Columbus -- French Norman Manor House
- General
- Located on ten acres, Sessions Village is divided into 29 plots with freestanding homes. French Norman Manor House is the centerpiece of the complex with numerous dramatic touches such as a tower, surround of a stone wall, and attached espaliered Belgian fence that attracts residents and visitors. A damaging fire in 1979 brought changes to the interior and garden. Originally, three tiered, Jack Cobel, architect, created a new garden that features a swimming pool and cabana at the higher elevation and a lower terraced area adjoining the house. The surround stone wall provides complete privacy and is lined with trees and shrubs, perennials and colorful pots of flowers are all around the garden.
- Persons associated with the garden include: Bessie Smith (former owner, 1931-1978); Frank Benson (former owner, 1979-1993); Robert (Roy) Reeves, Sr.; (architect, 1929-1937) and Jack Cobel (architect, 1979)
- There is additional documentation of other gardens in Sessions Village. See OH226000, OH230000-231000, and OH233000-235000.
- Architect
- Coble, Jack Pickens, 1909-1994
- Former owner
- Smith, Bessie, 1894-1937
- Benson, Frank
- Architect
- Reeves, Robert, Sr.
- Provenance
- Little Garden Club of Columbus
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- French Norman Manor House (Columbus, Ohio)
- United States of America -- Ohio -- Franklin County -- Columbus
- Topic
- Gardens -- Ohio -- Columbus
- Architect
- Coble, Jack Pickens, 1909-1994
- Former owner
- Smith, Bessie, 1894-1937
- Benson, Frank
- Architect
- Reeves, Robert, Sr.
- Provenance
- Little Garden Club of Columbus
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Ohio
- 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 Little Garden Club of Columbus facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File OH232
- 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.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets, site plans, 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.
