Object Details
- General
- Ellen Shipman designed the gardens of Rose Terrace (also known as Rose Terrace II), in 1931 for Anna Dodge (widow of Horace E. Dodge) and her second husband, Hugh Dillman. The 8.8-acre estate was situated on Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, at 12 Lake Shore Drive on the site of her home, identified as Rose Terrace I, and the original Country Club of Detroit. The original house and the clubhouse were both razed to make way for the new home and gardens identified as Rose Terrace II – only the steps leading down to the terraced rose gardens remained from Rose Terrace I.The new home, Rose Terrace II, was designed by the Philadelphia architect, Horace Trumbaur, in the French, Louis XV chateau style modeled after the Gilded Age estate, "Miramar," in Newport, Rhode Island. Mrs. Dodge requested that Shipman create landscape in keeping with the scheme of the house, though eighteenth-century French gardens were not typical of her style. Shipman's office generated nearly 100 drawings and plans for the challenging site, which was a flat and characterless expanse, except for its view of the lake. The gardens Shipman created for Rose Terrace II were characterized by a juxtaposition of broad proportions and wide horizontal plains combined with meticulously edged lawns and delicate detailing, capturing the intricacy and grandiosity of French landscape design. The parterre, a common feature of French gardens, featured geometric shapes with pristine carpet beds of flowers, boxwood, and distinct edging. Around the parterre, a broad dirt or gravel walk led to the terraces above and below. While the specific stylistic treatment had limited Shipman's characteristic expressiveness, her style is seen in many of the plantings that screened and divided spaces. Anna Dodge resided in "Rose Terrace II" until her death, at which time the house and gardens were demolished, and the land was subdivided. Persons Associated: Anna Thompson Dodge (former owner); Hugh Dillman (former owner); Horace Trumbaur (architect, 1930); Ellen Biddle Shipman (landscape architect, 1931).
- Owner
- Dodge, Anna Thomson, 1871-1970
- Dodge, Anna Thomson (Mrs. Horace Elgin Dodge, Sr.)
- Dillman, Hugh
- Dillman, Hugh, Mrs.
- Landscape architect
- Shipman, Ellen Biddle, 1869-1950
- Architect
- Trumbauer, Horace
- Collection Landscape architect
- Shipman, Ellen Biddle, 1869-1950
- Place
- Rose Terrace (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan)
- United States of America -- Michigan -- Wayne County -- Grosse Pointe Farms
- Topic
- Gardens -- Michigan -- Grosse Pointe Farms
- Formal gardens
- Gardens, French
- Owner
- Dodge, Anna Thomson, 1871-1970
- Dodge, Anna Thomson (Mrs. Horace Elgin Dodge, Sr.)
- Dillman, Hugh
- Dillman, Hugh, Mrs.
- Landscape architect
- Shipman, Ellen Biddle, 1869-1950
- Architect
- Trumbauer, Horace
- See more items in
- Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection
- Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection / Gardens / Michigan
- Sponsor
- Cataloging of the Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection was made possible with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.
- Extent
- 21 Film negative
- Date
- circa 1931
- Container
- Box 1
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.SHP, File MI051
- Type
- Archival materials
- Negatives
- Film negative
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Ellen Shipman garden photography 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 Judith B. Tankard, The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman (Sagaponeck, NY: Sagapress, Inc., 1996), p. 156-160. Garden has been featured in Judith B. Tankard, Ellen Shipman and The American Garden (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2018), p. 29, 203-208. Garden has been featured in "Puttin on the Glitz: Gross Pointe's Auto Barons," gphistorical.org, Grosse Pointe Historical Society.
- Other Finding Aids
- The Garden Club of America collection, circa 1920-[on-going]
- 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.
- Record ID
- ebl-1633715325312-1633715325354-1
