Greenwich -- Mitchell Garden

Object Details

General: Ellen Biddle Shipman was given one of the largest commissions of her career in 1929 to design the gardens on the estate of Mrs. Ormsby Mitchell in Greenwich, Connecticut. Critically praised in America, the Mitchell gardens expressed Arts and Crafts ideals, as well as recalling English prototypes, with the ivy-covered house and walls. Shipman's plans included a formal, walled entry court, lawn terrace, millstone terrace, dovecote-tool house, dining room terrace, and multiple pools and water features. The individual areas had their own character with distinct transitions from one space to the next, yet the overall scheme created three-dimensional, spatial clarity with its defined beds separated by spacious garden walks, strong walls, and clear changes of level. These features reflected the masses of the house and outbuildings, designed by architect, Alfred Hopkins, in the Cotswold-style, using stone from the Greenwich vicinity. The sculptural proportions and unusually spare plantings for Shipman's style also united the separate terraces, paved courts, and structures. Persons Associated: Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby M. Mitchell (former owners); Alfred Hopkins (architect, 1929); Ellen Biddle Shipman (landscape architect, 1929); John Hathaway (superintendent).

Place: United States of America -- Connecticut -- Fairfield County -- Greenwich; Mitchell Garden (Greenwich, Connecticut)

See more items in: Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection; Ellen Shipman Garden Photography Collection / Gardens / Connecticut

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.

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. 80, 87, 137-142. Garden has been featured in Judith B. Tankard, Ellen Shipman and The American Garden (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2018), p. 118, 179-185.

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.

Related Materials: Cornell University, Ellen Shipman Papers, Ithaca, New York.