Series IV. Blueprints and Oversized Rolled Material, 1930-1988

Scope and Content Notes: This series contains blueprints and photostats of projects in which Griswold and his firm took part. Many of the blueprints contain handwritten revisions that reflect the intellectual progression of the projects. Much of the material in this series directly corresponds to items in Series V that documents specific projects. The plans and prints are oversized rolled materials stored in tube containers. The materials in this series date from 1930 through 1985. Additional files relating to this material may be found in Series V. *Note* The following are rolled materials placed in Tube Container Boxes.

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Box 47

Agora landscape blueprint, undated

The American School of Classical Studies in Athens began its excavation of the ancient Greek Agora in 1931. Since 3000 B.C.E., this ancient marketplace served as the confluence of Athenian economic, political, and social practices, and emerged as the physical manifestation of the famous democracy of Athens around the fifth century B.C.E. By 1957, the first archeological park in Europe was developed to showcase the work of the Agora excavation from the previous decades. The landscaping for this presentation proved to be a challenging and novel undertaking, and the school began talks with Ralph E. Griswold in 1950 to act as supervisor of the new park. His work included not only making the park serviceable by adding benches, creating entrances, and clearing ruin, but aesthetically pleasing by adorning the surrounding hillside and park with historically and culturally relevant foliage and trees. He was responsible not only for the logistic constraints of an operation in the dry environment of Attica, but charged with conforming to stringent academic standards of recreating the ancient marketplace. The project was completed between 1950 to 1955 and the park dedicated in 1956. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V.

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Box 48-49

Semple, Way and McLean III, 1930-1933

Frank Semple Jr. garden project consisted of four plans for a gate and tool house, fence and bluster, as well as a sketch for a costume front door. The Semple project was large and was not completed until 1933. For the Robert McLean III, Griswold designed a Japanese Garden complete with moon garden. The private garden of the John Way Estate included a general landscape and planting plan. This subseries contains eighteen blueprints and plans related to a few private Pittsburgh residences. These projects were all completed in 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Box 50

Agecroft, 1986-1988

The Agecroft material contains drawings and schematic renderings used by Griswold in reference to Agecroft Hall, a recreated Tudor estate in Richmond, Virginia. Agecroft Hall was bought and reassembled from an original fifteenth century English manor by Richard C. Williams in 1925, and now serves as a museum, showcasing the lives of English gentry spanning several centuries. Most of the Agecroft material is supplemental layout material of the museum to assist Griswold in his landscaping work around the estate from 1987 to 1988. This series contains three pencil drawings and twenty-four schematics created by Griswold's firm GWSM, Inc. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series VI.

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Box 51

University of Virginia, 1970-1973, 1983

The Garden Club of Virginia has sponsored the restoration the many of University of Virginia's historic gardens. Griswold, in conjunction with Garden Club of Virginia, conducted a landscape study and restoration of the University of Virginia’s South Lawn, Rotunda walkways, and many small pathways throughout the campus. This subseries contains a general layout, two blueprints of the South Lawn study, an existing and revised path blueprint along with two Rotunda walkway and planting plans. Also included is a blueprint of the Garden Club of Virginia’s proposed garden restorations for the University of Virginia. The garden projects date from early studies in 1970 and completed plans from July 1973. Griswold also worked on the 1983 construction of a replacement of the Observatory Hill Dining Hall landscape surrounding the new construction. The Observatory Hill Dining Hall serves as the primary board facility for first year students at the University of Virginia. The project contains twenty-three blueprints, including master plans and alterations, estimates, and site plans. General notes and information, as well as topographic maps are also included. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V and VI.

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Box 52

Mellon Scaife Botanical Gardens, 1966-1969

Griswold designed, developed, and participated in the restoration and rededication of Mellon Park’s outdoor botanical garden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to memorialize Mrs. Sarah Mellon Scaife. The botanical garden was developed to serve not only as a memorial, but as a source of study for botanical students, landscape professionals, and amateur gardeners alike. This garden promoted both the scientific and aesthetic understanding required to create botanical gardens. Included in this subseries is a diagramic sketch for the conversion of Mellon Park into Mellon-Scaife Botanical Garden and a site plan. Griswold worked on this project from 1966 to 1969. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V.

