Land Park, Sacramento



The Pond.  Each water feature has a wide stone edge

 Recently I was hired to survey Land Park in Sacramento as part of a larger study to assess the historic features of the park – a dream job. I spent two days in the field photographing and recording field notes about everything in the park, and then summarized my finding by category. I organized the material by feature type – circulation, vegetation, buildings and structures, small scale features, water features, etc.

Money to build a large community park was given to the City of Sacramento by William Land in 1919. City fathers spent some time debating where to build the park and finally agreed on 236 acres of land known as the Swanston-McDivit Tract. In 1922 landscape architect Frederick N. Evans prepared a master plan for the park. Evans’ plan reflected the design trend of the day and incorporated lots of recreation features – five baseball fields, many single and group picnic facilities, an outdoor stage and amphitheater, two lakes and a pond, a golf course, a zoo and two separate children’s play – Fairytale Town and Funderland.



One of many group picnic facilities



Land Park is remarkably similar to Roeding Park in Fresno which I wrote about a year ago in September 2010. There is an outdoor dance floor, called Village Green in the southeast corner of Land Park that is exactly like two found in Roeding Park – the size, construction and a raised stage are essentially identical to those built earlier in Fresno. The water features, abundance of picnic facilities and two children’s play areas are also much like those found in Roeding Park thus it seems probable that Evans may have visited Fresno and decided to emulate that successful park.





The amphitheater and stage with Italian cypress backdrop



Both parks are located in valley communities that experience hot summer temperatures, so both parks consist predominantly of lawn and gorgeous, mature trees. Both parks include a nice variety of large shade trees – combinations of evergreens, conifers and deciduous trees, but one thing that distinguishes Roeding Park is how the trees are massed with a single species – more impressive than isolated specimens or groups of mixed species. In both parks the nearly continuous canopy of shade provided by these trees is most welcome.

Looking down the fairway of Land Park golf course




Land Park includes a number of structures constructed by the WPA – Works Progress Administration as part of President Roosevelt’s plan to put people back to work after the depression. Crews built several stone structures including a gazebo, a gracefully curved pergola, several monuments and what is now a wonderful perennial garden lovingly maintained by park staff member Daisy.

There is so much in Land Park that I’ll need to write at least one more post to tell you more.

Flamingos in the zoo







Sank Park



Two towaring Italian Cypress dwarf the cottage

While vacationing in northern California earlier this year we visited Oroville. My primary objective was to visit CaliforniaRegistered Historic Landmark No. 770 – Chinese Temple which was built in 1863 and used as a place of worship for 10,000 immigrants who came to California during the gold rush. I hoped to find a historic, traditional garden that would be suitable for submission to the Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) annual challenge – the theme for 2011 is Landscapes of diversity. Sadly, nothing about the existing garden at the temple was historic. It was nice enough, but a recent addition. The only landscape feature that may have been authentic is an old fig tree across the street where the Chinese schoolhouse had been located.

Fortunately, there were other places to visit in Oroville including Sank Park which provides the setting for the Lott House. This modest Victorian Gothic-revival cottage was built in1856 by Charles Fayette Lott, an attorney and former state senator. He and his descendants occupied the property for over one hundred years and when the last child died the home and garden were donated to the City of Oroville.

Like other historic homes the property occupies an entire city block. Often one block is all that remains of what was originally a much larger parcel of land, but in this case it was originally one block, purchased for $200 – imagine that.


The arbor leads from the sidewalk to the front door




Scored concrete marks the entry

 The block is surrounded by a low, white fence, and the main entry to the garden and home is off Montgomery Street. At the entry there is a nicely detailed accent in the sidewalk paving and a gate that leads to an elaborate wisteria covered arbor. Constructed of concrete and white timbers the arbor is so substantial that it nearly dwarfs the delicate house.

I particularly liked the carriage house – a utilitarian building. It is painted all white and is an understated piece of architecture. It was nicely tucked into the property and surrounded by massive shade trees. There was something simply appealing about it.


The carriage house shaded by trees

 In one corner of the site there is a gazebo. As I walked in that direction, something about the gazebo did not feel authentic – the scale was not right for a private family. It felt more municipal, and sure enough when I got up to the structure there was a small plaque indicating that it was a recent addition – added after the family occupied the site. To me that was a distraction. It was nice enough but when I visit a historic home or garden I prefer to see genuine features – “the real deal”. I do appreciate that they included the plaque informing me that it was not associated with the Lott family.

Most of the park consists of lawn and gardens that are well tended. There were many indications of care being taken to preserve and maintain this site. Though we missed the Wisteria bloom, the azaleas were at their peak – lots of them. One wanders through the garden on brick or concrete paths and discovers details along the way – a bench, a pool, and an interesting assortment of inlaid tiles. Apparently, it was Jesse Sank, husband of Cornelia Lott, who built these for his bride. Follow this link to read the story of their romance.



