This page was created by Keagan Fowler. The last update was by AVRC.
A Cultural Landscape in Carleton Place
What is a cultural landscape? What sort of cultural landscapes exist in Carleton Place? The primary definition for a cultural landscape is one that considers a landscape, and how humans have interacted with that landscape. Architect Amos Rapoport notes that, “if all landscapes are at the very least modified through human action, are lived in and have meaning, this makes them cultural, since culture defines all human beings, while at the same time dividing them into groups.” (Rapoport 1992, 35). With Rapoport in mind, Riverside Park and Carleton Place develop their cultural landscape through human interactions with what is around them, and cultural landscapes have been actively developed since the inception of the town with the introduction of Riverside Park, or the Carleton Place Waterworks building. Rapoport also writes that, “a homogenous group within a localized area following rules which lead to systematic choices typically produces a distinctive cultural landscape. It follows that groups that are homogenous and clustered will produce particularly distinctive cultural landscapes. Different rules lead to cultural landscapes characterized by very different orders” (Rapoport 1992, 36). Rapoport advances the idea that a distinct cultural landscape comes into existence through humans acting on the land with a particular set of ‘rules’ in mind. Riverside Park is one such example of this notion, as it was intended for community gathering and leisure, developing a cultural landscape which reflects a unique set of rules. The cultural landscape of Carleton Place is unique because of the designation of land to the Waterworks building at the turn of the century.
Much of the happenings in Riverside Park reflect the typical cultural landscape that has come to define the area. In 1924 the new high school was constructed across the street from the park. In 1935, a tree planting ceremony was held in Riverside Park to celebrate King George’s silver jubilee, and days of sport were held in the park to honour those individuals who served in war (Gallant, 2013). Certainly, the cultural landscape that has developed at Riverside Park is as intended because it supports leisure and community as demonstrated by the various fundraisers often held there.
The designation of part of this landscape to the Carleton Place Waterworks may very well be understood as symbolic of the town’s prosperity at the turn of the century. The river in which the Waterworks building is situated has been utilized since the town’s inception, serving as a site for both leisure and utility since 1914. Riverside Park’s cultural landscape, then, becomes a small piece of Carleton Place which represents the progress of the town at the turn of the century. We might better understand the park, river, and its neighbouring structures as coactive; this point is reinforced by Paul Groth who argues: “buildings and urban landscapes are not passive records of social and cultural processes but also active participants” (Groth 1988, 41). What needs to be considered now is the architectural style that the Carleton Place Waterworks exhibits on its exterior.
Much of the happenings in Riverside Park reflect the typical cultural landscape that has come to define the area. In 1924 the new high school was constructed across the street from the park. In 1935, a tree planting ceremony was held in Riverside Park to celebrate King George’s silver jubilee, and days of sport were held in the park to honour those individuals who served in war (Gallant, 2013). Certainly, the cultural landscape that has developed at Riverside Park is as intended because it supports leisure and community as demonstrated by the various fundraisers often held there.
The designation of part of this landscape to the Carleton Place Waterworks may very well be understood as symbolic of the town’s prosperity at the turn of the century. The river in which the Waterworks building is situated has been utilized since the town’s inception, serving as a site for both leisure and utility since 1914. Riverside Park’s cultural landscape, then, becomes a small piece of Carleton Place which represents the progress of the town at the turn of the century. We might better understand the park, river, and its neighbouring structures as coactive; this point is reinforced by Paul Groth who argues: “buildings and urban landscapes are not passive records of social and cultural processes but also active participants” (Groth 1988, 41). What needs to be considered now is the architectural style that the Carleton Place Waterworks exhibits on its exterior.
