Walton Danforth Stowell

Walton "Kip" Danforth Stowell (January 30, 1936 - January 20, 2009) was an American architect and historic preservationist, best known for his work for the U.S. National Park Service in designing visitors centers and interpretive exhibits in U.S. National Parks throughout the country. For most of his career, he worked at the Harpers Ferry Design Center which is responsible for architectural design and interpretive planning in National Parks.
Kip Stowell and his contemporaries were the first generation of historic preservationists at the National Park Service charged with implementing the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 which was a monumental legislation enabling preservation of the nation's historic, cultural, and heritage resources. He began his distinguished 50-year career as an architect and historic preservationist merely as a student in the National Park Service's Architectural Student Summer Program doing measured drawings for the Historic American Buildings Survey and for Charles E. Peterson who is considered to be the founding father of historic preservation in the United States.
Kip Stowell was also well known and admired regionally in West Virginia, Jefferson County, and Harpers Ferry for his many regional and local contributions to architecture, to historic preservation, and to the community.
Personal life
Kip Stowell was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts and grew up in Templeton, Massachusetts. He earned a degree of architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. He lived in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for the last three decades of his life.
Stowell was married to Mary Evalina "Nena" Manucy Stowell for 37 years—they were married at the Harpers Ferry Design Center in 1972. Nena Stowell is an artist and school teacher. They lived in a vintage Sears Catalog Home in Harpers Ferry built by Abraham Kaplon in 1908. The house is a classic American Foursquare, and is one of the early examples of houses built of rusticated concrete block, in this case from a Miracle Block Machine. . Kip and Nena operated an art gallery and a bed and breakfast in their house, and a Montessori School and hostel for Appalachian Trail hikers on their property.
Kip and Nena have one son, Walton D. Stowell II, who followed in his father's footsteps and has done architectural designs for a number of projects in National Parks around the country. Most notably, father and son collaborated on the restoration of the Queen Anne Style Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Harpers Ferry Train Depot (c. 1894) designed by the famed architect E. Francis Baldwin. In this NPS project during 2002 to 2006, Walton, Jr. was a Field Supervisor and Walton, Sr. was (merely) a consultant.
Stowell died at his home in Harpers Ferry on January 20, 2009 at age 72. His ashes were spread in Harper Cemetery.
Professional life
Stowell lived and worked in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for four decades from 1969 until his death in 2009. He worked for the National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Design Center (established 1970) for 26 years as an architect, interior designer and exhibit planner.
and with Ronald F. Lee, who was NPS Chief Historian and Director of the Northeast Region and known for his History of the Antiquities Act which is the law that serves as the foundation for the commemoration, preservation, and protection of cultural resources in the United States. At Harpers Ferry, Kip Stowell followed in the footsteps of park architect Archie W. Franzen who was responsible for surveys and designs for restoration of buildings in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in the park's early years (1950's and 1960s). Kip Stowell was succeeded at Harpers Ferry upon his retirement by park architect Peter F. Dessauer, who in 1984-1986 lead the restoration project for the Statue of Liberty.
Stowell also served the Town of Harpers Ferry for over a quarter of a century between 1975 and 2001 - 18 years as Town Council member and 6 years as Town Mayor. He was very active in the establishment of the Harpers Ferry Historic District which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and extremely involved in every aspect of the community for four decades (see details above and below).
Career
Designed National Park visitors centers and interpretive exhibits
Stowell was involved in the design of many visitors centers and interpretive exhibits at National Parks throughout the United States including such sites as
* Fort Clatsop National Memorial (c. 1958) in Oregon,
: Fort Clatsop (c. 1805) is where Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-1806 (December 7, 1805 - March 23, 1806). The Fort Clatsop National Memorial was incorporated into the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks in 2004. Stowell was part of the Harpers Ferry Center design team that planned and constructed all of the new exhibits in the enlarged exhibit hall during the 1989 visitor center rehabilitation project.
* Assateague Island National Seashore (c. 1965) in Maryland/Virginia,
: Assateague Island is an undeveloped barrier island, known for its roaming wild horses, and a popular place to camp. A building used as a restaurant was extensively renovated in 1979 and turned into the "Toms Cover Visitor Center" with interpretive exhibits. The local NPS staff commented about Stowell and the Harpers Ferry Design Center saying "they have shown that while one can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, one can make an impressive visitor center out of a clam shack."
* Grandview, New River Gorge National River (c.1978) in West Virginia,
: Grandview has been a popular park since the 1950s and is known for it views of the New River and for the outdoor Theatre West Virginia.
* Canyon Rim, New River Gorge National River (c.1978) in West Virginia,
: The Canyon Rim Visitors Center is near the New River Gorge Bridge which is one of the highest bridges in the world and spans the New River which is one of the best whitewater rivers in the world.
* Independence National Historical Park (c. 1966) in Philadelphia,
: Cape Cod National Seashore. An estimated 4.6 million people visit the park each year.
* Mammoth Cave National Park (c. 1941) in Kentucky,
: Kip Stowell designed the theme exhibit "The Bloom of Life" for the Visitors Center.
Surveys and designs for rehabilitation of National Historical Sites
Stowell surveyed, researched, and made measured drawings of many historical structures throughout the United States to document the buildings and to provide plans for their restoration, rehabilitation, and reuse including:
* Slyder House (c. 1852) at Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania,
: The Slyder House was used as a Confederate hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg. Stowell made measured drawings (, ) of the house in August 1957 when he was a student in the NPS Architectural Student Summer Program working for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS).
National Park Service's Architectural Student Summer Program doing measured drawings for the Historic American Buildings Survey and
* Bryan House at Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania,
: The Bryan House was home to Abraham Bryan, a free black, located on Cemetery Ridge near Pickett's Charge, and heavily damaged during the battle. The house was photographed by the famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady after the battle. Stowell's measured drawings of the house in July 1957 were made when he was a student in the NPS Architectural Student Summer Program working for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS).
* Scale House (c. 1829) at Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Massachusetts,
: The Scale House was used to store scales and other equipment associated with Custom House at Salem, which was an important early port. Stowell's measured drawings in August 1958 were made as a student working for the Historic American Buildings Survey under the direction of Charles Peterson, considered to be the "founding father" of historic preservation in this country. Later in July 1964, when working as NPS staff, Stowell prepared the Scale House Historic Structures Report.
* West India Good Store (c. 1804) at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Massachusetts,
: The West India Good Store was a retail store that sold goods from around the world. It is still in use as a retail store by a NPS-related organization. In July 1964, Stowell prepared the NPS Historic Structures Report for the building. (see also West India Goods Store by John Robbins (1997).
* Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (c. 1962) in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island,
: Sagamore Hill (c. 1884) is a Queen Anne style house that was the home of President Theodore Roosevelt for much of his adult life. It was called the 'Summer White House' during Roosevelt's presidency. Sagamore Hill is located in Oyster Bay, New York where Teddy Roosevelt's family spent their summers during his youth. Stowell prepared perspective drawings of the house in the project coordinated by the Harpers Ferry Design Center in 1990.
* John D. Jones, B. Smith House (c. 1838) in Philadelphia,
* Frank Kemper House (c. 1835) (also called the Turner Ashby House) in Port Republic, Virginia,
: the Port Republic Museum is located in the Frank Kemper House. It is near where the Battle of Port Republic was fought in Stonewall Jackson's . The body of General Turner Ashby, nicknamed the "Black Knight of the Confederacy" and Stonewall's cavalry commander, was brought to the Frank Kemper House after he was killed in battle on June 6, 1862.
* Second Bank of the United States (c. 1819-1824) in Philadelphia,
: The Harpers Ferry Train Depot was designed by the famed B&O architect E. Francis Baldwin. As Mayor of Harpers Ferry 1995-2001, Stowell was the lead voice calling for saving of the deteriorating structure and pressuring the CSX Railroad and the National Park Service into reaching an agreement after many decades of back and forth "negotiations." In 1999, the train depot was listed as one of the 10 most endangered railroad stations in the United States. Stowell was battling his former employer at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park regarding the lack of good stewardship by the National Park Service of the historic train depot. The Town of Harpers Ferry obtained a grant from the State of West Virginia to stabilize the structure which helped force the CSX Railroad and the NPS into moving forward with an immediate restoration project. A few years later, Stowell was an unofficial consultant for the NPS restoration of the train depot in which his son, Walton Stowell, Jr., also an architect, was a Field Supervisor for the project in 2002 to 2006.
Surveys and designs for rehabilitation of regional historical structures
Stowell also surveyed, researched, and made measured drawings of many regional historical structures including:
* Galilean Fisherman's Hall in Charles Town, West Virginia,
: The Galilean Fisherman's Hall is where a group of local blacks in about 1885 formed a chapter of the Grand United Order of the Galilean Fisherman, which was a black fraternal organization founded in about 1856 in Baltimore as a benevolent society to help blacks.
* Peter Burr House in Jefferson County, West Virginia,
: The Peter Burr House is believed to be the oldest frame structure in Jefferson County.
