An exciting initiative to be working on at Tudor Place is the development of their Master Preservation Plan. In a nutshell it aims to address several infrastructure upgrades that will protect the long-term integrity of the historic structures and collections. I arrived just in time for the construction phase of the first project in the … More Following the Master Plan and Stay on Budget!
Its been a busy month! Based on my headline, you’ve likely gathered that i’m on the move. After six wonderful years in Philadelphia working at world class organizations such as Longwood Gardens, University of Pennsylvania, and KieranTimberlake as well the Fairmount Park scene at Woodford Mansion its time to say goodbye for now. I recently … More Update: I’ve moved! Phila. > Washington DC
On a very general level, our society uses the word “historic” to mark something as notably old. Historic properties beloved by the public such as Mt. Vernon are usually successful and deemed historic because either an important event happened there, an important person was there, or an important theme is associated with the space. [see … More Historic Property? Are you Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and/or Reconstructing?
The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens Earlier this month I enjoyed touring the grounds of the Fells Historic Estate and Gardens overlooking Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. It is the former summer home of John M. Hay (1838-1905), an American writer and diplomat. Hay’s son Clarence and his wife Alice Appleton Hay later inherited the … More The Fells & Landscape Design in the Arts & Crafts Movement
I recently visited the colonial farm and mansion called Pennypacker Mills near Schwenksville, PA. It was the family home of the Pennypackers, and the Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Pennypacker used it as a summer home in the early 20th century. During this transition, the working farm was converted into a gentleman’s country estate for the governor … More Thomas Meehan, the Pink Dogwood, and crowdsourcing plant ID features
Who is William Cullen Bryant? The Seattle neighborhood Bryant is named after him. Bryant House at Williams College is named for him. Bryant Woods of Columbia, Maryland is also named after him. The famed Bryant Park in NYC at the intersection of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue was later renamed for him. He was a … More The 19th century poet behind NYC’s Central Park: a visit to William Cullen Bryant’s boyhood home #CentralPark #WilliamCullenBryant
I spent a few hours today combating porcelain-berry at Woodford Mansion. Now that the beautiful berries are apparent everywhere, its [relatively] easy to find and eliminate at the early stages. But wait: how do you know the difference between the native and non-native species? In this area we have also have a native wild grape … More Plant ID, #Chatbots, and confronting invasive #porcelain-berry @InvasiveNotes @InvasiveInfo
On same day I visited Willowwood Arboretum, I also stopped at nearby Frelinghuysen Arboretum to tour the grounds and study the Colonial Revival home and gardens. This property is the headquarters of the Morris County Parks Commission. Like many arboretums, the property began as a working farm and over the years amassed a horticulture excellence that begged … More Frelinghuysen Arboretum – NJ
In my day job as a knowledge manager at an architecture firm, i’ve learned that one of the keys to success is making connections amongst various groups of people, resources, and emerging knowledge to solve problems more efficiently and effectively. I find that making connections between ideas, spaces, arts & culture and even people is … More Willowwood Arboretum – NJ
I’ve been interested in historic and cultural landscapes since childhood and even at that age loved exploring the plants, topography, outbuildings and other structures giving clues to how the site changed over time and what their exact uses may have been. I learned early on that knowing these exact anthropocentric uses required knowledge of local … More Stenton House [Phila, PA]
Joshua Meyer 