Object Details
- General
- Old Farm has a sunken and enclosed garden designed in 1912-1913 by Ellen Biddle Shipman in the Colonial Revival style to complement the 17th century farm house, described as a cloistered space within the more than one hundred acres of fields and woodlands that comprise this property. The garden was one of Shipman's earliest documented professional commissions, a rectangular plot sub-divided by stone and gravel walks into smaller rectangular beds surrounded by a low dry stone wall. At the far end there is a stone apse or excedrae with room for outdoor seating and a lily pond, now dry. Shipman's original stone terrace directly behind the house, stone walkway down the middle of the garden, and stone steps that lead up to the excedrae have grown over with grass and the American elm trees that shaded the enclosed garden have been replaced by other mature trees. The flower beds have been retained in their original shapes and siting, and have three distinct seasons of blooms: first daffodils, followed by irises, phlox and peonies, then fall asters.
- The original 17th century house had rooms on either side of the chimney in front with a lean-to rear section. In the late 19th century the rear section was raised to two stories, and in the early 20th century the house was restored by preservation specialist Joseph Everett Chandler. Ellen Biddle Shipman added trellises for vines and a garden in front of the house planted with boxwood, roses and oleander.
- Persons associated with the garden include: John H. B. Kent (former owner, 1836-1910); Benjamin F. and Adelaine L. Peach (former owners, 1899-1910); Alanson L. and Frances Pomeroy Daniels (former owners, 1910-1933); John S. and Mary B. Amory (former owners, 1933-1961); Ellen Biddle Shipman (landscape architect, 1912-1913); Joseph Everett Chandler (preservation architect, 1915); Lawrence Tennis (gardener, 2004- ); Beverly Benson Seamans (1928-2012) (sculptor).
- Preservation architect
- Chandler, Joseph Everett
- Gardener
- Tennis, Lawrence
- Sculptor
- Seamans, Beverly Benson
- Former owner
- Kent, John H. B.
- Peach, Benjamin F.
- Peach, Adelaine L.
- Daniels, Alanson L.
- Daniels, Frances Pomeroy
- Amory, John S.
- Amory, Mary B.
- Landscape architect
- Shipman, Ellen Biddle, 1869-1950
- Provenance
- North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Old Farm (Wenham, Massachusetts)
- United States of America -- Massachusetts -- Essex -- Wenham
- Topic
- Gardens -- Massachusetts -- Wenham
- Preservation architect
- Chandler, Joseph Everett
- Gardener
- Tennis, Lawrence
- Sculptor
- Seamans, Beverly Benson
- Former owner
- Kent, John H. B.
- Peach, Benjamin F.
- Peach, Adelaine L.
- Daniels, Alanson L.
- Daniels, Frances Pomeroy
- Amory, John S.
- Amory, Mary B.
- Landscape architect
- Shipman, Ellen Biddle, 1869-1950
- Provenance
- North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Massachusetts
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Custodial History
- The North Shore Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File MA611
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Bibliography
- Garden has been featured in "Ellen Biddle Shipman's New England Gardens" by Judith B. Tankard published in Arnoldia: The Magazine of the Arnold Arboretum, Spring 1997, pp. 2-11; The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman by Judith B. Tankard published by Sagapress, Inc., 1996, pp. 50-53.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets, photocopies of articles, historical images, and biographical and other information.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210181149-2
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