Recipient Organization
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
886 CHESTNUT RIDGE RD RM 202
MORGANTOWN,WV 26505-2742
Performing Department
Landscape Architecture
Non Technical Summary
The purpose of this project is to identify, analyze, document and interpret cultural landscapes, particularly vernacular cultural landscapes, in Central Appalachia with an emphasis within the state of West Virginia. Work regarding vernacular, or everyday, landscapes in this geographical region has been sparse to date, creating great opportunity for adding to a body of knowledge that touches a wide variety of academic disciplines including geography, anthropology, history, art history, architecture, landscape architecture, sociology, and economics.The project's goal is to contribute significantly to the understanding of regional American history in this relatively unexplored area through study of "everyday" places. This will be accomplished through field work; research of historic documents, maps, and photographs; and interviews with community members. The project will produce academic literature and conference presentations that expand our current limited understanding of the topic.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Project Goal:The goal and purpose of this project is to identify, analyze, document and interpret cultural landscapes, particularly vernacular cultural landscapes, in Central Appalachia with an emphasis within the state of West Virginia. Work regarding vernacular, or everyday, landscapes in this geographical region has been sparse to date, creating great opportunity for adding to a body of knowledge that touches a wide variety of academic disciplines including geography, anthropology, history, art history, architecture, landscape architecture, sociology, and economics.Project Objectives:There are four key objectives of this project which will employ both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The work to complete these objectives will rely on tested strategies in cultural landscape research.Objective 1:Identify and define cultural landscape typologies most prevalent within the Central Appalachian Region and West Virginia in particular.Objective 2:Of the typologies identified above, determine which are most appropriate and desirable for further documentation, research, analysis, and interpretation.Objective 3:Document, analyze and interpret key vernacular cultural landscapes that typify the most important typologies of the region through site specific place-based research.Objective 4:Disseminate information gathered and synthesized via objectives 1 through 3 thereby creating knowledge and increasing our understanding of the Central Appalachian region.
Project Methods
Project Methods:As existing literature for the project area is relatively sparse, the project must begin by surveying the landscapes of the region, both through tours and site visits on the ground, as well as by studying historical documents and records. This is the bulk of the work needed for Objective 1. The project will rely heavily on primary source material from West Virginia University's archives for items such as historical maps and photographs, family genealogies, land use records, state census information, etc. Other institutional archives in the region may also be identified for primary source material.Information via direct communication with community members may also be used to gather critical clues about vernacular cultural landscapes that might otherwise be unattainable. Interviews may occur face-to-face, or by telephone, email, etc. The project will also tap into technological resources available in the Davis College, such as the Natural Resources Analysis Center (NRAC) for aerial photography, GIS mapping and LiDAR 3D laser scans.After identifying a broad set of cultural landscape typologies, the project will endeavor to rank them in terms of viability for future project funding and in-depth study as described in Objective 2. The methodology for this work will be predominantly qualitative and will seek to answer questions such as the following: What are people interested in learning more about? Where is preservation a critical concern? What are the priorities of local, state and national agencies? For example, there are several important 'designated' areas in the region: the New River Gorge National River, the Monongahela National Forest, the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, the National Coal Heritage Area, etc. This project will prioritize the landscape typologies that warrant additional research, and will pursue those at the top of the list.With objective 3, the project will begin to delve deeply into specific cultural landscape sites in the region. Documentation through technological means (LiDAR, GIS) as well as direct observational techniques will be used to create site diagrams and maps. Analysis of sites will be accomplished primarily through the use of site specific, place-based research within a given typological context. This type of research, analysis and interpretation may be in the form of individual case studies, or might include groups of landscapes for comparison or cultural landscape typologies as a whole.The use of case studies in research and analysis is accepted and well-established in landscape architecture as well as in other fields such as law, medicine, and engineering (Francis 2001, 15). Because this project endeavors to produce scholarship that can be broadly applied and generally understood across disciplines, producing only singular case studies of individual cultural landscape sites may not be ideal. However, the use of case studies, whether for singular places, or groups of landscapes, as part of a larger investigation would be a helpful research tool and could create significant knowledge in the field.Landscape architects in both academia and in professional practice use case studies to disseminate information about their own projects, as well as to study other projects, both contemporary and historical (Francis 2001, 16). Mark Francis provided the following definition for case studies in landscape architecture: A case study is a well-documented and systematic examination of the process, decision-making and outcomes of a project, which is undertaken for the purpose of informing future practice, policy, theory, and/or education (16). Although Francis' definition and overall approach was created with landscapes designed by landscape architects or other professionals in mind, case study research for vernacular cultural landscapes (whether designed by 'professionals' or not) could also be useful and significant. A premise of this project is that cultural landscapes in Appalachia have not been identified or studied to the degree that they have been in other regions of the country. Case studies that reveal these critical places can provide an opportunity for the dissemination of information and the creation of knowledge.Reminiscent of case study methodology but from the perspective of material culture studies, Jeremy Korr suggests that "any landscape can be analyzed in part by evaluating the balance between humans, nature, and the built environment" (1997, 14). Korr proposed a cultural landscape study model with five distinct operations: description of place; boundary definition (experiential, abstract, social, political, etc.); dynamic relationships (humans, nature, artifacts); perceptions of place; and cultural analysis (3). This approach, with some modification, could also be utilized for organizing, analyzing and sharing the results of this research (1-18).Objective 4 may be accomplished in numerous ways. Ideally this research methodology will result in published journal articles and presentations at meetings and conferences as well as shared with the larger public. The story of who we are, and of our sacred and prosaic places, is meaningful to people beyond the academic world and the narratives created by this work will be compelling to a broader audience. This project will also endeavor to disseminate knowledge and information through public forums such as newspapers, magazines, and lectures.