Every landscape has a story—we’re bringing them to light

Every path, stone wall, and planting at the Land & Garden Preserve holds a story. Some are well known—like the collaboration between Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and Beatrix Farrand in shaping the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. Others remain hidden, waiting to be uncovered in letters, maps, photographs, and even in the landscape itself. In the coming year, the Preserve is embarking on a transformative effort to bring these stories to light through the authorship of Cultural Landscape Reports.

Two spruce trees were originally planted inside the moon gate at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. Both were taken down when they reached the end of their lives.

A Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) is a comprehensive document that captures the history, meaning, and evolution of a place. It is part archive, part analysis, and part blueprint for the future. Drawing on historical records, old photographs and plans, oral histories, and careful on-the-ground investigation, a CLR traces how a landscape came to be, how it has changed over time, and why it matters.

For the Preserve, the CLRs will deepen our understanding of each of our properties—Asticou Azalea Garden, Thuya Garden, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, and Little Long Pond. They will illuminate the artistry and intention that shaped these places, reveal the stewardship decisions that have guided their evolution, and honor the traditions that continue to inform our care today. Through this process, we will examine the intentionality of designs and plantings, trace eras of significance, record moments of change, and identify character-defining features that must be preserved.

Tennis courts adjacent to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, circa 1919. Only the wooden pagodas and court surface remain today.

Through analysis of available primary source documents, CLRs investigate topics critical to the understanding of design intent. For example, they will explore the historic importance of the two red spruce trees that once stood in alignment with the Moon Gate at the north end of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. At Thuya Garden, the reports will likely investigate the traditional red roofs on the garden structures and determine why they were specified in the original construction plan, and how that feature ought to be maintained or allowed to evolve. The Asticou Azalea Garden has been constantly evolving for decades, and much of that change has occurred under the leadership of the garden’s long-tenured manager, Mary Roper. In that case, the CLRs may investigate and document multiple eras of significance, and, importantly, help us define the key characteristics of that garden that make it such a unique place.

Thuya Garden circa 1965

The value of a CLR lies not only in what it uncovers, but in how it guides the future. These reports will shape restoration projects, inform conservation priorities, and provide a thoughtful framework for adapting the landscapes as they continue to evolve. Just as importantly, they will help us share these histories with our visitors and community, deepening their connection to these extraordinary places.

Little Long Pond west meadow showing former farm buildings, circa 1900s

Ultimately, this work is about more than documentation. It is about honoring the legacy entrusted to us and ensuring that the Preserve remains not just a collection of beautiful places, but a living story of culture and nature intertwined. With every discovery, we take another step toward ensuring that future generations will experience the same sense of wonder, inspiration, and belonging that we feel today.

The Preserve is deeply grateful to Eileen Rockefeller Growald for her generous gift supporting the development of these reports. Read Eileen’s story here.

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