Eisenhower National Historic Site can be accessed online at:

http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

http:http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Park Eisenhower National Historic Site, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, preserves the home and farm of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States. Consisting of 690 acres, the site includes four distinct farms: the Allen Redding farm, purchased in 1951 by General Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower and expanded over the next two decades; two adjoining farms purchased by Eisenhower’s associate W. Alton Jones and farmed in partnership with General Eisenhower; and an additional adjoining farm donated to the government to preserve the historic setting.

Drawn to Gettysburg by his memories of commanding Camp Colt, the U.S. Army Tank Corps training center located on the Gettysburg Battlefield, along with the rich Civil War history and rural atmosphere the area provided, General and Mrs. Eisenhower purchased the 189-acre Redding farm adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in 1951, with plans of turning the aging farmhouse and agricultural lands into a retirement farm. While General Eisenhower’s time as the commander of the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces and campaigning for the presidency in 1952 delayed his plans, Mamie convinced him to proceed with renovations during his presidency so that the couple could use the farm while General Eisenhower was president.

In August 1955, General and Mrs. Eisenhower moved into the renovated farmhouse, visiting often during Eisenhower’s presidency. As president, he used the house as a weekend retreat, a stage for international diplomacy, and a place to recuperate, with the farm becoming the “temporary White House” in 1955 while General Eisenhower recovered from a heart attack.

Following his tenure as president, General Eisenhower finally retired to the farm in 1961, keeping an office at Gettysburg College and focusing on writing his memoirs and spending time with family and friends. The Eisenhower family made a gift of their farm to the federal government in 1967. Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall subsequently designated the farm, with the concurrence of President Lyndon B. Johnson, as a national historic site on November 27, 1967. With the general’s death in 1969, the farm officially became government property.

Mamie Eisenhower continued to live at the farm under a special use permit until her death in 1979. The site was officially opened to the public in 1980.

Although the General and Mrs. Eisenhower’s initial intent was simply to purchase a quiet retirement home in the country, in the end the farm at Gettysburg provided much more than this. The farm was a weekend getaway from the pressures of Washington, D.C. It provided a place to host friends, family, and visiting dignitaries from around the world. It afforded General Eisenhower the opportunity to explore interests in sustainable agriculture and cattle production. Finally, it allowed the Eisenhower family to establish a true home for themselves amid the pastoral fields and extensively landscaped grounds surrounding their farmhouse. In fact, the Eisenhower Farm was the only home and piece of real estate ever owned by General and Mrs. Eisenhower during their life together.

Today Eisenhower National Historic Site is maintained as it was during the Eisenhower years, and the Eisenhower family’s home retains nearly all of its original furnishings. Visitors to the site are shuttled to the farm via buses, departing the Gettysburg National Military Park’s visitor center, located approximately four miles from the site. Once they have arrived, visitors receive a 15-minute orientation to the site and are then invited to tour the home and grounds and walk to the cattle barns and skeet range via a self-guided walk or audio tour. The Reception Center, located next to the Eisenhower Farm barn, offers a short introductory video as well as an exhibit highlighting General Eisenhower’s life from his boyhood days in Abilene, Kansas, through his military and presidential years, to retirement at his Gettysburg farm. Ranger-led programs are offered seasonally, and children can participate in the Junior Secret Service Agent Program.

Since the establishment of Eisenhower National Historic Site in 1967, the site has been under the administration of Gettysburg National Military Park. This relationship was established because of the geographic relationship of the two national park units, the historic relationship of the Eisenhower farm with the Battle of Gettysburg, and the efficiency in providing Eisenhower National Historic Site the administrative, resource management, protection, interpretive, and maintenance support that Gettysburg National Military Park has to offer.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Eisenhower National Historic Site was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. The park was established by an order of designation on November 27, 1967 (see appendix A). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

The purpose of EisEnhowEr national historic sitE is to preserve and interpret the home and farms of the Eisenhower family as a fitting and enduring memorial to the life, work, and times of General Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, and to the events of far-reaching importance that occurred on the property.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Eisenhower National Historic Site, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Eisenhower National Historic Site. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. The only home ever owned by General and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the buildings and land at Eisenhower National Historic Site served as a working farm, temporary White House, presidential retreat, and retirement home for them.

