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Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961

Creator:
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Subject:
Wildenstein, Felix  Search this
Phillips, Duncan  Search this
Hays, Lee  Search this
Untermeyer, Louis  Search this
Zigrosser, Carl  Search this
Robeson, Paul  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)  Search this
Ruggles, Carl  Search this
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur  Search this
Nearing, Helen  Search this
Nearing, Scott  Search this
Pach, Walter  Search this
Rasmussen, Knud  Search this
Reeves, Ruth  Search this
Seeger, Pete  Search this
Daniel, Charles  Search this
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland)  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen)  Search this
Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this
Boyesen, Bayard  Search this
Chase, William Merritt  Search this
Freuchen, Peter  Search this
Gellert, Hugo  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry  Search this
Hartley, Marsden  Search this
FitzGerald, James  Search this
Keller, Charles  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this
Henri, Robert  Search this
Jones, Dan Burne  Search this
United American Artists  Search this
United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this
United Scenic Artists  Search this
National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this
National Maritime Union of America  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this
Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Federal Writers' Project  Search this
Macbeth Gallery  Search this
International Workers Order  Search this
Type:
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Designers -- New York (State)  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Politics and culture  Search this
Authors -- New York  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Dairy farms  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this
Illustration of books  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Art and war  Search this
Commercial art  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9557
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211757
AAA_collcode_kentrock
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211757
Online Media:

Little Compton -- Atwater Garden, The

Landscape designer:
Lawton, Lloyd  Search this
Provenance:
Little Compton Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Atwater Garden (Little Compton, Rhode Island)
United States of America -- Rhode Island -- Newport County -- Little Compton
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets and site plans.
General:
The property is composed of three lots measuring approximately 5 acres each, all bounded by stone walls, and is a combination of woodlands, marshland, areas for cultivation and seaside views. The land was part of a dairy farm until 1945, and the house (built in 1963-64 at the end of a long driveway) was the farm's old cart track. In 1964, 1969, and 1970 Lloyd Lawton designed rock gardens on the west and southeastern sides of the house. The gardens contain several rare plants as well as collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, Japanese maples, hellebores, grasses, groundcovers, ferns, epimediums, and rock garden plants. North of the house, an old stone wall is lined with a perennial border that blooms from early spring to late fall. Beyond the wall stands a row of English Holly (Molly Stevens) which borders an extensive vegetable garden, followed by American Hollies. On the west side of the house just past the rock garden, a Katsura tree shades a terrace next to a bed of mixed plantings including trees, shrubs, grasses, groundcovers, perennials, and bulbs. Further west, a path splits two naturalistic beds featuring native white viscosum azaleas under planted with bulbs and groundcovers. On the east side of the house a purple Beech towers over rhododendron beds including rhododendron "Kozan." Also on the east side is an informal row of tightly pruned Leyland Cypress. Two beds to the southeast and southwest of the front of the house feature mixed plantings in graduated heights composed of trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers.
Persons associated with the garden include Lloyd Lawton (landscape designer, 1964, 1969, 1970).
Related Materials:
Atwater Garden, The related holdings consist of 1 folder (20 35 mm. slides (photographs))
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Rhode Island -- Little Compton  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File RI165
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Rhode Island
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6791b8136-be75-4985-b980-e253951c0a9e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref10541

Westminster West -- Hayward Garden

Gardener:
O'Donnell, Helen  Search this
Owner:
Hayward, Mary  Search this
Hayward, Gordon  Search this
Provenance:
Garden Club of Dublin (New Hampshire)  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Hayward Garden (Westminster West, Vermont)
United States of America -- Vermont -- Windham -- Westminster West
Scope and Contents:
Hayward Garden includes 63 digital images and a folder that includes worksheets, photocopies of articles and additional images including a pamphlet about a musical program created for and perfomed in the garden in 2014 as a the Yellow Barn summer program.
General:
The owners describe their one and one-half acre ornamental garden as a new garden in an old place, with its 200 year-old colonial farmhouse and attached barn, low stone walls, and old farm building foundations that have been repurposed as distinctive garden rooms within surrounding meadows and woods. They purchased the property in 1983 and spent about one year clearing the land of scrap metal and other debris, brambles and weed trees, a rotting barn, dead trees, and an old Nash Metropolitan automobile. The garden style is English, with a rectilinear format from south to north softened by lush growth in season and more evident in the long Vermont winter. The design began by drawing a straight line from the front door of the house to a 75-year-old apple tree. There is a crab apple orchard along that main axis that can be seen from the house. Brick and pea stone gravel walks, 90-foot long mixed borders, and an herb garden laid out in formal parterres are either parallel or perpendicular to the central axis of the garden. The 14 garden rooms are delineated by clipped hedges of varying heights, many of yew but also other plant materials for variation. There are four places to sit within the garden: a gazebo at the far end reached through a tunnel of pleached copper beech, an outdoor dining room on pavers under tall trees, a bench slightly above and overlooking their spring garden, and another bench next to a shed near the herb garden.
Creating a garden in harmony with the rural location was important to the owners, who subsequently purchased 19 adjacent acres and preserved the meadows and woods with the Vermont Land Trust. To instill harmony in the diverse garden rooms the owners adhere to three themes: hedges for structure, black locust posts and terra cotta containers for materials, and burgundy and other reds for the color that recurs throughout the garden rooms. Since the entire garden is unified it is possible to add variations without muddling the design. Honoring the long gone dairy farms they have turned the foundations of a milking parlor into a garden room that has low, drought tolerant plants growing among the stone flooring and three rusted milk cans. The cracked cement foundation of a former silo was turned into a pond with a fountain built into a stone wellhead and a statue of Buddha on the shore.
Gordon Hayward has written many articles for Horticulture, Taunton's Fine Gardening, and regional magazines using his own garden to teach design aesthetics and their practical application. Topics include the effective placement of planted and unplanted containers and other garden ornaments, how to build a small fountain, the importance of proportions to design, how to set vertical posts, and tips on outdoor seating and dining rooms. Good design is illustrated by reshaping lawns to complement planted borders or trees, through consistent choices of decorative materials, through applying the principles of theme and variation when choosing what to put in the garden, and through planning for the winter garden with berries and crab apples for birds and good "bones" that become evident in winter.
Persons associated with the garden include: Gordon Hayward (owner, garden designer, and gardener, 1983- ), Mary Hayward (owner, garden designer, and gardener, 1983- ), Ephraim and Lydia Johnson Ranney, and their descendants in the Buxton and Reed families (former owners, circa 1790-1983); Helen O'Donnell (gardener, 2008-2015).
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Vermont -- Westminster West  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File VT019
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Vermont
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6348782db-b9b4-4f9c-bd8d-72b7affb6963
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref11360

Fayette -- Emmons Farm's Gardens

Provenance:
Country Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Emmons Farm's Gardens (Fayette, Ohio)
United States of America -- Ohio -- Fulton County -- Fayette
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, a garden plan, a copy of an article about the garden, and additional information about the garden's history and design.
General:
This three-acre garden, situated on a 253-acre dairy farm in northwestern Ohio, was begun in the late 1980s. What started as a small rose garden to enhance the owner's view from the barn whilst milking the Holstein herd has evolved into a collection of over 900 rose plants on the farm grounds. Special emphasis is placed on species dating from before 1867, hybrid teas, and miniature roses. The rose gardens are complemented by terraced gardens of annuals in patriotic colors and can be seen, along with a fruit tree allée and vegetable garden, from a raised viewing terrace and pergola. Adjacent to this terrace is a water garden, complete with waterfall and dozens of goldfish. Additional garden features include a greenhouse and raised flower beds in geometrically designed gardens containing annuals and perennials. This is truly a fascinating Ohio farm garden and a tribute to its owners/designers' imagination, dedication, and American ingenuity.
Related Materials:
Emmons Farm's Gardens related holdings consist of 1 folder (12 35 mm. slides (photographs))
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Ohio -- Fayette  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File OH224
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Ohio
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb60b193117-c357-4abf-990e-128da7f35637
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref15527

