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Catalog Data

Provenance:
Carrie T. Watson Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Place:
Dunmovin (Fairview, Pennsylvania)
United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Erie -- Fairview
Scope and Contents:
1 folder, 20 digital images and 23 digital prints. The folder includes worksheets and additional images.
General:
When purchased in 1973 Dunmovin comprised a house on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie surrounded by a blank slate of about two acres of grass enclosed by another seven acres of woodlands. The owners have created eight gardens, one for vegetables and the other seven for perennials, shrubs, evergreens, meandering stone walkways and statuary. Their first 15-foot-long perennial garden border planted in trucked in topsoil has expanded to be 100 feet along the circular driveway with another 80 foot garden border mirroring it across the lawn. A rose garden planted with hybrid teas has evolved to contain knockout roses, a weeping cherry, a flowering almond, rose of Sharon bushes, and a wisteria arbor. Raspberry and blackberry canes climb the fence of the vegetable garden, and there are fruit trees planted further out. A large shade garden has lady's mantle, ferns, a variegated willow tree and hemlocks. Dwarf conifers in a bed at the front of the house have outgrown their space and are being moved one at a time. A slightly raised bed outside the screened porch has hydrangeas, moon flowers, ageratum, and a view of a mature weeping willow, hostas and pachysandra. Beyond this garden there is an all-white memorial garden for a deceased member of the family. The transition from lawn to woodlands is softened by plantings of evergreens.
The lake and sandy beach are important features of the property for recreation and stunning sunsets. An 80 foot groin barrier and a seawall at the bottom of the bluff were built to mollify lake activity and control erosion. A circular stone patio with an inlaid compass rose was built on a spot overlooking the lake and furnished with Adirondack chairs and tables painted light blue. A 10-inch dawn redwood specimen found in a nursery years ago now towers over the house. A creek that feeds into Lake Erie marks the border of the property on one side and is tapped for water for the gardens. Other amenities include a rope swing and a hammock in the shade.
Persons associated with the garden include Tom Raines (former owner, 1919-1946); Paul Stephany (former owner, 1946-1960); D. Carlisle Brock (former owner, 1960-1969); Don Shannon (former owner, 1969-1972); Denny Ward (landscape designer, 1970's); Dan Dahlkemper (landscape architect, 1980's); Joseph Bonanti (gardener, 1970's); John Bananti and Sons (gardener, 1990's- ); Brett Maloney (landscape designer, 2017).
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 -- Fairview  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, File PA833
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/kb6d0e91008-8131-45b9-af1c-327fc23dec4f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref16465