Much of the front yard is planted with azaleas making Spring a good time to visit



Bidwell Park, Chico



Main entry flanked by stone columns and accented by flowering Dogwood

Bidwell Park is the third largest urban park in the United States. It is a long, narrow park that starts in downtown not far from the Bidwell Mansion and extends for over five miles into wilderness. It has 68 miles of walking and bicycle trails. The lower portion of the park is closest to downtown and is the most developed with several entry points from adjacent residential neighborhoods. The main entry is off South Park Drive west of Mangrove Avenue. This entry is flanked by a pair of simple, rough-hewn, granite columns, each topped with a stout, rectangular light.

Amenities in the lower portion of the park include picnic facilities, open lawn areas, a baseball field, horseshow pits, a themed children’s play area called “Caper Acres”, and by far my favorite feature - Sycamore swimming pool formed by the damming of Chico Creek. The water flows rapidly through the pool, which is about 600 feet in length and 95 feet wide, and then exits via a spillway at the east end. A footbridge crosses over the spillway. Native sycamore trees line one side of the pool.



Enticing Sycamore pool is fed by Big Chico Creek



The middle portion of the park consists of trails and a single, one-way drive that lie beneath a continuous canopy of trees. Summer temperatures in Chico are typically in the 100s so these trees and the swimming pool are essential amenities. Tree species are predominantly valley oak (Quercus lobata), and native sycamore (Platanus racemosa). The understory is mostly grasses, willow and spice bush (Calycanthus occidentalis). Big Chico Creek continues through the middle and upper portions of the park, and there are individual picnic facilities along the drive, each with a barbeque.




Paths throughout the park are shaded by mature trees


Facilities in the Upper portion of the park include an 18-hole golf course, a driving range, an observatory, a fishing pier, Horseshoe Lake, picnic facilities, and equestrian trails. Just east of Manzanita Avenue is the Hooker Oak Picnic Area – named for the Hooker Oak – the largest known valley oak until it fell in a 1977 storm. The entire park has a rustic, informal quality. There is very little irrigated, mown lawn. Instead the park brings the wilderness into downtown.

Annie Bidwell donated the land to the people of Chico in 1905 for a public park. She said at the time that the grant followed the desire of her late husband. In subsequent years she made additional donations to expand the park. This generous gift is the heart of Chico – a treasure enjoyed and appreciated by visitors and residents – particularly on hot summer days. If you plan a visit and go in summer I dare you to resist a plunge into Sycamore Pool.

Much of the park consists of a continuous canopy of trees with grasses below

Bidwell Mansion, Chico



Mansion, oval planter and Southern Magnolia.  Fan palm at right.

Visiting Chico one cannot avoid contact with the legacy of their most famous residents – John Bidwell and his wife Annie Ellicott Kennedy Bidwell. John Bidwell was part of the first wagon trains that arrived in California, he discovered gold in 1848, laid out the town of Chico, served in the House of Representatives, lobbied for California statehood, and ran for President of the United States in 1892. Annie Bidwell was the daughter of Joseph C.G. Kennedy, Superintendent of the U.S. Census and was an advocate for prohibition and the suffragette movement. Their legacy dominates the town of Chico – the two primary components are their home - the Bidwell Mansion and Bidwell Park.

What is incredible is how much of the property retains features as they were depicted in a circa 1877 sketch by Smith and Elliott. The most significant landscape feature is a large oval-shaped planting bed, as wide as the width of the house. The bed is surrounded by an oval drive that passes beneath the porte-cochere. A southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) 25 – 35 feet taller than the three story tower of the house is planted in the oval.


Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)


Other original trees that remain are a maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), a spectacular – in size and form - tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), a South American monkey puzzle (Auracaria imbricata) and a Lawson cypress (Cupressus lawsoniana). These trees are growing within a broad expanse of lawn between the mansion and Esplanade – typical of Victorian era gardens, and were intended to demonstrate the owner’s wealth and taste.

A lushly planted area south of the mansion, along the Big Chico Creek, remains today though the trees are much larger than those in the Smith and Elliott sketch. Also the location of the main road – now called Esplanade appears to be in the same location as shown in the sketch.

In 1877 the area north of the mansion was planted in orchards and vineyards. Today, this area has been developed as housing and commercial areas.



Lawson Cypress and a Fan Palm

 John Bidwell was born in 1819 in New York State. In 1841, at the age of 22, he was one of the first pioneers to cross the Sierra Nevada in route to California. When he first arrived he served as the business manager for John Sutter and personally transported the first gold discovered in California to San Francisco to be assayed.

