Object Details
- General
- The gardens for this 23 acre property were reconceived by Nelson Byrd Woltz into zones for the body, mind and spirit, with each section divided longitudinally. The park section contains many native trees; the garden section includes the entrance court, seven distinct rooms and a formal vegetable garden with a greenhouse; the forest has a pine and fern grove; water encompasses the swimming pool and a large pond with a pagoda on an island; the field has the tennis court, cutting garden and a golf green with sand traps. Repeated features in the formal gardens include allées, sheared hedges, brick and bluestone hardscapes, oversize urns and pots planted with either seasonal flowers or vines, and flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials with white blooms predominating. There are brick pillars at the entrance gate that are repeated at the end of the driveway. A field of daffodils and redbuds has a path mowed through for strolling in the spring. Layers of shrubs that surround the rectangular lawns at the arrival court include white hydrangea, lilac, boxwood, and viburnum, with Russian sage and pachysandra as the lower story and three large magnolias above. Behind the house a blue stone path and steps lead to a bluestone terrace garden with arborvitae in the corners, white rhododendron, white Japanese anemone, and shaped boxwood all surrounding a circle of grass. A rectangular white garden with benches at either end contains tree peony, white bleeding heart, hydrangea, Japanese anemone and ferns. The secret garden enclosed by a brick wall has a gravel center court with a large urn that is replanted each season, a cement bench under a kousa dogwood, white tulips and bleeding heart, rhododendron and hydrangea. Outside the wall there is a bed planted with two rows of Japanese stewartia. A formal lawn has a reflecting pool in the center, allées of pollarded sycamore on two sides, and shaped boxwood at the far end. Another allée of yoshino cherry and large planted pots along the long walk leads to a walled formal vegetable and flower garden with a greenhouse. Teak tuteurs are planted with peas in spring followed by tomatoes. Apple and pear trees are espaliered on serpentine brick walls. Teak lattice gates attached to one wall can swing out to support climbing roses or other vines. Nearby a pine and fern grove lost many trees during Hurricane Sandy but has an understory planted with dogwood, rhododendron, hay scented fern, Virginia bluebells, beech, redbud and mayapple. Grass steps with stone risers lead to the swimming pool with low stone walls. A hot tub set in stone is flanked by beds of perennials. Next to the pool there is a playing field with blue painted benches that look towards the fish-stocked pond. Japanese style bridges lead to two islands in the pond, one of which has the Chinese style pagoda and a weeping cherry. The other island is planted with river birch. Along the boundary of the property there is an allée of silver maple that leads to a circle of clipped hornbeam and the tennis court. There is a cutting garden next to a shed, and beyond that lies the golf green complete with sand traps. Persons associated with the property include: Charles Addison Blackwell, Esq. (former owner, 1929-1937); Frederick Chauncey Tanner (former owner, 1937-c.1950); Joseph A. Thomas (former owner, c. 1950-1977); estate of Joseph A. Thomas (former owner, 1977-2002); Polhemus & Coffin (architects, c. 1926); Arthur F. Brinkerhoff (1880-1959) (landscape architect, 1929); Nicholas Molitor (gardener, 1946-2004); Cicognani Kella (architects, 2002); Innocenti & Webel (landscape architects, 2004-2005); Nelson Byrd Woltz (landscape architects, 2005- ); Sam Brush, Foxgloves Horticultural Services (landscape management (2015- ).
- Former owner
- Blackwell, Charles Addison, Esq.
- Tanner, Frederick Chauncey
- Thomas, Joseph A.
- Architect
- Polhemus & Coffin
- Landscape architect
- Brinkerhoff, Arthur F.
- Gardener
- Molitor, Nicholas
- Architect
- Kella, Cicognani
- Landscape architect
- Innocenti & Webel
- Woltz, Nelson Byrd
- Provenance
- North Country Garden Club of Long Island
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- The Cedars (Old Brookville, New York)
- United States of America -- New York -- Nassau -- Old Brookville
- Topic
- Gardens -- New York -- Old Brookville
- Formal gardens
- Former owner
- Blackwell, Charles Addison, Esq.
- Tanner, Frederick Chauncey
- Thomas, Joseph A.
- Architect
- Polhemus & Coffin
- Landscape architect
- Brinkerhoff, Arthur F.
- Gardener
- Molitor, Nicholas
- Architect
- Kella, Cicognani
- Landscape architect
- Innocenti & Webel
- Woltz, Nelson Byrd
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / New York
- 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
- North Country Garden Club of Long Island facilitated the 2018 submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File NY1066
- 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
- This property is featured in "Long Island Country Houses and their Architects, 1860-1940" edited by Robert B. MacKay, Anthony Baker and Carol A. Traynor, published by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities and W.W. Norton Company, 1997; "Long Island's Prominent North Shore Families: Their Estates and Their Country Homes, Vol. 1" by Raymond E. and Judith A. Spinzia, published by VirtualBookworm.com, 2006; House and Garden magazine, June 1929; "Nelson Byrd Woltz: Garden, Park, Community, Farm" by Elizabeth Meyer, Thomas Woltz and Warren Byrd published by Princeton Architectural Press, 2013
- Scope and Contents
- 61 digital images and 1 folder.
- 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-1643208220039-1643210183499-0
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