Devon -- Brook View Farm

Landscape architect:
Sears, Thomas Warren, 1880-1966  Search this
Provenance:
The Weeders  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Brook View Farm (Devon, Pennsylvania)
United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Chester County -- Devon
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a work sheet, narrative description of the garden and its history, and an abbreviated garden plan.
Former Titles:
Kemble/Wood Garden and Brookside Garden.
General:
The ca. 1758 stone house was part of a dairy farm during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Former owners, Francis and Emily Kemble, hired Thomas Sears to terrace the hillside with stone walls and steps. English boxwood marked the corners, and narrow grass paths defined rectangular beds lined with hosta and centered with matching clusters of peonies and phlox. Sears planted masses of "Congo" lilacs and an American elm in order to provide a canopy for the garden. A small orchard of apple and pear trees were planted to screen the house from the road. A meadow area was set aside for a large vegetable garden, cold frames and a hot frame. Sears converted several out-buildings into garden "follies" for tea parties and relaxing. The foundation of one of the buildings became a rose garden with a stepping stone path down the center. When the present owners purchased the property, invasive weeds overtook the garden beds and vegetable garden. Most of the boxwood succumbed to disease and many of the fruit trees were dead. The owners wished to adapt an old high maintenance garden to contemporary interests and a reasonable budget. Azaleas became the foundation of the woody plantings. They revived the vegetable garden and offered plots to friends. The garden is currently used as a laboratory to learn more about growing and combining various plants while overcoming problems, such as deer.
Persons and firms associated with the garden include: William Wood (former owner, 1700s); Emily and Francis Kemble (former owners, 1920-1975); Thomas Sears (landscape architect, 1927-1930); and Brognard Okie (architect, 1928-1929).
Related Materials:
Brookside Farm related holdings consist of 1 folder (14 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- Devon  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File PA451
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Pennsylvania
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6d044beda-74fe-4d55-98ce-ada2b94c4c54
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref16453

Middleburg -- Homewood

Former owner:
Dudley, Aldrich Mrs  Search this
Dudley, Aldrich Mr.  Search this
Pettibone, John Sr. Mr  Search this
Pettibone, John Sr. Mrs  Search this
Groundskeeper:
Budd, Bill Mr  Search this
Provenance:
Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Homewood (Middleburg, Virginia)
United States of America -- Virginia -- Loudoun County -- Middleburg
Scope and Contents:
The folders include worksheets, historical images and real estate records.
General:
A few evergreen trees are all that presently remain of the Homewood garden, which dated back to the 1920's. The original 223 acres of the property were purchased by Mr. and Mrs. John Pettibone Sr. in 1946. A pool was added to the propery in the 1950's, with shrubs and flower beds at its edges. A split rail fence and a garden gate defined the front of the garden which featured and arbor, and roses, boxwood, peonies, and spring bulbs. Beyond the garden, a children's play area was situated next to a small orchard. In it's prime, the property was a working dairy farm and also had conformation show horses; the large stable no longer exists but the dairy barn remains standing. In 2000 the Pettibone family sold the property and the unattended home subsequently burned down in 2010.
Persons associated with the garden include Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich Dudley (former owners, 1930's-1946?); the Wyatt family (1930s-1946?), Mr. and Mrs. John Pettibone Sr. (former owners, 1946-ca. 1989?); Mr. John Pettibone Jr. (former owner, 1989-2000); and Mr. Bill Budd (grounds keeper, 1946-).
Related Materials:
Homewood related holdings consist of 2 folders (2 lantern slides; 4 photographic prints; 12 digital images)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Virginia -- Middleburg  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File VA176
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Virginia
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6c4fac852-21fc-4532-a582-ac98777895b7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref18851

Greensboro -- Justamere Farm

Provenance:
Rumson Garden Club  Search this
Former owner:
Bernstein, Shirley  Search this
Bernstein, Martin  Search this
Taylor, Wesley  Search this
Taylor, Catherine  Search this
Photographer:
Brighton, Avery  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
United States of America -- North Carolina -- Guilford County -- Greensboro
Scope and Contents:
This file contains 16 digital images and 1 folder.
General:
This 29 acre property in Greensboro, North Carolina originally resided within the 300 acres purchased by the original owners in 1923. The original 300 acres were a working dairy farm with a dairy bam, stables, cattle, horses, chickens, and hogs. In 1924, the couple started building their fieldstone manor house and added many plants and trees throughout their residence on the property. In 1955, the owners sold the house, log cabin, and tenant house along with 29 acres, while retaining the remaining acres in their family. In 1973, the 29 acre property at Justamere Farm was purchased by the new owners who have occupied the property for 45 years. The current garden layout remains similar to its original design. The gardens consisted of a formal rose garden bordered by American box woods, and a pergola that is no longer standing. The original two Beech trees remain in the front of the farm workshop. A hidden spring "cooling house" buried underground next to the lower garden steps was used as a root cellar and includes a spring with water and small windows to circulate fresh air. This opened into more flower beds which the current owner filled with native wildflowers and ferns.
The main architectural features of the property are the main house, the cabin, three barns, and a pool. The entrance to the farm is bordered on each side by two original grade flora magnolia trees, old oak trees, and an original row of English box wood bushes. "Rooms" built into the backside of the stone gateway were once used as a smokehouse and a shed for equipment. The roof of the smoke house collapsed and is now a walled garden, while the old equipment shed now acts as a potting shed. The main house is a three-story gray fieldstone house built with twelve-foot ceilings. It maintains its original glass windows. The property was also built with French drains and underground pipes from the lake to irrigate the gardens and provide fire protection. This system is no longer in operation. The log cabin that overlooks a small pond was used to house the original owners while the main house was being built. The current owners converted the original pool into a water garden equipped with lilies, lotus plants, Koi, and other fish. More terraced gardens wind down towards the east in front of the log cabin with additional large granite stone steps.
Many of the original trees have been destroyed by lightning, age, ice storms, disease, and a tornado in 2017, but the current owners frequently replace the trees. They reportedly have a chestnut oak that came from a sprig taken at Robert E. Lee's home, amongst a variety of flowering cherry trees, transplanted hemlocks, and wild azaleas. The woods are full of red, white, willow, pin, and post oaks, as well as a grove of black walnut trees, white pines, mulberry trees, cedars, poplars, pecan trees, and persimmons that scatter the property. The original owner planted many invasive plants which she believed would attract birds, such as ivy, periwinkle, floribunda roses, wild pear and grape; the current owners continue to clear these plants. Numerous original holly, hellebores, oak leaf hydrangeas, and daffodil plantings remain on the property.
Persons associated with the garden include: Dr. Wesley Taylor and Catherine Taylor (former owners and designers, 1920-1955); Martin and Shirley Bernstein (former owners, 1955-1973).
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- North Carolina -- Greensboro  Search this
Justamere Farm (Greensboro, North Carolina)  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File NC117
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / North Carolina
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb62ac865f9-1019-410e-b8ac-cfb5591b90f7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref33216

New Bedford -- Haskell Garden

Former owner:
Hathaway, Horatio  Search this
Gifford, Sarah  Search this
Winterbottom, Albert  Search this
Provenance:
Garden Club of Buzzards Bay  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Haskell Garden (New Bedford, Massachusettes)
United States of America -- Massachusetts -- Bristol County -- New Bedford
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet, landscape map, and newspaper article.
General:
In 1954, the owner bought five acres on Shawmut Avenue in New Bedford. In the intervening years, the owner made it into a nationally known and award winning nursery. The property had been a dairy farm. It includes two of the oldest extant residences in New Bedford. Today, the owner has greenhouses, formal gardens, a vegetable garden, and display gardens. An aviary is located on the property with peacocks and exotic birds.
Persons associated with the garden include: Horatio Hathaway (former owner, ca. 1722); Sarah Gifford (former owner); and Albert Winterbottom (former owner).
Related Materials:
Haskell Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (37 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Massachusetts -- New Bedford  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File MA319
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Massachusetts
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb688648582-912f-406e-993b-660bb574bff2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref17644

