Beverly -- Sea Meadow
Object Details
sova.aag.gca_ref17558
- General
- The 55 acres acquired in 1950 by the Seamans family comprised the upland area with house, woodland, meadow and pond, and the low-lying wetlands and sandy beachfront. For most of their history these two sections had been separate. The first recorded owner of the upland was Cornelius Larcom, of French Huguenot descent, who acquired it for farmland in the early 1700s. It remained a working farm and family homestead for five generations of Larcoms who lived in the homestead until 1890. Although the original homestead was replaced by a larger house in the 19th century, an historic log cabin remains. It was once quarters for slaves belonging to David Larcom who died in 1775. Juno, one of his female slaves, was freed and continued to live on the property. When the Boston & Maine Railroad extension reached Beverly Farms in 1890, the value of the property soared and was split up into two and purchased separately by 1907. Eventually, the two properties were consolidated into today's "Sea Meadow," but there were virtually no changes over the next century.
- Overlooking Massachusetts Bay, the 18-acre garden boasts whimsical designs by its former owner, Eugenia "Gene" Merrill Seamans. Plant material in formal beds, near the house, are carefully chosen, as well as wildflowers, native shrubs and grasses which densely cover the transition to meadow and pond. On the grounds are informal adaptions of formal elements, such as an allée of lindens with a hint of geometry; a folly, that floats above an outcropping, accessed along a hidden path of alpines; and an extensive herb garden nestled in a rocky ledge by the kitchen doors. In the wetlands is a rustic footbridge which crosses the tidal creeks, dotted by berry bushes and banks of towering pink and white mallows.
- Persons associated with the garden include the Larcom Family, (former owners, 1730-1853?); the Dexter Family (former owners, 1885-1920); Augusta Putnam (former owner, 1920-1945); Oliver Ames (former owner, 1945-1950); Robert & Eugenia Seamans (former owners, 1950-2010); H. J. Collins & Associates (pool & tennis court designer, circa 1980); Beverly Benson Seamans (sculptor, 1970-1990); Austin Lydon (garden assistant, 1951-1965); Dick & Sylvia Forgit (garden assistants, 1966-1986); Bob & Cindi Bell (garden assistants, 1987-2011).
- Former owner
- Larcom Family
- Dexter Family
- Putnam, Augusta
- Ames, Oliver
- Seamans, Robert
- Seamans, Eugenia
- Sculptor
- Seamans, Beverly Benson
- Garden assistant
- Lydon, Austin
- Forgit, Dick
- Forgit, Sylvia
- Bell, Bob
- Bell, Cindy
- Pool and tennis court designer
- H. J. Collins & Associates
- Provenance
- North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Sea Meadow (Beverly, Massachusetts)
- United States of America -- Massachusetts -- Essex -- Beverly
- Topic
- Gardens -- Massachusetts -- Beverly
- Former owner
- Larcom Family
- Dexter Family
- Putnam, Augusta
- Ames, Oliver
- Seamans, Robert
- Seamans, Eugenia
- Sculptor
- Seamans, Beverly Benson
- Garden assistant
- Lydon, Austin
- Forgit, Dick
- Forgit, Sylvia
- Bell, Bob
- Bell, Cindy
- Pool and tennis court designer
- H. J. Collins & Associates
- Provenance
- North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Massachusetts
- 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 North Shore Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File MA620
- 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
- This property has been featured in "Old Days at Beverly Farms," by Mary Larcom Dow, published by North Shore Printing, 1921; "Light and Life," by Eugenia A. M. Seamans, published by Memoirs Unlimited, 2003; "Down by the Sea," by Dr. Richard Churchill with Anna Ozols, published in "Plants, The Magazine for Northeast Gardeners," Summer/Autumn, 2000, p. 46-49; "Rewriting History," by Felicity Lang, published in Northshore Magazine, June/July, 2011, p. 74.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes worksheets, site plans, photocopies of articles, historical images, biographical and other information.
- 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_ref17558
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb651a16679-93c7-4925-b8b6-2b6f1fc0ade9
AAG.GCA
AAG
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210180575-0
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