Charleston -- Isaac Motte Dart House
Object Details
sova.aag.gca_ref12464
- General
- Most gardens in Charleston, South Carolina's historic district are small pocket gardens: this property has a half-acre divided into seven distinct garden rooms in addition to the 1806 Federal style house and the 1823 Gothic Revival style brick carriage house. When the current owners found this property in 1993 both buildings were derelict and nothing remained of the historic garden which was an asphalt parking lot. After the buildings were restored the owners removed the asphalt and underlying cobblestones, brought in topsoil and compost, and installed boxwood and other hedges and picket fencing painted dark green to divide the property into garden rooms. Although influenced by French and Baroque styles the formal structure predominantly resembles Italianate style gardens, with a color palette of green and white with accents in pink and purple from azaleas, camellias, crape myrtles and roses. Walkways are comprised of dark gray crushed slag, old bricks found on the property and elsewhere are stood on end and used as edging, and a brick Gothic style folly used as a garden shed was built.
- The long driveway is the main axis, comprised of two cobblestone runways set in St. Augustine grass with globe-shaped boxwood hedges on either side. A formal parterre garden is along one side (opposite the main house) with two beds in the shape of Celtic crosses, a repeating shape in other garden rooms. There are Luytens benches at either end, and a hedge of alternating holly and cypress along the property line. The next room is known as the sitting garden where there is another Luytens bench under an arbor of confederate jasmine, a wall sculpture of Bacchus and a table and chairs for dining. In the back corner of the property there is a shade garden with tropical plants in a looser, less rectilinear style than the other rooms with irregular bluestone paving. The car park garden at the end of the driveway has the Gothic folly, brick edging and wrought iron gates with the same quatrefoil design as the carriage house.
- The carriage house faces the formal garden which has four quadrants edged in boxwood, each with a standard bay tree, with a circular bed of crossed boxwood hedges in the center. The rose garden, outlined with boxwood, is in the shape of a teardrop or paisley motif and has a 19th century Celtic cross used as a trellis for noisette roses. The herb garden with remnants of the brick wall of the historic kitchen outbuilding is tucked between the carriage house and the main house.
- Persons associated with the garden include: John Harleston (former owner, before 1795); John Rutledge (former owner, circa 1795); Isaac Motte Dart (former owner, 1801-1815); Edward Washington North (former owner, 1824-1845); members of the Simons family (former owners, 1845-1859); American Missionary Association (former owner, 1930-1950); Palmer College (former owner, 1954-1973); Historic Charleston Foundation (former owner, until 1993); Richard Marks (conservator of the house, 1993-1996); Eugene Gaillard Johnson (landscape designer, 1993- ).
- Landscape designer
- Johnson, Eugene Gaillard
- Conservator of the house
- Marks, Richard
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Isaac Motte Dart House (Charleston, South Carolina)
- United States of America -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Charleston
- Topic
- Gardens -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Landscape designer
- Johnson, Eugene Gaillard
- Conservator of the house
- Marks, Richard
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / South Carolina
- 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.
- Custodial History
- The Palmetto Garden Club of South Carolina facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File SC111
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- 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.
- Bibliography
- Garden has been featured in "Reclaiming a Charleston Landmark "by Jeanmarie Andrews published in Early American Life, June 2009, pp. 20-31. Garden has been featured in "Formality on a Small Scale" by Lynn McBride published in Beautiful Homes (Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications), Spring 2004, pp. 26-27. "The Garden of the Isaac Motte Dart House" in The Charleston Gardener by Louisa Pringle Cameron, Wyrick & Co, April 1, 2001, pp. 12-17. "Formal Introduction" by Sally Finder-Koziol published in Garden Shed (Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications), Summer 2005, pp. 70-73. "Rooted in History" in Dream Gardens Across America 2007, pp. 40-47. "Friendly Formality" by Elvin McDonald published in Traditional Home, July 2002, pp. 134-141.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets and photocopies of articles.
- 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.
AAG.GCA_ref12464
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb691a40672-3ffd-4679-a5bd-b5a34fbc5752
AAG.GCA
AAG
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210186611-1
Related Content
1 result(s)-
The Garden Club of America collection
sova.aag.gca
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Names
- New York Flower Show
- Topic
- Gardens -- France
- Gardens -- Italy
- Gardens -- Japan
- Gardens -- Mexico
- Flower shows
- Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc
- Gardens -- England
- Landscape architecture
- Gardens -- United States
- Gardens -- Spain
- Gardens -- Scotland
- Creator
- Garden Club of America
- See more items in
- 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.
- Summary
- This collection contains over 37,000 35mm slides, 3,000 glass lantern slides and garden files that may include descriptive information, photocopied articles (from journals, newspapers, or books), planting lists, correspondence, brochures, landscape plans and drawings. Garden files were compiled by Garden Club of America (GCA) members for most of the gardens included in the collection. Some gardens have been photographed over the course of several decades; others only have images from a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland. A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.
- Accruals note
- The GCA continues to document American gardens and submit images and documentation to the Archives of American Gardens. Further accruals are expected.
- Biographical/Historical note
- The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States. The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens. The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.
- Extent
- 37,000 Slides (35mm slides)
- 33 Linear feet ((garden files))
- 3,000 Lantern slides
- 37,000 Slides (35mm slides)
- 33 Linear feet ((garden files))
- 3,000 Lantern slides
- Date
- circa 1920-present
- Custodial History note
- The GCA's Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992; this became the core collection of the Archives of American Gardens.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Slides
- Lantern slides
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Slides (photographs)
- Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America 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.
- Genre/Form
- Plans (drawings)
- Brochures
- Articles
- Correspondence
- Clippings
- Lantern slides
- Slides (photographs)
- 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.
AAG.GCALarge EADhttps://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47AAG.GCAAAG- Record ID
- ebl-1562776092361-1562776095300-0