South Dartmouth -- McBratney Property

Horticulturist:
Haskell, Allen C.  Search this
Landscape designer:
Frenning, Blanche  Search this
Lawton, Lloyd  Search this
Tracy, Chris  Search this
Provenance:
Garden Club of Buzzards Bay  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
McBratney Property (South Dartmouth, Massachusetts)
United States of America -- Massachusetts -- Bristol County -- South Dartmouth
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet and abbreviated garden plan.
General:
The house accompanying this garden site, overlooking Buzzards Bay, was built in 1964 on four acres of dairy farm pasture. In the succeeding years its fine trees and shrubs have matured. Vegetable gardens are surrounded by espaliered fruit trees. There are heath and heather gardens, a sunken garden featuring alpine troughs, perennial beds, a caged blueberry patch, a compost area, and a daffodil collection succeeded by grasses. The garden has received gold and silver medals from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Persons associated with the property include: Blanche Frenning (landscape designer, 1964); Lloyd Lawton (landscape designer, 1964); Allen C. Haskell (horticulturist, 1970, 1974, and 1987); and Chris Tracy (landscape designer, 1986).
Related Materials:
McBratney Property related holdings consist of 1 folder (12 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Massachusetts -- South Dartmouth  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File MA156
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Massachusetts
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6380bcf32-8fd7-47db-85d6-05546df34a48
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref17660

Lambertville -- Hart-Vorhees Farmstead-Lipson Garden

Former owner:
Waligunda, Bob  Search this
Dunham, Robert  Search this
Coleman, Keith  Search this
Hayden, Maximillan  Search this
Alderson, Jonathan  Search this
Landscape designer:
Pugliese, Chris  Search this
Dear, Bill  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Hart-Vorhees Farmstead-Lipson Garden (Lambertville, New Jersey)
United States of America -- New Jersey -- Mercer County -- Lambertville
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, plant lists, and photocopies of articles .
General:
An historic New Jersey dairy farm was divided into two ten acre properties about 40 years ago, with one containing the house and this one containing two massive stone barns.The barns were converted into livable structures by subsequent owners, with the completion of the house and installation of the gardens surrounding it commencing in 1998. Now there are five distinct garden areas: the driveway and front circle planted with low maintenance shrubs; the front courtyard which is protected by an extensive cedar trellis style fence and features shade plants in chartreuse, dark green and maroon; the back patio along the barn wall with the dining area, fire pit, a dogwood tree espaliered against the barn wall, and a stone ruin that is a wind block; the swimming pool surrounded by ornamental grasses that grow tall enough to give privacy; and a natural pond with the native plants augmented with grasses and yellow water iris.
Among the challenges faced by landscape designers Chris Pugliese and Jonathan Alderson were an extensive native deer population, compacted clay soil from the days when livestock lived in the barn, the massive scale of the converted barns, and converting an entirely exposed property into gardens and outdoor entertaining rooms. Their solutions included planting trees near the house for shade including fast growing river birches, honey locust and magnolias, designing the fence and ruin to define garden rooms and offer protection from the deer and other elements, planting ornamental grasses and other species that deer do not eat, and sinking the garden areas down steps, again to keep out the deer. The compacted soil was removed and replaced with ten inches of mushroom compost.
The massive two-story stone dairy barn has been balanced with large-scale containers including an oil jar and by allowing ivy planted along the side path to climb and soften the façade. The front courtyard and back patio floor are dry laid blue stone that allows small plants to grow between the stones. The height of the trellis fence is staggered so it does not appear to cut the house off from the rest of the property.
Persons associated with the garden include: Bob Waligunda (former owner, 1970-1994); Robert Dunham (former owner, 1994-1996); Mr. and Mrs. Keith Coleman (former owners, 1996-1998); Maximillian Hayden (architect, 1996); Chris Pugliese, ASLA (landscape architect, 1998-2000); Jonathan Alderson, ASLA (landscape architect, 1998-2000); Bill Dear (landscape designer, 2009- ).
Related Materials:
Hart-Vorhees Farmstead-Lipson Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (32 digital images)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- New Jersey -- Lambertville  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File NJ612
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / New Jersey
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb61f5c4bdc-40a2-45aa-a7b2-ab2b0f023427
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref20089

Litchfield -- Westview Farm

Provenance:
Litchfield Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Westview Farm (Litchfield, Connecticut)
United States of America -- Connecticut -- Litchfield County -- Litchfield
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets.
General:
Once a working dairy farm, Westview Farm serves as a quintessential example of the New England house and garden. The farmhouse and many of the trees on this 5 acre property date back to when it was established in 1850, an apple orchard on the property dates back to circa 1940. The gardens of Westview Farm, which include an herb and flower garden, a "red border" featuring plantings with red blooms and foliage contrasted with bright yellow and green plantings, a vegetable garden, and a cutting garden, were established in 1986 when the current owners purchased the property. One of the most recent additions to the property is a 1/3 acre pond added in 1993 which is surrounded by willows, forsythia, and daffodils.
The extensive vegetable garden includes over 115 varieties of vegetables that are grown over the course of the growing season. In addition to the annual plantings which vary from year to year, the cutting garden features espaliered pear trees, boxwood and Alberta spruce topiary, and a dwarf apple tree, all of which provide structure and definition to the garden, particularly in winter.
Related Materials:
Westview Farm related holdings consist of 1 folder (15 digital images)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Connecticut -- Litchfield  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File CT549
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Connecticut
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb69b43a72c-7a2f-415c-ba5b-d477f4a94695
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref21567

Stonington -- Stone Acres

Former owner:
Phelps, Charles M.D.  Search this
Phelps, Charles Jr.  Search this
Phelps, Erskine  Search this
Edwards, Eugene Phelps  Search this
Paffard, Frederic Dr.  Search this
Gardener:
Anderson, Charles  Search this
Careb, Christian  Search this
Farmer:
Anderson, Charles  Search this
Piver, Edward  Search this
Historian:
Careb, Christian  Search this
Provenance:
New London Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Stone Acres (Stonington, Connecticut)
United States of America -- Connecticut -- New London County -- Stonington
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet, garden plans, and a plant list.
General:
Although this garden site was established ca. 1900, ownership of the property dates to at least the mid-18th century. The current site includes ca. 60 acres, once part of a larger dairy farm that was active until the 1980s. Among the historical features of the property are a greenhouse that may have been built in the late-18th century and a ca. 100-year-old boxwood hedge 1,237 feet long. Many of the plantings, such as waterlilies, tree peonies, and other foundation plantings were put in after the hurricane of 1938, while many trees and shrubs are specimens from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Flower beds and borders are underplanted with bulbs, and there are 19 rose arbors on the property. Other features include a vegetable garden, cutting garden, and apple orchard (formerly there were pear and peach orchards as well). Old lilacs, a grapery, and walkways round out this rural garden site.
Persons associated with the garden include: Charles Phelps, M.D. (former owner, ca. 1755); Charles Phelps, Jr. (former owner, ca. 1830); Erskine Phelps (former owner); Eugene Phelps Edwards (former owner); Dr. Frederic Paffard (former owner); Charles Anderson (gardener/farmer, 1950-1985); Edward Piver (farmer, 1960-1999); and Christian Careb (gardener/historian, to date).
Related Materials:
Stone Acres related holdings consist of 1 folder (15 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Connecticut -- Stonington.  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File CT274
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Connecticut
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6abebf250-8a76-4869-999a-28cc6e52afc9
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref21640

[Stone Acres]: view of the farmlands (the property was formerly a dairy farm).

Photographer:
Brown, Barbara M.  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Extent:
1 Slides (photographs) (col., 35 mm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Slides (photographs)
Place:
Stone Acres (Stonington, Connecticut)
United States of America -- Connecticut -- New London County -- Stonington
Date:
1995 Jun.
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Connecticut -- Stonington.  Search this
Shrubs  Search this
Trees  Search this
Lawns  Search this
Walls, stone  Search this
Meadows  Search this
Farmland  Search this
Ha-has  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, Item CT274009
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Connecticut / CT274: Stonington -- Stone Acres
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6027f2735-aa09-4a05-b771-4d363f6e97b7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref22828

Barrington Hills -- Brinker Hills Farm

Former owner:
Pettengill, Russell A.  Search this
Ceasar, Orville  Search this
Smith, Lyman B.  Search this
Patten, Pat  Search this
Sculptor:
Gagnon, Charles Eugene  Search this
Salmones, Victor  Search this
Gardener:
Baros, Luke  Search this
Suchy, John  Search this
Guijarro, Raul  Search this
Designer:
Baros, Luke  Search this
Suchy, John  Search this
Arborist:
Kelly, Bob  Search this
Photographer:
McCarthy, Mary S.  Search this
Provenance:
Garden Club of Barrington  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Brinker Hills Farm (Barrington Hills, Ill.)
United States of America -- Illinois -- Barrington Hills
Scope and Contents:
Materials relating to the private garden located in Barrington Hills, Illinois. The folder includes slides, descriptions of slides, plans, Real Estate advertisement, list of plants, with a description and worksheet done by GCA researcher Patricia Mead. This garden includes sculptures by Charles Eugene Gagnon and Victor Salmones.
General:
"The gardens include a perennial garden (English style) and a rock garden leading up to the pool area. The driveway is lined with hosta, impatiens, and perennials. The waterfall pond area is planted with impatiens, tuberous begonias and perennials. The lake area is home to native grasses, wildflowers and water plants."
"The 50 acres are part of what once was a dairy farm. The main house is made up of 3 houses built in Massachusetts in 1699, 1720, and 1805, and moved to this location in the early 1920's by flatbed railroad car."
Persons associated with the property include: Russell A. Pettengill (former owner 1922 to 1932); Orville Ceasar (former owner 1932 to ?);Lyman Smith (former owner ? to 1964); Pat Patten (former owner 1964-1967); Charles Eugen Gagnon (sculptor); Victor Salmones (sculptor); Luke Burros (gardener and landscaper 1975 to 1987); John Suchy (water and prairie landscaper 1991 to 1995); Raul Guijarro (gardener 1987); Bob Kelly (arborist 1996); Mary S. McCarthy (photographer).
Related Materials:
Brinker Hills Farm related holdings consist of 1 folder (20 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Illinois -- Barrington Hills  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File IL103
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Illinois
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb65f4e5ba1-f556-4b63-a53c-67cedba39612
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref6754

Omaha -- Frances Dowd Gardens

Provenance:
Loveland Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Frances Dowd Gardens (Omaha, Nebraska)
United States of America -- Nebraska -- Douglas County -- Omaha
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, site plans, and other information.
General:
Located on less than an acre, Frances Dowd Gardens was originally an 80 acre dairy farm that was subdivided by Archibald Love into Loveland Subdivision in 1922. This property's home was built in 1941, and an additional 36 feet x 177 feet of land was purchased to square off the back yard in 1975. At that time, the owners began in earnest to create the garden. Vines, rogue trees and shrubs were removed. Healthy trees were trimmed and new trees were planted. Gardens were designed, dug and planted along with new fencing and trellises added. A vegetable garden was also started in a fenced off area.
In 2000 a request was made from an ad agency representing Coke to film a commercial in their garden. The fee for the use of their property was donated to the Lauritzen Garden at Omaha's Botanical Center.
From 1971-2008 many additions were added to the home and grounds.The grounds improvements include: a screened porch and gazebo, two level brick and stone patio, trellis covered garden seat and playhouse.
An overview of the plantings include: several Hydrangea, Roses, Lilacs, Yew's, Box wood and Holly shrub varieties. Sun and shade perennials such as: Astilbe, Columbine, Aster, Geranium, Hibiscus, Peony, Sedum and many Hosta varieties. Trees include: Maple, redbud, dogwood, Hawthorn, American beech, white ash, White pine, Red oak, Chinese elm and different viburnum.
Persons associated with the property include: William and Charlotte Montgomery (former owners, 1941-1958), Robert and Jane Finnman (former owners, 1958-1964), Mary and William Grady (former owners, 1964-1966), Jeffery Mink (landscape architect), Matthew Dowd (builder and designer).
Related Materials:
Frances Dowd Gardens related holdings consist of 1 folder (20 35 mm. slides)
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.
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.
Topic:
Gardens -- Nebraska -- Omaha  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File NE009
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Nebraska
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb66ac4f77c-fbb3-40ff-a594-68847d5e31d3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref9472

Robinson and Via Family Papers

Collector:
Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor)  Search this
Creator:
Quinn, Terry (photographer)  Search this
Conner, Mary Robinson, 1930-2009  Search this
Names:
Capital Transit Company (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Serenity Farm, Inc.  Search this
Howes, Grace Bourne, ?-1976  Search this
Robinson, Adina Theresa, 1963-  Search this
Robinson, Amanda Baden, 1849-1940  Search this
Robinson, Elizabeth Bourne, 1892-1976  Search this
Robinson, Frank A., 1883-1970  Search this
Robinson, Franklin A., 1841-1905  Search this
Robinson, Franklin A., Sr., 1932-2023  Search this
Robinson, Martha Walls, 1807-1897  Search this
Robinson, Robert David, 1962-  Search this
Robinson, Robert Henry, 1851-1937  Search this
Robinson, Thomas Wells, 1803-1869  Search this
Townshend, Martha Robinson, 1880-1961  Search this
Via, Adina Mae, 1937-1966  Search this
Via, Ida Virginia Woods, 1914-2010  Search this
Via, Robert Delano, 1933-  Search this
Via, Robert Milton, 1906-1983  Search this
Extent:
33 Cubic feet (99 boxes, 3 map-size folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Motion pictures (visual works)
Correspondence
Photographs
Postcards
Baby books
Phonograph records
Postcard albums
Ephemera
School yearbooks
Diaries
Albums
Housebooks
Snapshots
Home movies
Family papers
Scrapbooks
Funeral registers
Architectural drawings
Place:
Maryland -- Family farms
Washington (D.C.)
Prince George's County (Md.)
Arizona -- Motion pictures
Benedict (Md.)
Charles County (Md.) -- Family farms
Calvert County (Md.) -- Family farms
California -- Motion pictures
Bahamas -- Motion pictures
Yosemite National Park (Calif.)
Puerto Rico -- Motion pictures
Washington -- motion pictures
Oregon -- Motion pictures
Disneyland (California)
Brandywine (Md.)
St. Thomas, V.I. -- Motion pictures
Florida -- Motion pictures
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Westminster
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Marston
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- New Windsor
Date:
1838-2023, undated
bulk 1872-1985
Summary:
Papers documenting the farming and family life of the Robinson family of Prince George's County and after 1975, Charles County, Maryland. Papers documenting the farming and family of the Via family of Greene County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Prince George's by 1949, and Calvert Counties by 1956, Maryland.
Scope and Contents:
An extensive and comprehensive collection of papers relating to family, farming, and the Southern Maryland tobacco culture, the Robinson and Via Family Papers cover many aspects of family and farm life. The papers are particularly important in regard to the tobacco culture that defined Southern Maryland for generations. The papers concern two distinct family groups, the Robinson and Via families who are connected through the marriage of Franklin A. Robinson and Adina Mae Via. The papers consist of material generated by the Robinson and Via families in their personal and working lives and as farm owners and operators.

The papers are especially strong in 20th century material. They consist of various types of farm records: account books, bills, receipts, tenant farming agreements, ephemera, land rental and purchase agreements, insurance policies, photographs and 8mm and 16mm films of farming practices and procedures, equipment and landscapes, related to the farming of tobacco, small grains, and livestock. The personal records include diaries, letters both personal and business, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, high school yearbooks, baby books, house plans, recipe books, photographs and 8mm films of birthdays, holidays, weddings, baptisms, family occasions, and family travel, oral histories, and funeral ephemera including photographs, and transcription discs. Of particular interest are the "Serenity Farm Tobacco Production Photographs" documenting the crop year 1999-2000 and the films detailing agricultural practices. There is a memorandum book for Black Walnut Thicket, 1885-1901, the Baden farm in Baden, Prince George's County.

This collection includes a comprehensive range of 8mm and 16mm films and photographs documenting farming practices and landscapes as well as family gatherings, birthdays, holidays, and vacations. The researcher is alerted to the fact that in some cases with the memorandum and account books, books printed for a given year were often saved and used for subsequent years, some were dated, some were not.