2. A career soldier, Dwight D. Eisenhower rose from West Point cadet to a five-star general, having a major influence on world history in his roles as the supreme allied commander in Europe during World War II and later as the first supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

3. During his two-term presidency, 1953–1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower guided the nation through complex and profound changes during the second half of the 20th century, including the end of the Korean War, establishment of the interstate highway system, the Army–McCarthy hearings, the beginning of the civil rights movement, heightening international Cold War tensions, and a period of unprecedented economic prosperity for many Americans.

4. With its peaceful, pastoral setting adjacent to the Gettysburg battlefield, the Eisenhower farm was for President Dwight D. Eisenhower a much-needed respite from Washington, DC, as well as a backdrop for international diplomacy in his efforts to reduce Cold War and other tensions among the prominent world leaders he brought to visit the farm.

5. The Eisenhower museum collections of objects, furnishings, artwork, and diplomatic gifts is a tangible connection to the personal lives of Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower and provides an intimate view into the home that the Eisenhower family made for themselves at their Gettysburg farm.

6. Early in his military career, then-U.S. Army Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded Camp Colt, a tank training site located on the historic Gettysburg battlefield during World War I. General and Mrs. Eisenhower would return to this battlefield 33 years later to purchase their Gettysburg farm.

7. In his retirement, General Dwight D. Eisenhower spent 15 years improving and restoring the lands of his Gettysburg farm by introducing sustainable agricultural practices and maintaining a successful livestock enterprise of award-winning Angus cattle.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Eisenhower National Historic Site:

· Eisenhower Farm Cultural Landscape. When planning for his military retirement, General Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to purchase a small farm that would offer him the opportunity to return to the agrarian lifestyle he was first introduced to as a young boy growing up in Kansas. Pastoral Gettysburg appealed to the Eisenhower family’s desire to “escape from concrete into the countryside.” In 1951, General Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower purchased the Allen Redding farm in a transaction that included the 189-acre parcel, the house and associated farm buildings, farm animals, and equipment. This property became the Eisenhower family’s permanent home, and over the next three decades the landscape continued to adapt to suit the couple’s interests.

Historic features reflecting the Eisenhowers’ time at the farm include the Eisenhower home and surrounding landscaping, guesthouse, teahouse, greenhouses, vegetable garden, ornamental plantings, orchard, horse shelter, putting green, flagpole, helicopter landing pad, Secret Service office, skeet range, distinct farmwide fencing, and historic scenic views.

· Presidential House (Residence). When the Eisenhower family purchased the Allen Redding farm in 1951, they soon began remodeling the red brick farmhouse with hopes of converting the house into the ideal place for relaxation and retirement. While remodeling, the project architects discovered that the oldest portion of the house was a 200-year-old log cabin. While the structure couldn’t be preserved, workers salvaged materials at Mamie’s request and reconstructed the house around the original brick addition and summer kitchen fireplace. In 1955, the remodel was complete, and the modified Georgian farmhouse included seven bedrooms, a formal dining room, a kitchen, a butler’s pantry, and a glassed-in porch. Because the Eisenhower family directly transferred the property to the federal government in 1967 and continued to occupy the house and its grounds until Mamie passed away, the exterior and interiors of the house retain a remarkably high level of integrity.

· Farm 2 Cultural Landscape. Farm 2 (the Brandon Farm) is a 124-acre property that was the heart of the Eisenhower cattle operation. Between 1954 and 1966, Eisenhower developed a model breeding and farming operation to support the growing Eisenhower Angus herd on the land owned by Eisenhower’s partner, W. Alton Jones. Farm 2 is a time capsule of agricultural history, containing a collection of farm buildings and active cattle herd and farming operations managed under special use permits. Farm structures include the farmhouse, a maternity barn, breeding and tool shed, loafing shed, bull pens, a show barn, and distinct farmwide fencing. The agricultural landscapes of Eisenhower National Historic Site connect visitors to Eisenhower’s personal interest in land conservation and rural life by providing opportunities to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of working cattle and farm operations.

· Sense of Home and Personal Refuge. The Eisenhower Farm was the only home ever owned by Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower and was viewed as the couple’s refuge from the demands of Washington, DC, and public life. Originally envisioned as a retirement home, the Eisenhower farmhouse and its surroundings served as an informal retreat during Eisenhower’s presidency, allowing the couple to invite world leaders into their home for casual conversations and personal diplomacy. The farm was also a place of healing, serving as the temporary White House while Eisenhower recovered from his 1955 heart attack and providing the Eisenhower family with a space to call their own. National Park Service interpretation of Eisenhower National Historic Site is designed to preserve this sense of home and reflect the private lives of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower.

