Bozeman Magazine

PARKITECTURE - A lecture by Richard Brown NPS Historical Architect Merrill Ann Wilson wrote of National Park Service Rustic Architecture: "This little noticed movement in American architecture was a natural outgrowth of a new romanticism about nature, about our country's western frontiers . . . The conservation ethic slowly took hold in this atmosphere of romanticism. Part of this ethic fostered the development of a unique architectural style. Perhaps for the first time in the history of American architecture, a building became an accessory to nature.” The origin of this style, commonly called Parkitecture extends back to Europe centuries before the creation of the National Park Service. This presentation explores its beginnings, introduction to America, evolution before the inception of the National Park Service, the contributions of Bozeman’s own premier architect, Fred Willson, and end of the style.