The collection is divided into seven series arranged by subject and most often chronologically at folder level within each series.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seven series:

Series 1: Ferndale Farm (Potomac Landing), Prince George's County, Maryland, 1861-1973, undated

Subseries 1.1: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, and publications, 1861-1973, undated

Subseries 1.2: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, 1945-1960, undated

Subseries 1.3: Farm papers, bills, and receipts, 1960-1965, undated

Series 2: Robinson Family, 1845-2017, undated

Subseries 2.1: Family Papers and Publications, 1845-1993, undated

Subseries 2.2: Townshend, Martha Robinson, 1896-1961, undated

Subseries 2.3: Robinson, Frank A., 1899-1970, undated

Subseries 2.4: Robinson, Elizabeth Bourne, 1841-1976, undated

Subseries 2.5: Conner, Mary Robinson, 1938-1985, undated

Subseries 2.6: Robinson, Franklin A., 1932-1997, undated

Subseries 2.6.1: Farming, 1948-1976, undated

Subseries 2.6.2: Financial, 1948-1988, undated

Subseries 2.6.3: 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), 1945-1954, undated

Subseries 2.6.4: Travel, 1959-1970, undated

Subseries 2.7: Robinson, Jr., Franklin A., 1959-2001, undated

Series 3: Serenity Farm, Charles County, Maryland, 1962-2000, undated

Series 4: Via Farm, Calvert County, Maryland, 1954-1987, undated

Series 5: Via Family, 1932-2010, undated

Subseries 5.1: Family papers, 1941-1983, undated

Subseries 5.2: Via, Robert M., 1933-1987, undated

Subseries 5.3: Via, Ida Virginia, 1928-2010, undated

Subseries 5.4: Via, Robert D., 1933-1988, undated

Subseries 5.5: Robinson, Adina Via, 1937-1966, undated

Series 6: Photographs, Photographic Slides, and Photographic Negatives, 1860-2000, undated

Subseries 6.1: Photographs, 1872-2000, undated

Subseries 6.2: Photographic negatives, 1927--2000, undated

Subseries 6.3: Photographic Slides, 1955-1979, undated

Series 7: AudioVisual, 1943-1988
Biographical / Historical:
Robinson Family

The Robinson family is thought to be of Scottish origin and appear in the records of Prince George's County, Maryland by the early 18th century. The line has been definitively traced to James Robinson (?-1849). James' father was probably Benjamin Robinson (?-1810), of Prince George's County, Maryland. (Will Book TT1, pg. 15, Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Maryland State Archives (MSA))

James Robinson and Sarah Wynn were issued a marriage license on February 28, 1802 in Prince George's County, Maryland. (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland) Eleven children lived to maturity (not listed in birth order); Thomas Wells (1803-1869), Ann, Priscilla, James Monroe, Benjamin (1813-1882), John C. (1819-1895), Mary Sophia, Thomas Stanley (1800-1874), Alfred, Sarah Ann, Matilda, and Rebecca Maria.

James worked as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden near Upper Marlborough, Prince George's County. (Oden Papers, Maryland Historical Society) The Robinsons and their children, moved to Wood County, Virginia (now West Virginia) by April 18, 1818 where James acted as Oden's land agent (Deed Book 6, pg. 123, Land Records of Wood County, West Virginia). They brought with them three enslaved described in the above reference as, "Kate a woman 45 years of age very black; Colonel a boy aged 8 years yellow complexion: and George a boy aged six years of a dark brown complexion." They settled on part of what was known as the "Burnt Mill" tract in the general area where the Hughes River meets the Little Kanawha River. (Deed Book 9, pg. 110 and Deed Book 14, pg. 40, Land Records of Wood County)

Thomas Wells Robinson may not have accompanied his family to Virginia as he has a presence in Prince George's County prior to 1822 and was employed as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden at least until 1832. He married Elizabeth J. Richards on December 15, 1829 (Robinson Family Bible). They had nine children; Richard Thomas (1831 1906), Rebecca Maria (1832-1895), Mary Wynn (1834-1916), James George (1835-1883), Virlinda Victoria (1837-1838), Elizabeth Ann (1839-1916), Sarah Ann Sophia (1840-1874), Franklin Alexander (1841-1905) and John Alfred (1843); seven lived to maturity. (Robinson Family Bible) Elizabeth died on August 17, 1843 from complications in childbirth. She was buried in the graveyard of Page's Chapel (later known as St. Thomas Episcopal Church), Croom, Prince George's County. In 1843, Thomas purchased the plantation of Dr. Benjamin B. Hodges for $10,000 or approximately $15 an acre. Hodges was a brother-in-law of Benjamin Oden. The deed dated September 7, 1843 describes the parcel as containing, "Six hundred and twenty nine acres of land more or less and constitute that plantation or Estate of the said Benjamin Oden heretofore commonly called "Brown's Quarter Place" being the Land tracts and parcels of land sold by the said Benjamin Oden to the said Benjamin B. Hodges and by deed bearing date the tenth day of December eighteen hundred and thirty five and recorded in Liber AB no. 10 folio 162 also one of the land Records of the County aforesaid". (JBB no. 3 pgs. 312 314, Land Records of Prince George's County) The land was level to rolling bordered on the north by a tributary of Piscataway Creek and generally termed "white oak land". Underlying the whole property was a large strata of gravel and sand. The entire parcel went by the name, Potomac Landing.

Thomas supplemented his land holdings with later purchases. With the exception of twenty acres purchased from Sarah Talbert in 1844, (JBB no. 3 pg. 475, Land Records of Prince George's County) and the purchase of lot #3 consisting of 195 acres, part of the estate of John Townshend in 1856, these purchases were not contiguous to Potomac Landing. By the time of his death in 1869 these non-contiguous parcels had been sold. Thomas sold eighty-six acres of Potomac Landing and Jeffries to Edward Eversfield in October of 1843. (JBB no. 3, pg. 198, Land Records of Prince George's County) On January 13, 1846 Thomas married the widow Martha Ann Walls, daughter of George and Martha Naylor Walls. They had two sons; Benjamin Wells (1848-1849) and Robert Henry (1851-1937).

In addition to his sons, Thomas owned enslaved. The number varied from six in 1849 (JBB 6, folio 186, Land Records of Prince Georges' County) to eleven as noted in the census for 1850, and finally six as noted in the census of 1860. The 1867 Maryland Slave Statistics noted that, "at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of Maryland, in the year 1864, . . ." Thomas owned six enslaved, their names and ages being; Isaac Franklin age 31, Alfred West age 19, Susan West age 17, Margaret Franklin age 14, Fannie Franklin age 12, and Peter Franklin age 9. All were noted as being in good physical condition. (Prince Georges' County Slave Statistics 1867 1869, C 1307 1, MdHR:6198, page 185, MSA)

Thomas's financial problems began in the mid-1800s when Deeds of Trust appear in the county records securing outstanding loans. In 1856 and 1857 Thomas joined with others as bondsman for his son, Richard who was serving as "Collector of the State and County Taxes" for the 4th collection district, making he and the other signatories liable for any uncollected taxes. This, coupled with poor investments, led to his almost being "sold out" in 1859-1860 by J.W. & E. Reynolds of Baltimore to pay his debts. He executed three drafts on Penn & Mitchell, also of Baltimore, to pay off J.W. & E. Reynolds. (Equity Case #597, Prince Georges' County) Thomas was in poor health and his son James managed the farm in 1857 and 1858, and again from 1861 to October of 1862 (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County)

In October of 1862 Thomas' two sons, James and Franklin, traveled to Richmond to join the Confederate States Army. James enrolled in the 5th Battalion, Local Defense Arsenal and Franklin enrolled in the 5th Virginia Infantry, the Stonewall Brigade. (CSA Military Records, National Archives) James visited home frequently but was captured by the Union Army in St. Mary's County, Maryland on May 15, 1864 and spent the remainder of the war in Point Lookout Prison Camp. He was released on May 14, 1865. Franklin was not able to visit home at all during the war but survived to return home in 1865. In 1865, Thomas surveyed a parcel of 172 acres for his daughter Rebecca Maria. Rebecca had married her second cousin, William B. Robertson, on November 18, 1855. He made a gift of fifty acres, and Rebecca agreed to purchase the remainder. The Robertsons named this parcel Holly Grove. In Equity Case #849 (1872) filed after Thomas' death, his widow Martha and Samuel H. Berry, as executrix and executor, sought to recover payment for this land. At that time, William B. Robertson described this 172 acres of Potomac Landing: "There was no fences on the line which separated this land from the old gentleman's land, but he was to put a fence on it which he agreed to do before we agreed to come there. The land was thin, unimproved, with gullies and scrubby pine. If witness had been a judge of land he would not have given five dollars for it. All the improvements were one comfortable quarter the other indifferent with a poor oak shingle roof, worn out which made it not tenantable." Further along in his testimony, William gave an account of a conversation, "In a few days my father in law Thos. W. Robinson came to Washington and told me there his children had returned from the South, his two sons, that his debts were small and he was a happy man." Rebecca and William built a house on the property, a side-hall, double parlor plan that most likely her brother James was builder. They also built accompanying farm structures. (Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Equity Case #849, MSA)

Thomas' son, Franklin, managed the farm after the War. In December 1868 Thomas entered into a sharecropping agreement with Edward Hanson, an African-American. After about a year-long illness, on May 16, 1869, Thomas died, deeply in debt. He was buried beside Elizabeth in the graveyard at St. Thomas' Church. He named as executrix his wife, Martha, and his friend and lawyer, Samuel H. Berry, as executor. His will divided the farm into thirds, one third going to his wife and their son Robert Henry, one third to his son James, and one third to his son Franklin. The land was surveyed according to the will. His personal property was sold but not enough profit was realized to pay off his creditors. The Commissioners of Prince George's County sued the estate on behalf of Thomas' creditors. The outcome was that in 1876 the property was sold at public auction. The Notice of Sale dated September 1, 1876 in the local county newspaper, The Prince Georgian, describes the farm as, "containing 514 2/3 acres More or less. The Improvements consist of a SMALL DWELLING, Three Barns, Stabling, and other necessary outbuildings. It is well wooded and watered, and the soil of fair quality. It has recently been divided into three lots and will be offered in lots, a description of which will be given at the time of sale." The sale was held on September 27, 1876, Lot No. 1 was purchased by Robert for $6.00 an acre, Lot #2 was purchased by Franklin for $5.00 an acre and Lot #3 was purchased by James for $4.00 per acre. Robert and Franklin eventually paid off their mortgage, but James defaulted on his purchase and later moved to St. Mary's County, Maryland. His portion later came to be owned by the Hawkins family, some members who had worked on the Robinson farm. (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County, MSA)

Lot #1, purchased by Robert from his fathers' estate, consisted of 177-1/3 acres, including the dwelling and farm buildings. On July 24, 1872, he married Amanda Malvina Baden (1849-1940), daughter of Robert W. G. and Margaret Caroline Early Baden. The Baden and Early families were both prominent south county families. Robert and Amanda had eight children; Caroline Early (1873 1967), Lucy Tennent (1875 1958), Albert Henry (1878 1914), Martha Perry (1880 1961), Robert Gover (1882 1882), Frank Alexander (1883 1970), Margaret Baden (1886 1956) and Grace Malvina (1889 1965).

By 1880 Robert had paid off his debt on the property and was fully engaged in farming. Unlike his father, or perhaps because of his father, Robert did not add to his land holdings, choosing to remain relatively debt free for his lifetime. The only land transactions he participated in were the sales of 79-3/4 acres in 1921 of Amanda's inheritance from her father and her interest in two smaller parcels of her father's land sold in 1894 and 1928 respectively. In 1928 he transferred 3.09 acres to his son Frank.

As late as the Federal census of 1880, Franklin was living with Robert and his household, both men engaged in farming. Sometime after 1880, Franklin took up residence on his part of Potomac Landing. His brother James most likely built the side-hall double parlor house that copied the main house at Potomac Landing. On February 18, 1897, Martha Robinson, died at the age of ninety. She was buried in the graveyyard of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden, Prince George's County. Robert continued cultivation of tobacco and small grains as his father before him. The first reference to the farm being named Ferndale is found in the "Communion Record" of Robert's daughter, Martha Perry "Pattie", dated 1896. (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The exact origin or reason for this new name is lost but perhaps the name Potomac Landing held such bitter memories of debt and hardship that, as a symbolic break with the past, a new name was found. It also may have simply been a way to distinguish this portion of Potomac Landing from the others. The farm continued to be listed on tax bills as Potomac Landing well into the 20th century, but was known to the general public and businesses as the Ferndale Farm. (Robinson and Via Family Papers)

Robert served as deputy inspector at the State Tobacco Warehouse in Baltimore for eight years under W.B. Bowie. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Brandywine. In July of 1905, Franklin died, a bachelor farmer. He was buried facing south in the graveyard of the Church of the Atonement, Cheltenham, (a chapel in St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish) where he had served as vestryman, treasurer, and cemetery custodian. Franklin died intestate and a lengthy process of dividing his estate began. This resulted in the sale of his part of Potomac Landing (Lot #2) in July 1908 to William E. Boswell. The court declared Robert ineligible for any inheritance due to his being " . . . a brother of the half blood." The Boswell family later sold the property to the Billingsley family of St. Mary's County. (Equity Case 3209, Prince George's County)

In 1910, after living in the farm's original home for approximately sixty seven years, the Robinson family built a new home. It was described in a 1956 insurance policy as, "2 story, frame, metal roof, 16x43, wing 14x28, 9 rooms." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The house design was a simple Victorian with plastered walls, and lit by carbide gas. Electrical lighting was installed in 1951. The house was built with monies from Robert and Amanda, and their son Frank, who served as builder and contractor.

On Tuesday March 9, 1937, "During a celebration in honor of his wifes birthday anniversary, Mr. Robinson collapsed at the table and died immediately without a word or a sigh." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) Robert was buried beside his mother in the cemetery at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden.

At Robert's death, Ferndale Farm was valued at $30.00 an acre, the total acreage, 174 acres, being valued in the whole at $5,220.00. Robert died intestate, again the fate of the land was in question. He left eight heirs, his widow, Amanda, six of his children and his son Albert Henry's only surviving child, R. Henry Robinson. Rather than have the farm sold and his mother's life disrupted, Frank purchased the estate and personal property from the heirs. Before this could take place, a deed had to be granted the heirs for the property since one had never been recorded after the 1876 sale. Equity case 873 was reopened sixty-two years after its supposed resolution. Frank testified, "over a period of about thirty years I would on a number of occasions, talk about the fact that he had purchased and paid for this property and that a deed had never been executed to him and [he] kept saying he was going to have someone straighten this matter out for him." It was discovered that Robert had fully paid for his part of Potomac Landing. On February 14, 1938 the farm was deeded from Amanda along with Robert''s heirs to Frank. (Book 499, page 334, Land Records of Prince George's County) According to the deed and a 1937 fire insurance policy the farm consisted of 177 1/3 acres, "1 two story dwelling, one tenant house, 1 barrack, 1 tobacco barn, 1 corn house & cow stable, 1 Stable, and 1 Granary & Stable." (Robinson and Via Family Papers)

Frank A. Robinson, now the sole owner of Ferndale Farm, was born August 17, 1883. He learned farming and in addition took up the trade of builder and contractor. As a young man, he worked in the general store of his uncle Robert Baden. He was the contractor for the first Bank of Brandywine and many homes in and around the town of Brandywine, including the home of his cousin Robert E. Baden, DDS. He was secretary of the Building Committee for construction of the Chapel of the Incarnation in Brandywine, a mission chapel for St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish. His success in the building trade gave him disposable income that he invested in land. His first purchase was in August, 1915 of a 2-9/100 acre of land in Brandywine that was being sold by the Board of County School Commissioners; the purchase price was $300. In March 1916 he purchased 38.09 acres of his Uncle Franklin's farm. This property adjoined Ferndale Farm. Over the next fifty-four years of his life, Frank bought and sold many pieces of real estate. Perhaps his most significant purchases were: 18-1/3 acres purchased from The German American Colonization Land Company of Maryland in October 1915 (Book 115, pg. 140, Land Records of Prince George's County); 147.99 acres purchased from August and Wilhelmina Noltensmeir in December 1917 (Book 129, pg. 263, Land Records of Prince George's County) and 320 acres called the Vineyard purchased from William M. Wilson in March 1928. Frank used these three parcels as collateral for other purchases. Never once did he mortgage Ferndale Farm, insuring that no matter what financial stormy seas might blow, his home was secure. Over the course of his life, especially in the case of the Noltensmeir farm, when cash was needed a parcel of land would be surveyed off and sold. He inherited his grandfather Thomas' love of land but had fortunately developed a shrewd business sense to go along with it.

On November 20, 1929, he married Elizabeth Freeland Bourne, daughter of Joseph Blake and Maria Gantt Bourne of Calvert County, Maryland. They had three children: Mary Elizabeth (1930-2009), Franklin Alexander (1932-2023), and Robert Lee (1935-1997). In addition to his construction business he continued farming, raising tobacco, hay, and small grains. He engaged in sharecropping with tenants on his various properties. He was active in community affairs serving on the Board of The Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Vestry of St. Thomas Parish, and as sheriff of Brandywine. On January 9, 1940 Amanda Baden Robinson died. She was buried next to her husband at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden. In February 1958, Frank and Elizabeth conveyed 1.57 acres of Ferndale Farm to son Franklin where he and his fiancée, Adina M. Via, were building their new home prior to their marriage in July of that same year.

The booming economy and suburbanization of the Washington metropolitan area in the early 1960's led to the high quality gravel lying beneath Ferndale into becoming a valuable commodity. In October 1962, Franklin and his parents granted a three-year lease to William C. Nolte for mining sand and gravel on the Ferndale Farm at .174 per yard. (Book 2747, pg. 11, Land Records of Prince George's County) From now until 1975 when the property was sold, gravel would be mined from under the farm by various companies. In November 1962, Elizabeth and Frank transferred to Franklin the 38.09 acres Frank had purchased from Fitzhugh Billingsley in 1916. (Book 2754, pg. 99, Land Records of Prince George's County) That same year they transferred 6.754 acres, part of the Vineyard, to son Robert and his wife Lois, (Book 2765, pg. 201, Land Records of Prince George's County)

On December 28, 1965, Frank and Elizabeth participated in a land exchange/purchase of the farm of Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown located along the Patuxent River in Benedict, Charles County, Maryland. Franklin had rented this farm the year before and was impressed enough by its location and arability to work out a purchase. Frank and Elizabeth traded 65.9920 acres that would eventually become Franklin's under Frank's will. On February 21, 1966 they deeded the Charles County farm to Franklin and Adina. Adina named this property Serenity Farm. The property consisted of 480.66 acres. (Liber 179, page 708 etc., Land Records of Charles County)

On February 5, 1970, after a short illness, Frank died at Cafritz Memorial Hospital. He was buried at St. Paul's Episcopal Church near his parents. In his will, probated March 4, 1970 he left thirty acres of the property purchased from the German American Land Company and A. Noltensmeir to Elizabeth. He willed forty acres of the same parcel to daughter Mary Robinson Conner. The remainder of Ferndale Farm was willed to Franklin and the remaining acreage of the Vineyard was left to Robert Lee. Franklin Alexander Robinson was born August 13, 1932 at the Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C.. He received his schooling in the public school system of Prince George's County, graduating from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. He was a charter member of Gwynn Park's chapter of The Future Farmers of America. He was extremely active in FFA, achieving the Degree of Maryland Farmer in 1950 and their highest award, the Degree of American Farmer at their convention in Kansas City, Missouri in October 1953. He obtained his private pilots license in 1954. He entered the United States Army in February 1955 and went through basic training at Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia. After basic training he was transferred to Camp Hanford, Washington State. There he worked part time on the farm of Dick and Theresa Laurent during his off duty hours and began a lifelong friendship with them. He returned home to farming on an agricultural discharge in October of 1956. On July 27, 1958 he married his high school sweetheart, Adina Mae Via, daughter of Robert Milton and Virginia Woods Via. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962), and Adina Theresa (1963).

Franklin continued expanding and improving the farming operation by modern methods and means. At times, he farmed over one thousand acres, both owned and rented. On February 21, 1966, his parents deeded their purchase of the Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown farm in Benedict to he and Adina, later known as Serenity Farm Franklin and Adina engaged an architect to draft house plans for an anticipated new residence. A small A frame vacation home was built on the property so the family could spend weekends there.

On December 14, 1966, after a long illness, Adina died from complications associated with Hodgkin's Disease. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, Charles County. Franklin married Margaret Walker Lennox (nee Tallen, known as Rita) on August 21, 1970 (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland). This marriage ended in divorce in 1977. There were no children from this marriage.

On July 14, 1975 the Robinson family, Franklin, his second wife, Margaret, her daughter Margaret W. Lennox, Franklin, Jr., R. David, A. Theresa and Elizabeth B. Robinson, moved to Serenity Farm. On July 17, 1975 Franklin and Elizabeth sold the remaining acreage of Ferndale Farm to Brandywine Sand and Gravel, thus ending 131 years of ownership by the Robinson family. Elizabeth Bourne Robinson died on July 15, 1976 and was buried beside her husband at St. Paul's Church, Baden. Franklin married Hiltrud (Ceddie) Harris (nee Sedlacek) on July 15, 1978. (Robinson Family Bible) This marriage ended in divorce in 1986. There were no children from this marriage. Franklin married Diedre Gale Merhiage on April 19, 1989; this marriage ended in divorce in 1997. There were no children from this marriage. He married Remelda Henega Buenavista on January 13, 2007.

The Robinson family continue day-to-day operations of Serenity Farm. The land is well suited to the growing of tobacco and small grains, which crops, (with the exception of tobacco) along with a flock of sheep, are cultivated there to the present time. After the crop year 2001 the Robinson family took the tobacco buyout program offered by the state of Maryland and ceased growing tobacco. Franklin is active in farming and community affairs having served on the vestry of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, the Board of Directors of the Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Board of the Production Credit Association, the Boards of three schools, Holy Trinity Day School, Queen Anne School, and Calverton School, and numerous other organizations. Currently the farm consists of approximately 275 acres. In 1981 a state agricultural land preservation district of 222.755 acres was created. This was the first such district in Charles County and one of the first in the state of Maryland.

Via Family

The Via family traces its origins to the colony of Virginia, where the probable progenitor of the line, Amer Via, a French Huguenot, settled in Manakin Town, Albemarle County between 1670-1700. It is impossible to trace the Via line definitively due to the loss of Virginia county records during the Civil War.

The Via family line covered in this collection can be definitively traced to William Via of Fredericksville Parish, Louisa (later Albemarle) County, Virginia. The William Via family lived west of the present day town of Whitehall at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an area commonly known as Sugar Hollow. William Via III served in the Virginia Line during the Revolutionary War. He married Mary Craig, daughter of Thomas Craig and Jane Jameson, on March 17, 1784. William died on June 27, 1836, in Albemarle County (Rev. War Pension Appl. 6363, National Archives). His son Thomas married Sally, widow Griffin, on January 1, 1811 (Albemarle County Marriage Records). Their son, Hiram Karl Via (1812-1893), married Harriet Ardenia Naylor by license dated March 7, 1836 (Albemarle County Marriage Records).

Hiram and Harriet's son, Robert St. Clair Via (1844-1925), served as a private in Company I, 7th Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States Army (CSA Military Service Records, National Archives). After the war he married his first cousin, Mary Frances Naylor, daughter of Samuel Chapman Naylor and Eliza Jane Gardner, on April 3, 1866 in Rockingham County (Rockingham County, Virginia, Marriage Records). Sometime between 1870 and 1872, they moved to Linn County, Missouri, and settled about seven miles from the town of Bucklin. Their son, Hiram Chapman Via (1872-1933), was born there. In 1893, the family returned to Virginia, and settled on a farm in Greene County near the town of Stanardsville.

Hiram Chapman Via operated a mill as well as a farm. On March 15, 1899, he married Adina Eleanor Eusebia Runkle, daughter of Milton D. L. Runkle and Roberta A. Beadles (Greene County, Virginia, Marriage Records). They had three children: Bernice Olive (1902-1999), Robert Milton (1906-1983), and Deward Daniel (1909-1977).

Robert moved to Washington, D.C.. In December 1927 he began employment with the Capitol Traction Company as a streetcar conductor (Robinson and Via Family Papers). During the early 1930s, Robert rented a townhouse at 715 A St., SE, where he lived with his sister Bernice V. McMullan and her son, William C. McMullan; his brother and sister in law, and his parents. Next door, at 717, lived the Moses Albright family, including Moses's stepdaughter Ida Virginia Woods (1914-2010), daughter of Jesse Lee Woods (1894-1918) and Donna Mae Barker (1896-1928) of Frederick County, Maryland. Robert and Virginia began a courtship and on September 3, 1932 were married in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland (Frederick County, Maryland, Marriage Records).

