Inspire Preservation: Chris BeaganCultural landscapes take many…

Chris Beagan, historical landscape architect for the National Park Service, taking in the view. (Photo courtesy of C. Beagan)

Aerial perspective of Fort Monroe, which has been a National Historic Landmark since 1960. (NPS/Fort Monroe National Monument)

Inspire Preservation: Chris Beagan

Cultural landscapes take many forms. My

inspiration and interest in cultural landscapes comes from the most ordinary of

places, my hometown.

I grew up in Reston, Virginia, which

is one of the first modern, post-war planned communities in the country. Compared

to places cared for by the National Park Service, its 1960s infrastructure

isn’t particularly historic, but the idea behind the community is.

Before mixed-use development became popular,

Reston was designed as a place to live, work, learn, and play. The town has a

range of housing types and styles, public recreation facilities, natural areas,

businesses, and schools in proximity to each other, integrated into its fabric.

Apartments and a small lake in Reston, Virginia, a planned development not far from Dulles International Airport close to Washington, DC. (Photo: Carol Highsmith, between 1980 and 2006, Library of Congress) 

The diversity of housing types left people

of different means, backgrounds, and life stages to move to Reston, resulting

in remarkable heterogeneity. The town’s developers also prioritized the

“dignity of each individual,” creating a deeply rooted community in short time.

Thanks to good planning and design, Reston is socio-economically, culturally,

religiously, and generationally diverse.

Trailer for Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA, a documentary created by Rebekah Winger-Jabi.

Reston is to credit for my

professional interest in landscape architecture; it instilled in me an

appreciation for the impact that good planning and design can have on quality

of life. Growing up in Reston also gave me an appreciation for outlooks and

life experiences that are different than my own.

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I work for the National Park Service

as a historical landscape architect because I believe that history and the

environment bond society. We’re inextricably tied to both, and both should be

preserved. By preserving places that are important in our lives, past and

present, and welcoming visitors to learn about our national heritage, the

National Park Service enriches society.

 For this reason, two park landscapes that

inspire me are:

• Fort Monroe National Monument

• Stonewall
  
  National Monument

Escaped slaves, or “contraband of war,” sought refuge at Fort Monroe during the Civil War (NPS/Fort Monroe National Monument).

I love that I work for an agency that

encourages everyone to travel, explore the country around them, and gain

perspective on their lives and others. These things lead to a more peaceable

world.

The Stonewall Inn is a National Historic Landmark across the street from the Stonewall National Monument. It was the scene of events in 1969 that began the modern struggle for the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans.

• As 2017 begins, we are featuring a series of landscape preservation inspiration posts from members of the program. Missed anything? Check out the full series here.