· Museum Collections. Eisenhower National Historic Site’s museum collections contain approximately 36,000 objects and 12,000 archival materials related to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s life and work. The museum collections focus on the park’s primary historical period, 1950–1969, and contain original furnishings, family heirlooms, and trinkets collected by Mamie, which convey the couple’s personal style and taste.

Because Dwight D. Eisenhower was the last president to be allowed to keep gifts of state, many of these gifts from around the world can be found in the museum collections. The park’s archives contain items with a direct relationship to the Eisenhower family at Gettysburg, while the majority of President Eisenhower’s papers are held at the presidential library in Abilene, Kansas. The museum collections also contain a number of automobiles, golf carts, tractors, and other large pieces of farming equipment stored in various barns throughout the park and at neighboring Gettysburg National Military Park.

· Archeological Resources. Dwight D.

Eisenhower was fascinated by the Battle of

Gettysburg and embraced his property’s importance as part of the 1863 battlefield.

The Eisenhower property was the site of a

Confederate staging area, as well as possibly an aid station in the immediate aftermath of battle. It is included in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Gettysburg

Battlefield Historic District. Remains of a

Confederate soldier were uncovered during the reconstruction of the farmhouse, and

Civil War-era artifacts were discovered during subsequent landscaping projects on the grounds. Archeological resources related to the battle can help answer remaining research questions and offer better understanding of civilian life during this time period. Archeological resources related to prehistoric human use, 18th century settlement and agricultural practices, and even the Eisenhower family’s time in

Gettysburg provide additional insight into the land’s rich history of human use.

Other Important Resources and Values Eisenhower National Historic Site contains other resources and values that are not fundamental to the purpose of the park and may be unrelated to its significance, but are important to consider in planning processes. These are referred to as “other important resources and values” (OIRV). These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the park and warrant special consideration in park planning.

The following other important resources and values have been identified for Eisenhower National Historic Site:

· Natural Communities. Eisenhower National Historic Site contains nearly 700 acres of farmland, meadows, pastures, riparian areas, and oak-hickory forests, as well as two streams, small wetland areas, and several vernal pools. While most of the park land is dedicated to pastures and agricultural use, native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers are found in the remaining forested lands, grasslands, and riparian areas. These varied ecosystems provide important habitat for game birds, common Appalachian large mammals including fox, white-tailed deer, six bat species, and state threatened and endangered wildlife. The park is considered a Pennsylvania Important Mammal Area and an Important Bird Area for its populations of least shrew, loggerhead shrikes, short-eared owls, and upland sandpipers.

· Cattle Herd. For 15 years, Dwight D. Eisenhower maintained a herd of Angus show and beef cattle at Farm 2. Under the guidance of herdsman Bob Hartley, the herd grew to include 100 head and produced numerous prize-winning cattle and calves. Live cattle are still an important part of the park’s representation of Gettysburg’s agricultural history and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s pursuit of the “gentleman farmer” ideal during retirement. Although they are not show cattle, a herd of 40–50 cattle is currently pastured at Eisenhower National Historic Site under agricultural use permits.

Related Resources Related resources are not owned by the park. They may be part of the broader context or setting in which park resources exist; represent a thematic connection that would enhance the experience of visitors; or have close associations with park fundamental resources and the purpose of the park. The related resources represent a connection with the park that often reflects an area of mutual benefit or interest, and collaboration, between the park and owner/ stakeholder.

Eisenhower National Historic Site has the following related resources associated with General Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower’s life and times. They are located outside the park’s boundary.

· Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home.

Located in Abilene, Kansas, the Eisenhower Presidential Center encompasses a visitor center, research library, museum, the home Eisenhower lived in from 1898 until his departure for the United States Military Academy in 1911, and the graves of Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Mamie Eisenhower (1896–1979), and the couple’s firstborn son, Doud Dwight “Icky” Eisenhower (1917–1921). The library, the official repository for Eisenhower’s papers, is one of 13 presidential libraries operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Its collections include more than 26 million pages of historic records and papers, as well as 335,000 photographs, 768,000 feet of original motion picture film, and 70,000 artifacts relating to Eisenhower’s life and presidency.

· Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site. Located in Denison, Texas, the Eisenhower Birthplace preserves and interprets the historic home where Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890. This historic house museum features period furnishings that reflect Eisenhower’s modest beginnings. The site includes a visitor center that displays Eisenhower memorabilia and museum exhibits that highlight his military and presidential career. The site is managed by the Texas Historical Commission and open to the public.

· Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace. Located in Boone, Iowa, the Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace preserves and interprets the historic home where Mamie Doud Eisenhower was born on November 14, 1896. The restored historic house museum contains many family heirlooms and includes both a library and museum exhibit space. This site is managed by the Boone County Historical Society and is open to the public.

· The Gettysburg Foundation. Created by the 2006 merger of the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation and the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization with nearly 20,000 members. The organization’s mission, in partnership with the National Park Service, is to enhance the preservation and understanding of the heritage and the lasting significance of Gettysburg and its national parks through public outreach and private financial support. The private-public partnership between the foundation and the National Park Service has become a model for management, with the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center being one of the only privately owned and privately funded visitor centers in the national park system. While the foundation primarily focuses its fundraising, education, and management support activities on the Battle of Gettysburg and its context in the American Civil War, it also supports Eisenhower National Historic Site.

· John Eisenhower House. Upon retiring from the army in 1957, John Eisenhower purchased the Pitzer School property abutting the northwest corner of his parents’ farm and built a home on it, incorporating the schoolhouse, circa 1917, into the construction. A gravel lane was constructed in 1959 to connect the John Eisenhower House with the main entrance drive to the Eisenhower farm. The Eisenhowers enjoyed spending time at John’s home with John, their daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.

The president would often bring world leaders over, including Charles De Gaulle and Harold MacMillan, in an effort, John said, to “make them feel relaxed and at home.”

John and his family lived on the property until 1964. The home is privately owned and is outside the boundary of the park.

· Camp Colt-Era Resources. Established in 1917 near the site of Pickett’s Charge on the historic Gettysburg Battlefield, Camp Colt was Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first command and helped prepare new army recruits to operate the Renault tanks used by the United States Tank Corps during World War I. By 1919, all training camp structures were removed and the battlefield landscape was mostly returned to its 1863 appearance. The former site of Camp Colt is identified by a metal plaque and memorial tree dedicated by the World Wars Tank Association in 1954, the year after Eisenhower was inaugurated president. A National Park Service wayside exhibit located on the west side of Emmitsburg Road interprets Camp Colt history at this location.

Photographs and objects related to Eisenhower’s command of Camp Colt are held at the Gettysburg Museum of History, a private museum and relic shop, and in the park’s museum collections. Captain Eisenhower’s home during the summer of 1918, 157 North Washington Street, is owned by Gettysburg College and currently houses the Eisenhower Institute, an academic center for leadership and public policy.

· Lincoln Highway (Eisenhower Interstate System). Eisenhower is considered the father of the interstate system for his role in making the American interstate highway system a reality. Under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, signed into law by Eisenhower, more than 40,000 miles of high-speed roads were constructed to increase the safety, efficiency, and speed of interstate motor vehicle travel. On October 15, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed a law that officially changed the name of the highways to the Eisenhower Interstate System to honor Eisenhower’s dedication and continued support of the project. As a predecessor to the Eisenhower Interstate System, the Lincoln Highway was the nation’s first interstate highway. Dedicated in 1913, it connects 13 states on its path from New York City’s Times Square to San Francisco’s Lincoln Park, passing through Gettysburg. Today the Lincoln Highway’s contribution to American transportation is celebrated by the Lincoln Highway Association, and several stretches of the Lincoln Highway in Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental and other important resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Eisenhower National Historic Site:

· As a key architect of Allied victory during World War II, and as the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s actions and choices had a profound and long-lasting impact on this nation and the world.

· As a soldier, general, president, and private citizen, Dwight D. Eisenhower exemplified many of the qualities that defined an effective leader—a legacy of leadership that continues to educate and inspire us today.

· As president of the United States from 1953 to 1961, Eisenhower’s leadership as president influenced the growth of the nation and American society. He steered the nation through the complexities of his time, including international tensions associated with the Cold War and emerging domestic issues such as the growing civil rights movement.

· As the nation experienced a new era of prosperity and leisure time during the 1950s, the lives of Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower reflected the popular culture of their era, both leading the way and following national trends.

· Their Gettysburg farm, home, and furnishings provide a window into the daily lives of both Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower, as well as offer a tangible reflection of their personalities, interests, and values.

· As a career soldier Eisenhower had a personal history with and appreciation for Gettysburg, first coming to the battlefield as an army cadet to study tactics and leadership, then returning as the commanding officer of Camp Colt. Later in life he retired to this pastoral setting as an older soldier with a profound understanding of the cost and sacrifices of war.