* in Charles Town, West Virginia,
* Old Jefferson County Jail in Charles Town, West Virginia,
Designs for local new structures
* Memorial at the Harpers Ferry Jobs Corps Center honoring Job Corps students and CSX workers who died in a MARC/Amtrak train wreck in February 1996,
* St. James Catholic Church in Charles Town.,
: Stowell won an Honor Award in 1980 from the West Virginia Society of Architects for his design of an addition-renovation. The Society noted that the design "solved a very difficult problem with imagination and boldness."
* Harpers Ferry Montessori School (c. 1984),
: Stowell won an award for its design in 1985 from the West Virginia Society of Architects. The building is a "Lincoln Log" type construction.
* Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Public Library,
: Stowell designed an addition in 1992 that doubled the size of the library. Fifteen years earlier, he served on the Library Board that oversaw planning and construction of the new library.
* Bolivar Community Center,
: Stowell designed the new building.
* Locust Grove Rest Home in Bolivar,
: Stowell designed a living-recreation room during a renovation in 1975-1976.
Recognition for architecture and historic preservation
Stowell had a reputation not only in Jefferson County and West Virginia, but in also nationally for his knowledge of historic preservation, historic structures, and architectural designs. Because of his professional skills, knowledge of historic preservation issues, familiarity with regional concerns, and his connections in the community, he was appointed and served on several boards and organizations including the:
* National Trust for Historic Preservation, Board of Advisors (West Virginia Representative),
* American Institute of Architects,
* International Institute of Interior Design, Instructor,
* International Institute of Interior Design, Board of Trustees,
* West Virginia Archives and Historic Commission,
* West Virginia Preservation Alliance, Founding Member and Board of Directors,
* Jefferson County (West Virginia) Historic Landmarks Commission,
* Jefferson County (West Virginia) Preservation Alliance,
* Jefferson County (West Virginia) African-American Community Association,
* Arts and Humanities Alliance of Jefferson County (West Virginia), Board of Directors,
* Old Opera House Theatre Company (Charles Town, WV), Advisory Board,
* Recognized locally for knowledge of historic preservation.
Contributions to National Register of Historic Places
Kip Stowell applied his skills in architecture and historic preservation to local historic districts in several states and assisted in getting them on the National Register of Historic Places including:
* Burkittsville, Maryland. 1975,
* Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. 1979,
Professional awards and recognition
Kip Stowell won a number of awards or was otherwise recognized for his professional achievements including:
* Award of Excellence by the Federal Design Council for Interiors and Exhibits at the Second Bank Portrait Gallery in the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia,
* President Clinton: Mayor Stowell, thank you for a lifetime of dedication to America's National Park system. (Earth Day Celebration in Harpers Ferry, April 22, 1998),
* Special Achievement Award from the National Park Service,
* Honorable Mention Award for Excellence in Architecture Design from the West Virginia Society of Architects for Design of the Harpers Ferry Montessori School in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia,
* Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture Design from the West Virginia Society of Architects for Design of the St. James Catholic Church in Charles Town, West Virginia,
* Emeritus Member of the American Institute of Architects,
* Member of Burkittsville Historical District Commission.
* Bolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Library Committee (1975) responsible for overseeing plans for construction of the new library,
* Jefferson County Bicentennial Committee for Jefferson County, West Virginia (2001),
* Co-chairman of the U.S. Bicentennial Committee for Harpers Ferry (1966),
* Ranson, West Virginia Building Inspection Appeals Board,
* Pride in Action committee, Charles Town, West Virginia (a group dedicated to community beautification and improvement),
* Order of the Bell Tower, Charles Town, West Virginia (a group that gave tours of the Jefferson County Historic Courthouse), Involved in restoration (1992) of Odd Fellows Lodge (c. 1834).
Actor and artist
In addition to being an architect and historic preservationist, Stowell was also an actor and artist. He was known for:
* playing the Dancing Mayor in the September 1999 production of September Stars directed by Carol Gallant at the Old Opera House in Charles Town (WV)
* exhibiting at the Architecture as Art Exhibit at the Boarmans Arts Center in Martinsburg, Maryland in 1998,
* playing the B&O Railroad Conductor A.J. Phelps in The Anvil, The Trial of John Brown, a play by Julia Davis (written in 1962 for the centennial of the Civil War) at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Charles Town (WV) in August 1975,
* playing Peter Burr at the Peter Burr Living History Farm in Jefferson County (WV),
* Houses and Gardens from around the World presentation,
Further reading
* Spirit of Jefferson Farmer's Advocate, January 17, 1985. "Stowell, Taylor to be featured in discussion at PIA meeting June 1." Pride in Action Committee. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Interior Design. Chairman of the Harpers Ferry Planning Commission.
Notes and references
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