The Teepee pavilion located in the heart of Cherokee park is a one of a kind piece of art for the community and is treasured by many who visit the park regularly. People have been gathering at the pavilion consistently over that past five decades. The teepee is an exceptional piece of architecture in the artistic city of Louisville. Geof Bell a Louisville Architecture examiner said, “Commission to rethink the area in its 2009 Master Plan, part of a continual development of Louisville’s park system. Included in the plan was a proposal to tear down and replace the teepee pavilion.” If the Teepee pavilion is demolished two smaller pavilions will be put up in its place. My main thought is why? The teepee is of no danger to the general public. It only requires some cosmetic changes. A group known as the Save Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion Foundation is full of dedicated louivillians who want to take on this challenge in order to save and restore the teepee. While the Teepee may need to be beautified to an extent it is still a historical part of the park that should keep its original charm. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy argues that the teepee does not fit in with the flow of the park and is so deteriorated that it should be removed all together. In this paper I will discuss the importance of keeping this historical structure, what is needed to save the teepee, and the affect of the demolition on the locals who want to see it saved. In this discussion I will argue that the Olmsted Parks Conservancy should reserve the Teepee pavilion because it is an iconic structure in Louisville's history.
Cherokee park is an incredibly active park. Any day may bring hundreds of people from around Louisville out to the park. Not only is it one of my favorite places in Louisville but also it reminds me of being younger in the country. Surrounded by nature’s beauty and the sounds of wild life. The park is full of treasured spots such as big rock and Hogan’s Fountain. Cherokee park is truly an iconic place in Louisville. It is ranked number 69th on the most visited parks in America. Roughly half a million people visit the park annually. The Cultural Landscape Foundation expresses, “The rich and varied scenery follows the contour of the land within four distinctive landscapes of the park: hills, slopes, a creek valley, and sinkholes.” I love the description of the park to be seen as “rich”. This brings a whole new feel to the park. It is not just a random location filled with trees, grass, and hills. It is nature’s very own work of art. The park is a massive area packed with trails and unique places for friends and family to gather. It is a naturally beautiful park and encompasses many one of kind structures. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. I think that he did a fantastic job with the park system in Louisville. The city is connected by the parks and parkways laid out by Olmsted. Olmsted is more widely known for designing Central Park in New York City. He is considered the founder of landscape architecture.
All around the nation the importance of keeping historical landmarks is put into question. There is much argument on whether these landmarks should be preserved or if they should be demolished in order to build new structures in their place. In Estimating Historic Landmark Value a Colorado hotel built in 1866 is discussed. Kling states, "While not a monument of importance to a national population, this hotel is a unique, large, highly visible, broadly identifiable landmark representing the historic identity of a high growth city struggling with massive homogenization of the built landscape.”(2031) This expresses the idea that the hotel may not have national importance but that it is simply a historic representation of the cities past. It is an “identifiable landmark” for the locals. This statement is entirely true of the teepee pavilion as well. The pavilion is a representation of the Cherokee Indians that roamed the land in Kentucky long before Louisville was thought of. An important part of their culture was the teepee. Teepees were their homes and where their families were raised. When Schickli designed the Teepee he definitely had the heritage of Cherokee Indians in mind. It was built as a tribute to the ones who lived here before us and for that reason alone should be preserved. “Designed by architect Edward Jacob Schickli, Jr. and constructed in 1964, the Pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain is a landmark of the Louisville park system” (Bell) While the teepee in Cherokee park has not been around as long as the Colorado Hotel it is still seen as a landmark for locals. Most likely if you have been through the park than you have seen the 56 feet wide by 56 feet in height structure. The teepee is a massive landmark and is the most distinct formation in the park. It fits perfectly into the concept of “Keep Louisville Weird.” Louisville is known for its quirky people and places. The pavilion adds to not only the character of the whole park but also the character of the entire city.
While Louisville is known for its eccentric residents it also houses many dedicated citizens. People are not afraid to fight for what they think is right. In order for the preservation to happen a few key actions must be achieved. After interviewing Virginia Mattingly, an active volunteer for The Save Hogan’s Fountain Pavilion, I was told what actions must be preformed. The Foundation has until the summer of 2012 to raise the appropriate resources necessary for saving the pavilion. Some new paint, new roof shingles, and a little stone work at the base. The overall cost is roughly $80,000. This is a significant amount of funds for a local foundation. A significant effort has been made in fundraising. Supporters participated in an online competition “We hear you America” sponsored by Reader’s Digest magazine. This competition led to $ 11,000 being raised. Louisville metro councilwoman, Tina Ward-Pugh heard about the tremendous accomplishment and decided to donate $5,000 challenge grant. Within the last year a little more than half the funds needed have been raised. Supporters and volunteers in the community do not want to see the teepee disappear. The efforts made to save the pavilion are inspiring. The value of this historical landmark is worth more than money to the people of Louisville. Unfortunately money is what they need and they will try their hardest to get the necessary resources. I think that whatever money is raised by that point in time should be stretched to make the most important improvements. That way everyone wins. The teepee can be saved and the most vital cosmetic changes can occur.
However, if the Olmsted Parks Conservancy lives out their master plan then the pavilion will be torn down and two smaller ones will be put in its place. If this plan happens then the character of this part of the park will be destroyed as well. This will no long be a unique destination for locals of Louisville. The pavilion has always been a popular place for weddings, family reunions, and general gatherings. Many memories have been made at this location. An excerpt taken from Civilizing American Cities: A Selection of Frederick Law Olmsted's Writings on City Landscapes states, "In architecture and landscape architecture, space must be conceived as an entity, not simply a void, and the way in which a society organizes space through its design professions reveals a great deal about its values."(269) At the time when the pavilion was built the symbolism of it was important to our values. Even to this day our heritage should be important enough to save such a great landmark. Destroying it will only bring sadness to visitors of the park. Not to mention a popular historical landmark will forever be gone.