· Exposed to the struggles of farmers during his childhood in Kansas, Eisenhower developed a lifelong interest in soil conservation and farming that is illustrated through his work to leave a part of the earth better than he found it. His Gettysburg farm continues to serve as a model for mid-20th-century agricultural practices and sustainability.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental and other important resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process.

They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Eisenhower National Historic Site.

Special Mandates

· Executive Order 13508 – Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. On May

12, 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that recognizes the Chesapeake Bay as a national treasure and calls on the federal government to lead a renewed effort to restore and protect the nation’s largest estuary and its watershed.

Portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed fall within the legislated boundary of Eisenhower National Historic Site.

For more information about the existing administrative commitments for Eisenhower National Historic Site, please see appendix B.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental and other important resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Eisenhower Farm Cultural Landscape

Related Significance Statements

• The only home ever owned by General and Mrs Dwight D Eisenhower, the buildings and land at Eisenhower National Historic Site served as a working farm, temporary White House, presidential retreat, and retirement home for them

• With its peaceful, pastoral setting adjacent to the Gettysburg battlefield, the Eisenhower farm was for President Dwight D Eisenhower a much-needed respite from Washington, DC, as well as a backdrop for international diplomacy in his efforts to reduce Cold War and other tensions among the prominent world leaders he brought to visit the farm

• Early in his military career, then-U S Army Captain Dwight D Eisenhower commanded Camp Colt, a tank training site located on the historic Gettysburg battlefield during World War I General and Mrs Eisenhower would return to this battlefield 33 years later to purchase their Gettysburg farm

• In his retirement, General Dwight D Eisenhower spent 15 years improving and restoring the lands of his Gettysburg farm by introducing sustainable agricultural practices and maintaining a successful livestock enterprise of award-winning Angus cattle

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The site as a whole has a high level of integrity Buildings are in their original locations, and most landscape features related to the period of significance (1954–1967) remain

• Eisenhower National Historic Site can be overshadowed by Gettysburg National Military Park in the eyes of visitors

• The site is accessible by shuttle bus, running from the Gettysburg National Military Park visitor center The shuttle controls summer visitation during high season (spring–summer), but has low rider numbers during the nonpeak season

• Plantings at the Eisenhower Farm follow a replacement schedule guided by the cultural landscape report

Trends

• There is a decline in original vegetation on the landscape Some species are nearing the end of their lifespans and will have to be replaced

• Visitation at Eisenhower National Historic Site is on a decline possibly due to limited public access and perceived inconvenience of the shuttle system

Fundamental Resource or Value

Eisenhower Farm Cultural Landscape

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Special events are not managed through permitting and can lead to large-scale impacts from crowds and use of WWII vehicles

• Deferred maintenance could affect vulnerable landscape features such as the putting green and rose beds

• Encroachment and incompatible development could affect park viewsheds of the western mountains and the park’s agricultural setting

• Site security is an issue, as local roads running through the park remain open after hours and not all roads are enclosed by gates

• Cyclical maintenance of the farm could increase as the historic structures and plantings age

• The potential for visitor-use impacts, including erosion and landscape damage, increases along with increased visitation

• Modern construction technologies used for material repairs and infrastructure replacement are not compatible with historic material and may cause damage to the original fabric

Opportunities

• Park branding could increase visitation and awareness of the park

• Special events can attract diverse visitors and increase educational opportunities

• Cross-interpretation between Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site could bring more visitors to the site and convey a larger context of the Battle of Gettysburg and Eisenhower’s interest in the battle

• Creating other visitor-led paths around the property can alleviate visitor capacity issues within the house

• Additional interpretation can be provided at the skeet range

• There are opportunities to implement additional recommendations from the cultural landscape report

• Outside groups such as local golf courses or country clubs can assist in the stewardship of the putting green and other landscape features

• Volunteers can expand the vegetable garden to its historic size

• An Eisenhower National Historic Site visitor center would provide orientation and exhibit space

• Work with local, regional, or state agency planners and/or developers to increase awareness about the importance of the park’s historic agricultural setting and views

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Administrative history

• Historic resource study – Eisenhower’s legacy on American history

• Visual resource inventory

• Soundscape baseline data

• Assess the need for lead abatement at the skeet range

• Visitor use study

• Visitor use survey

Eisenhower Farm Cultural Landscape

Planning Needs

• Historic structure reports – Eisenhower Farm outbuildings

• Comprehensive visitor access plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Updated long-range interpretive plan

• On-site wayfinding plan for the pedestrian experience

• Self-evaluation and transition plan for accessibility

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• National Invasive Species Act of 1996

