Collection ID: FA073

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Simpson, Paul and Rockefeller, John D., Jr. (John Davison) (1874-1960)
Extent:
2 Cubic Feet
Language:
English .

Background

Scope and Content:

The bulk of the Simpson family papers consists of correspondence and photographs. Most of the correspondence, which is contained in seven folders, covers 1929-1939, the period during which the carriage road system was completed. The principal correspondents are Paul D. Simpson and Rockefeller and his office staff. The intimate nature of the working relationship between the Simpsons and Rockefeller is evident from their familiar, sometimes daily correspondence, which discusses construction techniques and problems, the establishment of boundary lines, and neighbors' concerns about the project. Other topics include the purchase of land lots, the placement of the roads, legal and engineering issues, and the countless minutiae generated by the long-term, extensive construction project. There also are scattered letters to and from other members of Rockefeller's design team, including the Olmsted Brothers firm, Grosvenor Atterbury, who was the architect for the Jordan Pond and Brown Mountain gatehouses, and Beatrix Farrand.

The photographic images are an essential component of the collection. Consisting of 329 prints and negatives, the images are especially strong in their depiction of the completed roads and bridges as well as construction methods and equipment.

There is nothing of a personal nature in the Simpson Family papers. The contents relate solely to Acadia National Park and its roads. The collection is an expression of the Simpsons' familiarity with and affection for Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.

Arrangement:

As received.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Open for research. Brittle or damaged items are available at the discretion of RAC. Researchers interested in accessing digital media (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) or audiovisual material (audio cassettes, VHS, etc.) in this collection must use an access surrogate. The original items may not be accessed because of preservation concerns. To request an access surrogate be made, or if you are unsure if there is an access surrogate, please contact an archivist.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The Rockefeller Archive Center has title, copyright, and literary rights in the collection, in so far as it holds them, and has authority to grant permission to cite and publish archival material from the collection.

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
15 Dayton Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, United States
CONTACT: