United States of America -- Florida -- Duval -- Jacksonville
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, site plans, and additional information.
General:
Two vacant suburban parcels comprising three riverfront acres were assembled by the owners in the 1970s, and construction of the contemporary style residence and initial landscape planting were completed in 1978. Originally, the land was virtually devoid of trees or plants, whereas now lush and comprehensive landscaping reflects 37 years of careful and continuous design and planting. Today the property's landscape is best described as comprehensive and highly informal. Nearly half of the acreage consists of medium density woods at the north and south precincts of the property, comprising live oaks, magnolias and screening shrubbery such as viburnum, elaeagnus, holly, anise and ligustrum. The buildings and grounds are entirely screened from road view (west) by a continuous multi-layered tall hedge whose foreground planting includes azalea, sago palm and holly fern. The east lawn is generally open to the St. John's River. Inside the property, informally curving hedges of varying height define the boundaries of the woods, again using holly, eleagnus, viburnum, azalea and ligustrum, as well as aspidistra, pittosporum and podocarpus. A tennis court pavilion is arbored in jasmine, which also blankets the court fence. Certain walls of the residence are espaliered with jasmine and podocarpus, and ground cover in the oak-shaded areas includes liriope, juniper, mondo and jasmine. The more open areas are punctuated by specimen oaks, clusters of ilex, sago palm, Indian hawthorn, philodendron and flowering annuals.
The contemporary art collection extends from within the residence onto the grounds in the form of fourteen large outdoor sculptures. These vary in form and medium, but all are quite abstract and - most importantly - carefully integrated into the landscape.Nearly every sculpture occupies a curved, embracing niche giving its own partially enclosed space and creating a unique relationship between art and landscaping. Indeed, this integration of the sculpture collection with the planting is the most distinctive aspect of the gardens. The sculptors whose work has been installed are Arthur Gibbons, Tom Raye, Beverly Pepper, Charles O. Perry, Alexander Liberman, Amolldo Pomodoro, George Sherwood, Doris Leper, Ed Hallgeuik, and Kenneth Snelson.
Persons associated with the property include Admiral Gilchrist Stockton (former owner, 1935?-1972); Mrs. Margaret Stockton Blount (former owner, 1935?-1972); Wayne O. Manning, Jr. (landscape architect, 1970s).
Related Materials:
Haskell Gardens related holdings consist of 2 folders (24 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.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