Shortly thereafter in 1848 Bidwell made his own gold discovery near the middle fork of the Feather River. He used his new found wealth to purchase the 26,000 acre Rancho del Arroyo Chico and began developing the agriculture of the region. At one point the Rancho was the most famous and highly diversified agricultural enterprise in California. In 1860 Bidwell laid out the town of Chico.

In 1865 he hired San Francisco architect Henry W. Cleveland to design his 10,000 square foot, 26-room Italian villa. In April of 1868 he convinced Annie Ellicott Kennedy to marry him and shortly thereafter they moved into the mansion.


Side porch, Magnolia in the background


The Bidwells remained in the mansion until their deaths in 1900 (John) and 1918 (Annie) at which time Annie Bidwell gave the mansion and grounds to the Presbyterian Church to serve as a school. Then in 1923 the site was acquired by the State College, and finally it was purchased by California State Parks and designated as a State Historic Park. The property is California Registered Historic Landmark No. 329, 1966, and HALS No. CA-63. 

Looking at the Magnolia from the front porch

Bidwell Bowl Amphitheater, Chico

Bidwell Bowl is one of those secret surprises that is nice to discover when traveling or just playing tourist in your home town. I had a note that there was a WPA – that’s Works Progress Administration – era amphitheater on the Chico State University campus and set out to find it. I stopped several students in my pursuit and was pointed in several directions and finally resorted to the library to get clear directions. The theater is actually just west of the Physical Science Building and adjacent to Big Chico Creek. After chasing all across campus to find it, I discovered a lovely footbridge, modeled on the original that led to the amphitheater from the Bidwell Mansion garden I’d visited just the day before. Ah well, had I discovered the theater from the mansion I might have skipped seeing the campus.

The stage is on the opposite side of the river

Like so many of our state’s gifts from the WPA and the vision of President Franklin Roosevelt, the theater is understated. Made from local stone the gently arced amphitheater tucks nicely into the natural slope. What is particularly appealing is the fact that the stage is on the opposite side of the river, so while watching a performance one is also enjoying the natural beauty of the turbulent blue-green water as it flows past the stage.

The decorative railing matches the original built by the Bidwell family

The space is defined by stone walls on three sides. The walls are curved on top both in section and elevation. At the top row of seats a band of cement was added to provide a smooth surface to lean against. Lichen growing on the stone adds a touch of softness. The ground surface is concrete with steps moving up the slope. The seats are simple in design and made of wood.

Like many WPA projects a bronze marker provides the date of construction – a welcome touch for those of us interested in history. I wish all buildings and designed landscapes incorporated dates of construction and the name of the designer. 

This simple bronze plaque gives the date of construction

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

Readers,

Please excuse my absence. I have been distracted and consumed by researching and writing a book on my family history to commemorate the marriage of my cousin's eldest daughter. The wedding was yesterday and now I can get back to my blog and writing about some of California's cultural landscapes.

In May we took a week-long trip making a loop through northern California from Point Arena in Mendocino County to Chico, Oroville and over Yuba Pass to Downieville - one of California's Gold Rush towns. We visited several historic sites that I will be writing about in the next few weeks. The first is Anderson Ranch State Historic Park (SHP) - a vernacular landscape - not designed but one that tells the story of how the Anderson family lived. The site provides a view of what life was like in the late 19th century. Vernacular is defined as "a style of architecture (or landscape architecture) exemplifying the commonest techniques, decorative features, and materials of a particular historical period, region or group of people."

Anderson Marsh SHP is an excellent example of a ranch home in a stunningly beautiful setting. One approaches the cluster of buildings from the south. The west edge is defined by two barns separated by a corral. To the east is another barn, and the north side of the grouping is formed by the ranch house. A white picket fence defines front, side and backyard areas around the house, and rail fences enclose the barns and larger yard. Feed bins, hay bins and various animal stalls add to the complex. One other large barn is at the northwest corner outside the primary complex and therre are the remains of another irregularly-shaped corral. These structures and barns were built in the 1800s from hand hewn redwood and provided shelter for the family and animals in an open, windy, hot location.

The barns, ranch house and fences are laid out around a central open space and the grouping forms a cohesive compound. Throughout the building cluster, broad spreading mature oaks and willow shade the area. Distant views across the fields toward the marsh and beyond to surrounding hills are available from most places on the site, except to the east where a wooden wall has been added to screen Highway 53 from view.

The park is 1065 acres and includes freshwater marsh wetlands, native grasslands, California oak woodland and riparian woodland. Today's marsh is approximately eight percent of what was once a vast marsh that fed Clear Lake - the largest lake whooly within the borders of California.

The site was first occupied by the southeastern Pomo Native Amereicans - one of te largest groups of indigenous peoples in California. The Pomo are known as some of the best basket-makers in the country, and the marsh tule provided ample supplies of raw material for basket making. The state park includes archaeological sites from these Pomo people, some are among the oldest found in California, dating at over 10,000 years old.

