United States National Historic Landmark:
Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District
National Historic Landmark status is among the highest honors the United States confers on a historic place, and among the hardest to earn. Administered by the National Park Service, the designation recognizes buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts of exceptional importance to the nation's history. Of the more than 85,000 properties on the National Register of Historic Places, only about 2,600 have reached Landmark status.
The roster includes Mount Vernon, the Alamo, Hoover Dam, Hearst Castle, the New York Stock Exchange, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. It also includes the Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District, which marks the meetings between the Coast Miwok people and two European expeditions: Francis Drake's in 1579 and Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño's in 1595.
DNG File Image
What It Takes
Any individual or group may nominate a site, but the site must meet at least one of these criteria:
Association with events of national historical significance
Association with nationally prominent people
Embodiment of ideals that shaped the nation
Exceptional design or construction
Representation of a distinctive way of life
Archaeological potential to yield important information
Meeting a criterion only opens the door. Nominations must rest on thorough, verifiable evidence; speculation, weak research, and public visibility through books, websites, or videos carry no weight. Each application undergoes blind peer review and close examination by experts.
The New Albion Nomination
The Drake Navigators Guild began the nomination in 1994. The review lasted until 2012, an unusually exhaustive examination by any standard.
As part of that review, the National Park Service gathered confidential assessments from historians and other scholars. Park Service staff concluded that Drake's Cove was most probably the site of Drake's 1579 landing and his claim of New Albion, and that the case was so strong that it warranted national commemoration. The Landmarks Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board then invited public comment and received more than two dozen letters of support and none in opposition.
On November 9, 2011, the Committee met in Washington, DC. Representatives of the government of Spain, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the office of Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey spoke in favor. Park Service staff and Guild President Edward Von der Porten presented the nomination. No one challenged the findings. Committee member and archaeologist Dr. James M. Allan strongly endorsed the nomination, and the Committee approved it unanimously.
The final decision rests with the Secretary of the Interior alone. On October 17, 2012, Secretary Ken Salazar signed the designation, establishing the Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District as a National Historic Landmark. No Drake anchorage anywhere has received comparable scrutiny, fieldwork, or research.
DNG President Ed Von der Porten at the November 2011 Washington, DC presentation. He is holding a photograph of fellow Guild member, Sir Simon Cassels who wrote in support of the NHL designation.
Photo courtesy of Michael Von der Porten
A Volunteer Achievement
Because the process is so demanding, most Landmark nominations are prepared by paid consultants, typically at a cost approaching $100,000 at the time. This one was not. Guild members researched, wrote, and presented the entire nomination, covering their own expenses. Scholars in several specialties contributed their expertise, and Park Service staff in Washington, especially Kevin Foster and Dr. Erika Martin Seibert, gave invaluable guidance throughout.
Open to Challenge
At no point, from submission through the public hearings, did anyone file written or spoken opposition with the Department of the Interior or the Park Service. The process remains open: anyone who believes Drake landed elsewhere may submit a competing nomination and test their evidence against the same standards. To date, no one has.
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