Constructing the Blue Ridge Parkway

Stages, Scenes, and Spectacles

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to uncover and read the representational images found in one of the least studied and most utilized units of the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway. Using archival records, and landscape interpretation, my intent is to understand the meanings embodied in this "spectacular'' built form - spectacular not only in regard to the extent of the transformation achieved by the Resident Architect on the project, Stanley Abbott, but also the priority given to the gaze of the automobile tourist. This is a landscape intended for visual consumption, and as such it presents itself as a series of scenes signifying "mountain culture." In order to "read" the Blue Ridge Parkway I examine first of all the construction process, and the ideals expressed by Abbott concerning the form and function of the parkway. Then, I categorize the types of landscapes produced, noting how each reflects and re-presents to the viewer a particular vision of people and place.