Another factor that makes preserving the pavilion so important is that it survived the horrible tornado in Louisville that happened on April 3, 1974. Louisville was hit by an f4 tornado and overall destruction of the park was devastating. The sound structure of the teepee allowed it to withstand the strong winds. While hundreds of historical trees were uprooted the pavilion stood strong against the tornado. This event shows the durability of the pavilion. It is a well-built configuration. It is not as if the teepee is so old that it is falling apart and becoming a hazard to the community. That is not the case at all. What touches me the most about the aftermath of the tornado is that under all the destruction there was a shining light. The community got together and a massive replanting took place. It makes me incredibly happy to know that the community was supportive of the parks restoration.
Some people oppose to the idea of historical preservation. They believe that this prevents communities from growing and progressing. Many also claim that preserving historical landmarks is an unproductive use of our tax dollars. Money spent on preserving could be used on building new structures for the community allowing the economy to grow. The Conservancy wants to revamp Cherokee park. "Olmsted Parks Conservancy's interest is to enhance the park-user experience while ensuring the health and beauty of Cherokee Park for decades to come. Two separate shelters will lessen the ecological damage caused by extremely heavy use in a concentrated area." said Liz DeHart, director of marketing and communications for the Olmsted Parks Conservancy. They believe that historical trees are in danger surrounding the pavilion because it is so greatly used. While these points are very valid I argue that as human beings we need to give some tribute to the people and ideas that have come before us. Without our history we are nothing. How can we truly grow as a society if we do not care about our past? I understand where the city wants the park to look polished. I think that is an exceptional argument. Of course we want our park systems to be nice and beautiful because they represent our city. If the park is clean than that reflects nicely on Louisville itself. At the same time I argue why destroy a perfectly sound and iconic structure in order to accomplish this goal. We should instead focus our efforts on improving what is already there and beautiful. Tammy Madigan, a founder of the Save Hogan’s Fountain Teepee Foundation expresses, “It's important to preserve significant architecture that makes Louisville unique." I couldn’t agree with her more. Not only is the teepee a historical landmark but it is also a fine architectural piece of art for Louisville. However, on a more national level it seems the idea of historical preservation is losing. “Also on Obama's hit list is Preserve America, a sister program created by George W. Bush in 2003 that promotes community preservation, planning and helps organizations develop stewardship and financial practices with grants.” This program was much supported by First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush. Now the program is getting cuts in funding and may be done all together. When Obama was first elected there was hope that he would help these programs along. That is not the case now. I believe that overall this is hurting the economy instead of helping it. Donovan Rypkema, a specialist in using historic preservation to boost urban economic development states, “For anyone with a more macro view of things, historic preservation and urban quality go hand in hand. Historic preservation is certainly not the solution for every urban problem, but its part of the solution for most of them. And Obama is nothing if not a sophisticated, nuanced thinker." Rypkema said this when he thought that Michelle Obama would follow in the footsteps of the former First Ladies. Unfortunately, Obama decided to not support these programs. Rypkema believes that historic preservation can help the economy in these harsh times.
A main problem I have toward the demolition of the pavilion is that the money allotted for destruction and building should be used to help fix the teepee. If this were to be done that there would be no need to destroy the perfectly sound structure. If the structure were about to fall down than I may better understand the importance of tearing down the pavilion. However, the pavilion is working great. It just needs some cosmetic changes to make it more presentable. Unfortunately with labor and supplies these changes are very expensive. This high price and the energy required to obtain these funds is not stopping the community from fighting to keep the pavilion.
Works Cited:
Kling, Robert W., Charles F. Revier, and Karin Sable. "Estimating the public good value of preserving a local historic landmark: the role of non-substitutability and citizen information." Urban Studies (Routledge) 41.10 (2004): 2025-2041. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 July 2011.
Lubove, Roy. "Civilizing American Cities: A Selection of Frederick Law Olmsted's Writings on City Landscapes." Journal of Social History 9.2 (1975): 268-275. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 July 2011.
Bell, Geof. "The Cherokee Park Teepee - Louisville Architecture | Examiner.com." Welcome to Examiner.com | Examiner.com. Examiner.com, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 July 2011. <http://www.examiner.com/architecture-in-louisville/the-cherokee-park-teepee>.
Shue, Sam. "MorganHillTimes.com | CROSSFIRE: Arguments against and in Favor of Historic Preservation." MorganHillTimes.com of Morgan Hill California. Mainstreet Media Group, 7 July 2008. Web. 29 July 2011. <http://www.morganhilltimes.com/opinion/246424-crossfire-arguments-against-and-in-favor-of-historic-preservation>.
Berger, Knute. "What's Obama Got against Historic Preservation? | Crosscut.com." Seattle News Online | Pacific Northwest News Online | Crosscut.com. Crosscut Public Media, 16 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 July 2011. <http://crosscut.com/2010/02/16/mossback/19584/What-s-Obama-got-against-historic-preservation-/>.
"Overview of Preserve America." Preserve America - Explore and Enjoy Our Heritage. Preserve America, 31 Oct. 2010. Web. 29 July 2011. <http://www.preserveamerica.gov/overview.html>.
Doyle, Katie. "Cherokee Park Without the Teepee?" Louisville, Kentucky - Louisville City Guide. HelloLouisville.com, 9 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 July 2011. <http://www.hellolouisville.com/commons/pages/articles/news/cherokee_park_without_the_teepee/205303/>.
Cherokee Park, Louisville. Photograph. Louisville.
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