SPCR 11-7, 2016
Ames Monument is one of 10 new sites nationwide listed as a National Historic Landmark, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis announced today.
“The Ames Monument is a pivotal and highly significant work in the career of Henry Hobson Richardson,” according to a Department of the Interior press release. “The simple massing and naturalistic materials of the Ames Monument, designed midway through his career, are a pure manifestation of a critical shift in his architectural design away from a reliance on references to historical stylistic motifs.”
The designation recognizes the properties as places that possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. “These 10 new national historic landmarks reveal important pieces of our nation’s diverse heritage through art, architecture and stories of community and identity,” said Secretary Jewell. “Today’s designation ensures future generations can trace, understand and learn from these properties, which join more than 2,500 other landmarks nationwide.”
“During the National Park Service’s Centennial year, we are celebrating the places that tell America’s stories, and these newly designated National Historic Landmarks recognize important experiences that help us understand our history and culture,” said Director Jarvis.
In addition to Ames Monument, the other nine national historic landmarks announced today are:
Athenaeum (Das Deutsche Haus), Indianapolis, Ind.; Gaukler Pointe (Edsel and Eleanor Ford House), Macomb County, Mich.;James Merrill House, Stonington, Conn.; Man Mound, Sauk County, Wis.; Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson, Miss.; Norman Film Manufacturing Company, Jacksonville, Fla.; St. Bartholomew’s Church and Community House, New York, N.Y.; The Steward’s House, Foreign Mission School, Cornwall, Conn.; and Zoar Historic District, Zoar, Ohio.
The nomination was sponsored by the Albany County Historic Preservation Board chaired by Amy Williamson with a Historic Preservation Grant through the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The nomination was prepared by Drs. Sarah Allaback, Ethan Carr, and James F. O’Gorman who are experts on the works of H.H. Richardson. Jerry Hansen and the board members of the Laramie Railroad Depot Association and Anna Lee Frohlich, an Ames family descendant, participated in the nomination process. The late Dr. Larry Ostresh, professor of Geography at the University of Wyoming, was instrumental in starting the nomination process of the monument. The Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails manage the monument and it is open for public visitation.