After their marriage, Robert and Virginia lived in various locations in the Washington metropolitan area. Their first child, Robert Delano, was born on March 24, 1933, and their second child, Adina Mae, was born on April 12, 1937. Virginia was employed outside the home while her children were in school. Her first job before her marriage had been with Woolworth's in Martinsburg, WV working the candy counter and then before the birth of her son at The Hecht Company on F St. in Washington, D.C.. After her marriage she worked briefly for the United States Postal Service in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Beginning in the 1950s, she worked first at the Hecht Company department store on 7th Street in the District and later for Charles of the Ritz as a receptionist in their beauty salon located in Woodward & Lothrop's F Street store in Washington, D.C.. She also worked as salon manager at the Charles of the Ritz salons in the Woodward & Lothrop stores in Seven Corners, Virginia, and Chevy Chase, Maryland. She retired due to health reasons in 1973.

On September 10, 1941, Robert and Virginia purchased Lot #43 in Woodlane subdivision in Prince George's County. (Book 619, pg. 12, Land Records of Prince George's County) A house was designed for them for this lot by Clyde E. Phillips. They did not construct a home on this property due to the outbreak of World War II. Robert, due to his employment in public transportation, did not serve with the Armed Services in World War II. On October 18, 1946, they purchased approximately thirty acres bordering on Burch's Creek near the towns of Clinton, also know as Surrattsville, and T.B. in Prince George's County from Joseph H. and M. Pauline Blandford. (Book 873, pg. 483, Land Records of Prince George's County) Over the next three years, hiring private contractors, doing work themselves, and with the help of Robert's brother Deward, they built the two story house designed by Phillips in 1941. They moved to the farm from Capitol Heights in 1949. Robert raised hogs, small grains and a crop of tobacco yearly on this farm and also maintained his job with Capitol Transit (formerly Capitol Traction). In 1954, Robert and Virginia purchased a farm of approximately 150 acres in Island Creek, Calvert County, Maryland. The intention was for Robert and his son to enter into a full time farming operation on expanded acreage. Robert D. Via, known as Delano, graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. Delano was a part-time farmer and pursued a career as a country and western singer with Bashful Bob and the Rhythm Rangers, he being Bashful Bob. He was employed in various jobs, and began a tour in the Army in 1953. By the time the Via family moved to Calvert County in 1956, he decided to pursue careers other than farming. He eventually traveled and worked in various parts of the United States. He married first Delores Cooper, second Gloria J. Irick, and finally Candice Marinelli in December 1974, they had two children, Robert Marin (1975) and Kirstin Marin (1976).

On June 1, 1956 Robert resigned from his position at Capitol Transit due to health reasons. He and his family moved to the farm in Island Creek, Calvert County where he began full time farming. He and Virginia sold the thirty-acre farm in Prince George's County on June 21, 1956 to Melvin C. and Geraldine H. Rardia. (Book 2003, pg. 564, Land Records of Prince George's County) Virginia continued her employment with Charles of the Ritz. Adina, now a graduate of Gwynn Park High School, was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. They both commuted daily from Calvert County to their places of employment.

Robert farmed in Calvert County, raising hogs, cattle, small grains and tobacco. Over the course of the next twenty-seven years, Robert and Virginia sold smaller parcels off the farm. In 1974, Robert and Virginia built a small retirement home designed for them by Calvert Masonry Contractors. Robert died on December 22, 1983. He was buried beside his daughter Adina in Trinity Memorial Gardens. At the time of Robert's death, the farm consisted of 28.694 acres. In 1998, Virginia deeded the remainder of the farm, then less than six acres, to her grandson, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr. who sold all but a one-acre lot in April 1999.

Virginia continued to live on the farm in Calvert County, maintaining a small herd of cattle. In the fall of 1989 Franklin, Jr. went to live with her. In 1993, the onset of Alzheimer's Disease required her to move to Serenity Farm and take up residence with her granddaughter A. Theresa. Virginia participated in various studies on Alzheimer's Disease conducted by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland beginning in 1992. She was profiled in the September 1997 issue of Washingtonian Magazine. In October of 1998 she moved to All American Senior Care in Brandywine, Maryland and in 1999 she moved to Morningside, an elderly care facility in Waldorf, Maryland. In 2002, she moved to St. Mary's Nursing Center in Leonardtown, Maryland. The remainder of the farm was sold in 1999 and 2002. She died January 14, 2010 and was buried at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf.

Adina Mae Via was born April 12, 1937 at the Homeopathic Hospital in Washington, D.C.. Adina grew up in Washington, D.C. attending public schools. She moved with her family to the Burch's Creek farm, Prince George's County, in 1949. She enrolled in the Prince George's County school system, and graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June of 1955. After graduation, she was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs.

In July of 1956, she moved with her family to the Via farm in Island Creek, Calvert County. On July 27, 1958 she married Franklin A. Robinson at the Chapel of the Incarnation. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962) and Adina Theresa (1963). In the fall of 1958, she and Franklin took up residence in the home they had built on Ferndale Farm. She resigned from her position with the USAF in 1959.

On December 14, 1966, at Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, Adina died from complications due to Hodgkin's Disease. She had been battling this disease for many years prior to her death. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Charles County.
Related Materials:
Materials at Other Organizations

The Maryland Center for History and Culture holds items (costume, farming related implements) related to the Robinson and Via families.

The Maryland State Archives (MSA) Special Collections holds the Robinson and Conner Family Papers, MSA SC 6402.
Separated Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History

The Division of Work and Industry (Agriculture Collection) holds agricultural implements and artifacts associated with both the Robinson farms and the Via farm; the Division of Home and Community Life holds clothing, textiles (crib quilt), jewelry, cosmetics and Adina M. Robinson's sewing box and dress patterns; (Costume and Textiles Collection). See accession numbers: 1989.0688, 1990.0394, 1991.0010; 1991.0722, 1992.0184, 1992.0283, 1992.0321, 1992.0474, 1992.3106, 1994.0064, 1994.0304, 1997.0327, 1998.0038, 1998.0129, 2001.0196, 2002.0087, 2003.0015, 2005.0009.

Division of Armed Forces History (now Division of Olitical and Military History, National Numismatics Collection) holds the Robert M. Via Trolley Token Collection.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History, Archives Center, by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., in November 1993.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
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Citation:
The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0475
See more items in:
Robinson and Via Family Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86b1972cf-a789-45ec-8f3e-fb780d43456d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0475
Online Media:

B-roll for Media: SCBI Researchers Discover Widespread Malaria Parasite in White-Tailed Deer

Creator:
National Zoo  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2016-02-05T18:58:29.000Z
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Topic:
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Data Source:
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EDAN-URL:
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Louisiana Purchase Exposition Souvenir Button, Agricultural Building

Measurements:
overall: 1 1/4 in; x 3.175 cm
Object Name:
Button (Pinback)
Place made:
United States: Missouri, St. Louis
Associated Place:
United States: Missouri, Saint Louis
Date made:
1904
Subject:
Expositions and Fairs  Search this
Related event:
Louisiana Purchase Exposition  Search this
Credit Line:
The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
ID Number:
1989.0438.0971B
Catalog number:
1989.0438.0971B
1904B02B
Accession number:
1989.0438
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-abca-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1126364

Louisiana Purchase Exposition Souvenir Button, Agricultural Building

Measurements:
overall: 1 1/4 in; x 3.175 cm
Object Name:
Button (Pinback)
Place made:
United States: Missouri, St. Louis
Associated Place:
United States: Missouri, Saint Louis
Date made:
1904
Subject:
Expositions and Fairs  Search this
Related event:
Louisiana Purchase Exposition  Search this
Credit Line:
The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
ID Number:
1989.0438.0971A
Catalog number:
1989.0438.0971A
1904B02A
Accession number:
1989.0438
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-dbd4-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1126365

22c Arkansas Statehood single

Title:
Scott Catalogue USA 2167
Medium:
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / photogravure
Type:
Postage Stamps
Place:
Arkansas
United States of America
Date:
January 3, 1986
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
U.S. Stamps  Search this
Credit line:
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Object number:
1987.0235.7317
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8da7c3e64-6cf2-4093-a950-1d31840a7884
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_1987.0235.7317

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