Farmington -- The Gundy

The Gundy garden was created in 1980 to reflect the era of the property's two linked houses of 1697 and 1730. Located in the historic district of Farmington, on property that formed part of the Hill-Stead estate until 1975, the house once belonged to the architect Theodate Pope (later Mrs. Alfred Riddle). She relocated the 1697 section of the house, had it linked to her 1730 house, and opened it in 1902 as a shop, which she named The Gundy, for the students at Miss Porter's School. Her parents moved from Cleveland to Farmington and built Hill-Stead (now a museum) on the hill above for their important art collection. Old and new brick paths behind the house lead uphill on a southeast slope to terraces with boxwood in the center, surrounded by gravel paths and beds of roses, bulbs and perennials. The terraces are set amongst flowering shrubs and trees, including magnolias, viburnums, old lilac clumps, dwarf evergreens, and a ring of matched standard Korean lilacs. A sundial on a stone base and a gazebo copied from a Williamsburg example add to the colonial period effect of this part of the garden. The swimming pool and loggia were built in 1992 to replace the vegetable garden of the 1980s. Warm grey stone is used for the poolside paving, accented by a vine-covered pergola and wall fountain. The owner plants up a collection of handsome containers for the loggia.

Persons and firms associated with the garden include: the O'Rourke family (former owners, before 1896); Theodate Pope Riddle (former owner, ca. 1896-1946); the Hill-Stead Museum Estate (former owner, 1946-1975); Theodore Sloan (former owner, 1975-1979); Michael Cegan (landscape architect, 1980-1982); Green Designs (landscape contractor, 1980-1982); Richter & Cegan, Inc. (landscape architects, 1992-1994); and Frank Volte and Sons (masonry contractors).

Frank Volte and Sons were the contractors for masonry work. Green Designs was the contractor for landscape work.