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Box 53

State Parks, 1946

This four item subseries refers to various state park projects Griswold worked on in 1946, including drawings of Pine Creek Canyon State Park, Keystone Lake Park, Cook Forest Park, and Raccoon Creek Park. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series IV.

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Box 54

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1984-1985

Constructed in 1961, the Willis E. Pratt Hall was originally built to serve as the student union building for Indiana State College. In 1985 when the college officially became a university (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) a new student union was constructed and named after Trevor S. Hadley. Griswold was contacted to develop planting and site plans for the student union renovations and expansion of the Hadley Union Building. This subseries includes nineteen blueprints and plan materials of the Pratt Hall layout, hall parking, topography, grading and electrical plans, as well as general plans and planting plans. The Pratt Hall and Hadley Union Building renovations, expansion, and landscape projects were completed in 1985.

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Box 55

Saint John’s Mews, 1965

St. John’s Mews is located west of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in the cobblestone alley between Broad and Grace streets in Richmond, Virginia. This is a community garden in the heart of the restored area of Church Hill. The Mews was created in 1965 as a community garden through the collaboration of the Historic Richmond Foundation and the Garden Club of Virginia. Griswold was the lead landscape architect working in conjunction with the Garden Club of Virginia to construct this garden area. Griswold developed a exploratory garden study, construction details, and planting plans for this project. Griswold also came up with the plans for the trellis, Mews plaque, cast iron ornament, and Carrington square. There are fourteen of Griswold’s plans and sketches relating to the 1965 construction of Saint John’s Mews in this subseries.

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Box 56

Washington, DC. Area Landscapes, 1944

In 1944, Griswold involved himself with several private residencies in Washington D.C., including the local restoration of the historic garden found in the Church of Holy Comforter. The Church of the Holy Comforter, R.A. Hunt Garden, H.B. Higgins Garden, and B.D. Phillips Garden are projects that have corresponding blueprints. This subseries contains seven items, primarily blueprints but also development plans for the church, Church of Holy Comforter Record Linens, and site plans and layouts for the private residences of R.A. Hunt, H.B. Higgins, and B.D. Phillips. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series III, IV and V.

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Box 57

Mary Washington Gardens, 1968

In 1968, Griswold was involved with the Garden Club of Virginia's efforts to restore the gardens at the Mary Washington House in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This subseries consists of Griswold's plans for this rehabilitation. The plans, found on both paper and vellum, include a general layout of the gardens and various planting plans for the restoration. Also included are details for parts of the house, specifically the privy and well house. These plans date from September to November 1968. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series VI.

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Box 58

Stone-Tolan Rochester Land, 1968

This subseries consists of architectural and archeological plans for the Stone-Tolan House in Rochester, New York. The plans date from September 1968 to September 1972 and consist of general layouts of the property and archeological plans. The layouts and plans are found on paper and vellum and were written in pencil and pen.

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Box 59

Hope Lodge, 1969-1970

Hope Lodge, originally named Whitemarsh Estate located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker entrepreneur. Hope Lodge is the only house museum in Pennsylvania devoted to recreating two distinct periods, Colonial and Colonial Revival Style. Griswold’s contribution to the historic Hope Lodge was working on the restoration of the house’s Colonial Revival gardens. Included in this collection are nine landscape development plans as well as plans for an orchard kitchen garden, plants, arbor, and gate details. Griswold worked on this project from 1969 to 1970 and produced fourteen plans for the garden revitalization.

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Box 60

Caprarola engraving Photostats, undated

Caprarola is a city in the province of Viterbo in central Italy. The city is recognized for its large Renaissance villas which dot the surrounding landscape. Two of the four engravings are of the Farnese Palace in Caprarola, a rural residence of Alessandro II Farnese, cardinal and nephew of Pope Paul III and the Farnense family. The other two Caprarola villa engravings are unidentified. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series III, IV and V.

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Box 61

The Frick Collection, 1975

The Frick Collection is an elegant museum housed in Henry Clay Frick's former mansion at 1 East 70th Street in New York City. The collection of works from the Renaissance through the late nineteenth century is housed in the former residence of Frick, the Pittsburgh coke and steel industrialist. The building, erected in 1913-1914, was designed by the American architect Thomas Hastings in a style reminiscent of European domestic architecture of the eighteenth century. Griswold was involved in the 1975 revitalization of the European traditional style garden to coincide with the architecture of the house. Included in this subseries are two planting plans for the garden and two site plans of the house. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V.