• Lacey Act, as amended

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 USC 4321)

• Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as amended

• Clean Air Act of 1977 (42 USC 7401 et seq ) gives federal land managers the responsibility for protecting air quality and related values, including visibility, plants, animals, soils, water quality, cultural resources, and public health, from adverse air pollution impacts

• Historic Sites Act of 1935

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; 54 USC §300101 et seq

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• Executive Order 13112, “Invasive Species”

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§1 4 6) “Park Resources and Values”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§1 6) “Cooperative Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1) “General Management Concepts”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 4 1) “General Principles for Managing Biological Resources”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 7 2) “Weather and Climate”

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management”

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes

Presidential House (Residence)

Related Significance Statements

• The only home ever owned by General and Mrs Dwight D Eisenhower, the buildings and land at Eisenhower National Historic Site served as a working farm, temporary White House, presidential retreat, and retirement home for them

• During his two-term presidency, 1953–1961, President Dwight D Eisenhower guided the nation through complex and profound changes during the second half of the 20th century, including the end of the Korean War, establishment of the interstate highway system, the Army–McCarthy hearings, the beginning of the civil rights movement, heightening international Cold War tensions, and a period of unprecedented economic prosperity for many Americans

• With its peaceful, pastoral setting adjacent to the Gettysburg battlefield, the Eisenhower farm was for President Dwight D Eisenhower a much-needed respite from Washington, DC, as well as a backdrop for international diplomacy in his efforts to reduce Cold War and other tensions among the prominent world leaders he brought to visit the farm

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The house and its contents retain high degrees of integrity and original fabric

• The house is furnished to reflect its appearance in 1967–1968, the time the Eisenhowers donated the farm to the government for use as a national historic site Mamie Eisenhower continued to live in the home until her death in 1979, and the interiors were returned to their late-1960s appearance through the use of historic photographs and a historic furnishing plan

• Partially guided and self-guided tours of the house are offered throughout the year Approximately 8 tours a day are offered during the low season (fall and winter), and 16 tours are offered during the high season (spring and summer)

• The house’s interiors have recently been painted Exterior painting and cyclical maintenance are often required

• Visitors generally follow suggested behavior guidelines and do not use flash photography in the house

• A security system has recently been installed in the house

• The house is not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant Current practice is to use a temporary ramp to make the first floor accessible to visitors with mobility issues but the second floor is not accessible

Trends

• Visitation to the house has been declining in recent years

• The interpretive programming presented in the house has remained static

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Guests entering and exiting the house impact the climate control systems in the house This causes parts of the house to be overcooled/overheated by the HVAC system, and humidity levels fluctuate and create less than ideal conditions for the historic structure and interior historic objects

• UV film on the windows does not provide adequate protection from the sun, leaving historic furnishings vulnerable to sun damage and deterioration

• The house does not have adequate shelter space for visitors in case of inclement weather

• Periodic flooding in the basement and leaking throughout the house could damage structural materials and furnishing Storm windows and other sealing measures suggested in the historic structure report could address some of the issues

• Visitors touching historic fabric can damage wall treatments, floor coverings, and other artifacts located near the designated path through the house

• Historic artifacts within visitors’ reach are susceptible to theft

• Film crews using the house to film on location can exceed the visitor capacity of the house

Presidential House (Residence)

Threats and Opportunities

Opportunities

• The house can be sealed according to the historic structure report recommendations to limit moisture and water seepage

• An awning could be attached to the front entrance of the house to provide shade and protection from the elements

• Ranger-led house tours would provide visitors more information than the current house guides and allow interpretation to be directed by visitors’ interests

• Increased museum artifact conservation efforts would allow more objects to be displayed within the house

• Reproduction items could be used throughout the house to avoid theft and protect fragile historic objects

• Enhanced soundscapes would bring an element of life to the house and could provide additional opportunities for visitors to learn about the Eisenhowers’ lives at the farm

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Climate control system study for the Eisenhower House

• Visitor use study

• Visitor use survey

• Historic resource study – Eisenhower’s legacy on American history

Planning Needs

• Comprehensive visitor access plan

• Updated long-range interpretive plan

• Exhibits lighting plan

• Historic structure reports – Eisenhower Farm outbuildings

• Self-evaluation and transition plan for accessibility

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Historic Sites Act of 1935

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; 54 USC §300101 et seq

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Museum Properties Management Act of 1955 (16 USC 18f through 18f-3)

• Clean Air Act (42 USC 7401 et seq )

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource…