3. Leeper Park - Navarre Cabin_COA 2023-1106A

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19 The Cabin’s Place in Leeper Park (cont’d) Over 80 years later, in 1996, the Historic Preservation Commission prepared a report, compiled by Edward Talley, with the intention to outline the case for making Leeper Park a local historic landmark. Meticulously researched, it described the history of the park, its original architects and their philosophies, changes through the years, and the HPC’s reasons for the proposal. This is reflected in the Common Council ordinance later in the year (8734-96) approving this request, officially establishing the park as a Local Historic Landmark. That same year saw the application for Leeper Park to the National Register of Historic Places. The criteria listed for nomination is “Criteria C: The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction.” The Statement of Significance and other explanatory text relies extremely heavily on Kessler’s design for the park in the context of his influence on landscape design and the City Beautiful movement – “The Park is an outstanding example of the landscape planning and design for a small city park of the City Beautiful era of American landscape architectural design.” This argument, as explained previously, does not have much application to the cabin. The listed “historically significant” dates of the park do not encompass the Fur Trade era and begin in 1895; nor does it list an interpretive or educational aspect of the park as a significant part of that movement. The statement’s texts lists structures and other features that illustrate this style, but the cabin is never mentioned as one of them. Though all documents above note the Navarre Cabin’s presence in the park as part of their thorough inventory, its significance is minimized, and its provenance is questioned. None cite the cabin as contributing specifically to the criteria for the park. This is not surprising, as all arguments are heavily based on the area as an example of park planning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the national trend turned to the City Beautiful movement – in which a rustic pioneer cabin would not be appropriate. In fact, the site to which the cabin had been most recently moved might be considered an even less appropriate addition, as vistas following City Beautiful ideals typically feature buildings and monuments on the edges, not placed on a high point in the center of an unadorned expanse.