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Box 62

Sarachane, 1967

Sarachane Archeological Park is located in Istanbul, Turkey, part of the fascinating historic district that includes the most ancient remains of a city occupied by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and Turkish peoples. Griswold landscaped the gardens that adorned the important park that hosts such famous landmarks as the Valens Aqueduct, one of the largest water systems developed in antiquity to provide sustenance to the denizens of Constantinople.

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Box 63

Scotchtown, 1971

Griswold and the Garden Club of Virginia were responsible for the landscape restoration of Scotchtown, the historic property of American Revolutionary Patrick Henry. This subseries contains eleven items, mainly drawings but also layout copies pertaining to the site, including studies of the recreated smokehouse and other structures that were built for the project in 1970.

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Box 64

Woodrow Wilson Birthplace, 1974-1975

Griswold added a brick terrace to the manse of the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace located in Staunton, Virginia. This subseries contains plans related to this project dating from 1967 to 1968. The project was completed in 1968. This subseries contains three plans written in pencil on vellum paper.

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Box 65

Kent Valentine House/ Garden Club of Virginia, 1971-1973

A frequent partner of Griswold in landscape preservation, The Garden Club of Virginia worked on several historic restorations throughout the state, including their own headquarters in Richmond. This nine item subseries contains drawings and schematics of the Kent Valentine House from 1971 to 1973, when Griswold assisted the club in landscaping around the site headquarters. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V.

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Box 66

Caprarola Elevation Sketch, undated

The subseries contains one pencil sketch of an unidentified Caprarola villa with plants and garden construction plans included. The sketch is drawn to 1/ 16 scale. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series III, IV and V.

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Box 67

Swedish Prints, undated

Rosersberg Palace is one of the Royal Palaces of Sweden. The Oxenstierna family built the palace in the 1630s. It became a royal palace in 1762, when the state gave Rosersberg to Gustav III's younger brother Karl XIII. The place was well known for its endless park and surrounding landscapes. Griswold collected four Swedish engravings which are included in this subseries. Three are of the Rosersberg palace and surrounding garden and the fourth is of Skara Cathedral, a church in the Swedish city of Skara. This print also depicts a portion of the city of Skara in 1703. The engraver of these prints was Willem Swidde, who based his designs on the artist Erik Dahlbergh design.

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Box 68-69

Anzio Cemetery, 1950-1956

The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, built in Italy to commemorate Americans who died during the liberation of Italy, was directed by the United States War Commission, which oversaw the overall design, construction, sculpture, and landscaping work necessary for the site. Griswold was tapped by the United States War Commission to act as landscape architect. This became his first major landscaping work overseas. Griswold spent much of his time drawing plans, developing planting plans, writing and answering correspondence, and working with the War Commission in efforts to construct the memorial. This subseries contains seven items, mainly drawings but also blueprints, of Griswold’s work at Anzio Cemetery from 1950 through 1956. While the schematics refer to the general layout of the site, the drawings study the specific planting plans of the site as well as the relationship between the garden and other types of foliage to the pool, which served as the centerpiece of memorial. This series contains seven drawings, including a watercolor, of the entrance and layout of Anzio Cemetery during Griswold’s involvement at the memorial from 1950 to 1951. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series V.

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Box 70

American Academy of Rome - Villa Catena, undated

This American Academy of Rome material contains a print rendering of the Villa Catena, one of the many villas Griswold explored during his stay in Rome in 1923. The plan of the Villa Catena is on canvas. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series IV and VI.

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Box 71-73

Private Residences, 1937, 1942, 1947-1951, 1980

Throughout Griswold’s extensive career, he involved himself in several private residential landscape projects. The majority of the blueprints from 1947 to1951are from his works located in and around Washington D.C., including the local restoration work on a variety of historic gardens. This subseries contains several items, primarily blueprints and photostats on vellum, but also site plans and layouts for the private residences. The plans corresponding to his work in 1937, 1942 and 1980 are unidentified residential gardens from private homes. Additional files relating to this project may be found in Series III, IV and V.