West Orange -- Pleasantdale Farm

Object Details

General: Designed by Ethelbert E. Furlong, this estate garden was originally 85 acres. Although it ceased being a private residence in the 1960s, the gardens were preserved at least until 1988, when many of the photographs in the file were taken. Furlong's design called for formal gardens to surround the French provincial mansion, complemented by informally treated water areas designed to enhance the country-like atmosphere of the estate. Garden borders and parterre gardens, in which the plantings were changed several times each year, provided bold color to accent the surrounding greenery.; Persons and firms associated with the garden include: Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Nichols (former owners, 1933-1963); Ethelbert E. Furlong (landscape architect, 1930s); Augustus Allen (architect, 1930s); and Allied-Signal Inc. (former owner, 1963-?).

Place: Pleasantdale Farm (West Orange, New Jersey); United States of America -- New Jersey -- Essex County -- West Orange

See more items in: The Garden Club of America collection; The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / New Jersey

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 Rumson Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.

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 James Marston Fitch and F. F. Rockwell, Treasury of American Gardens (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956), pp. 160-161.

Scope and Contents: The folders include worksheets, correspondence, and photocopies of articles about the garden and Charles W. Nichols.

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.

Related Materials: Pleasantdale Farm related holdings consist of 3 folders (21 35 mm. slides)