As designers and gardeners, women have played a significant role in shaping both the large estate landscape and the houseyard garden.
Thomas Allen wrote in 1846: "When I see the humblest dwelling, adorned by a yard of shrubbery and flowers, however small, laid out and preserved in order and neatness, I consider it an evidence of better things unseen, the harbinger of a gentle heart and a home of peace."
Using examples from Newburyport to Newport, Lucinda Brockway will explore the role of women as clients and amateur designers in New England from 1876 to 1996.
Landscape preservationist, writer, and principal of Past Designs, Brockway is a consultant to state, federal, and local agencies as well as private organizations and individuals on research, analysis, evaluation, design and management of all periods of historic landscapes. She also designs compatible landscapes for historic structures. Her background includes serving as Director of Landscapes at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH, working with the state of Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission to survey all designated period landscapes in Rhode Island in preparation for thematic National Register nomination, and extensive work with the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.
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