Settlement first occured in this part of California in the mid 1850s. Two Grigsby brothers from Tennessee first occupied this site and built the central two-story portion of the ranch house and two barns. Grigsby raised livestock and crops.

In 1870 John Melchesadick "Mels" Grigsby sold the property to the Clear Lake Waterworks Company, in part as a result of a disagreement about how the land was being managed. In 1866 a portion of Grigsby's land was flooded when the water company dammed Cache Creek and overflow from Clear Lake flooded the Grigsby property. This conflict over water continued between Lake and Yolo Counties for over 100 years - one of many water related conflicts that have defined California. After Grigsby left, the water company planted this area in veneyards and orchards.

In 1885 Scottish immigrant, John Still Anderson purchased a portion of the property - 1300 acres and started a dairy. He also grew hay and grain for the cattle. Anderson expanded the ranch house for his wife and family of six children by adding the two-story west wing. The second and third generations of Andersons ran a successful cattle ranching operation and ramained on the property until the 1960s. The California State Parks system acquired the land in 1982 and dedicated it as a park in 1983.

Anderson Ranch is a low key state park but well worth a stop if you would appreciate a glimpse into a piece of California's ranching history. The barn is open and there is an interesting display of farm equipment.

Storyland at Roeding Park, Fresno

A few weeks ago I wrote about Roeding Park for my September 26th post. Today I want to focus on just one of the many features of this wonderful regional park – Storyland, which was a gift to the children of Fresno given by the Fresno Metropolitan Rotary in 1961. Storyland is now 49 years old and is a valuable contributor to our state’s cultural landscape. It would have been a strong contender in the national Theme Park Challenge initiated by the Northern California Chapter of the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) and sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Like Fairyland in Oakland, Storyland is a theme park for young children with exhibits based on familiar fairy tales. It is a richly stimulating environment with so many colorful and delightful elements that it can be overwhelming. Every detail is scaled to accommodate children – doorways are low, light standards short, benches and seats small, and pathways are narrow. Here adults have to stoop, bend down and crouch.

There are at least 25 fairytale exhibits including Little Boy Blue, The Old Woman In The Shoe, The Crooked Man who Walked a Crooked Mile, Mother Goose, The Wicked Witch at Candyland, Jack and Jill, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Miss Muffett, Alice In Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty, and The 3 Little Pigs.

There are at least two areas that families can rent for birthday parties or other special events. My favorite is the castle tower party room designed with a Camelot and Knights theme. Access to the castle is via a wooden draw bridge over the castle moat – beware of the sea serpent lurking in the moat near the bridge. A narrow passage way leads into the Camelot room that has a circular table for the knights, painted stone interior, colorful hanging banners, and a tall, carved chair for the king or queen.

The theme of the other party space is Alice In Wonderland where the White Rabbit presides at the entry and the 3 of Hearts stands guard. A large clock face is painted on the pavement and party tables are set inside a walled garden.

But there is much more at Storyland to explore. The multi-masted Pirate ship with its giant wheel and elaborate riggings is unlike anything you could every find in any pre-manufactured play catalogue today. This realistically detailed structure includes carved ornamentation, cannons protruding from the sides, a coat of arms, a lantern for night sailing, slides, shoots and hiding cubbies, chains and robes, a sliding pole for quick escapes, and a carved dolphins masthead.

There is a child-size train that you board at the Storyland Train Station opposite the entry ticket booth, and then take a ride around Lake Washington where you’ll pass by a wrecked pirate ship and beneath the canopy of Roeding Park’s wonderful trees. There is a stage with seating for theater performances and puppet shows. There is even a small scale chapel with stain glass windows made with primary colors and miniature pews with inscriptions like, “The world rests on truth and peace”.

Even the boys and girls restrooms are custom designed and scaled to accommodate children. The Tudor-style buildings enclose a brightly painted setting featuring the baker and boy with a goose – help me readers identify which fairytale this depicts – send a comment.

Storyland is laid out with curvilinear paths, of varying materials, colors and textures that lead to each of the exhibits. A man made, shallow, concrete-lined creek meanders through the site and at several spots one passes over a bridge to cross the creek. Each bridge is unique – one is a simple wood structure but others include bridges with colorful candy cane railings or gingerbread men. The best is an intricate, painted metal dragon with scales and loops on top.

Small, themed tables and stools are found along the paths for picnics or snack stops. Of course each is unique. The one near the 3 bears looks like mushrooms and the table top is painted with daisies. There are two styles of brightly painted mushroom seats – one with a table, and many other small details tucked into every curve of the pathway.

Storyland is worth a visit to Fresno if you have small children and for older children there is Playland with amusement rides, a water play area and another train. Of course there are other reasons to visit Fresno but Roeding Park is a must see for all ages.