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 now prestigious 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.
Kip 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.
Kip Stowell died at his home in Harpers Ferry on January 20, 2009 at age 72. His ashes were spread in Harper Cemetery.Professional life
Kip 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. Before that he worked for the National Park Service in its Eastern Division, including working with Charles E. Peterson (founded the Historical American Building Survey), who was resident park architect at the NPS design headquarters in Philadelphia. 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 1960's). 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.
Kip 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 highlights
Designed National Park visitors centers and interpretive exhibits
Kip 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,
- Assateague Island National Seashore (c. 1965) in Maryland/Virginia,
- Grandview, New River Gorge National River (c.1978) in West Virginia,
- Canyon Rim, New River Gorge National River (c.1978) in West Virginia,
- Independence National Historic Park (c. 1966) in Philadelphia,
- Acadia National Park (c. 1916) in Maine,
- Cape Cod National Seashore (c. 1961) in Massachusetts,
- Mammoth Cave National Park (c. 1941) in Kentucky,
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area (c. 1972) in the San Francisco area,
- Washington Monument (c. 1885) in Washington, D.C.,
- Everglades National Park.
Surveys and designs for rehabilitation of National Historical Sites
Kip 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,
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,
- Scale House (c. 1829) at Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Massachusetts,
- West India Good Store (c. 1804) at the Salem Maritime National Historical Site in Massachusetts,
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (c. 1962) in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island,
- 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,
- Second Bank of the United States (c. 1819-1824) in Philadelphia,
- Independence Hall (United States) in Philadelphia,
- Bishop William White House (c. 1786-1877) in Philadelphia,
- Harpers Ferry Train Depot (c. 1894)
Surveys and designs for rehabilitation of regional historical structures
Kip Stowell also surveyed, researched, and made measured drawings of many regional historical structures including:
- Gallilean Fisherman's Hall in Charles Town, West Virginia,
- Peter Burr House in Jefferson County, West Virginia,
- Jefferson County Courthouse (West Virginia) 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.,
- Harpers Ferry Montessori School (c. 1984),
- Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Public Library,
- Bolivar Community Center,
- Locust Grove Rest Home in Bolivar,
Recognized for expertise in architecture and historic preservation
Kip 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, wide knowledge of historic preservation issues, familiarity with regional concerns, and his connections in the community, he was appointed and served on many 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 Coun
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