Seal Harbor -- Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden
- General
- A 1921 trip to China and a tour of Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and the Philippines inspired Abby and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to create the garden at Eyrie on the western hill of Seal Harbor. Beatrix Farrand, a fellow Mount Desert Island resident, was hired to design it. Lavish flower gardens and Western influences coexist with Eastern material objects. The garden is enclosed by a rose-colored serpentine wall capped with yellow tiles salvaged from a demolished section of wall around China's Forbidden City. The Spirit Path is lined with Korean tomb "procession" figures. The use of native shrubs and ground covers soften the stone sculptures. A lawn is the center of the sunken garden.
- Persons associated with the garden and property include: Abby Aldrich and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (former owners, ca. 1928-1948); Beatrix Jones Farrand (landscape architect); and Robert W. Patterson (landscape architect).
- Former owner
- Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich
- Rockefeller, John D., Jr. Mrs.
- Landscape architect
- Patterson, Robert W.
- Farrand, Beatrix, 1872-1959
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden (Seal Harbor, Maine)
- United States of America -- Maine -- Hancock County -- Seal Harbor
- Topic
- Gardens -- Maine -- Seal Harbor
- Former owner
- Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich
- Rockefeller, John D., Jr. Mrs.
- Landscape architect
- Patterson, Robert W.
- Farrand, Beatrix, 1872-1959
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Maine
- 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.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File ME043
- 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 featured in Paula Deitz, "The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden," House and Garden (February 1985), p. 116. Garden featured in Elaine Kasmer, "Recalling Summer's Splender: Three Gardens in Maine," The Horticultural Society of Maryland Newsletter (winter 2000/2001), pp. 3, 6.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes a worksheet, slide script, brochures, and copies of articles.
- 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.
