Manchester -- Lilliothea

Lilliothea is located in Manchester, Massachusetts. Established in 1898, the 7.44-acre historic property has had several manifestations of Olmsted Brothers designed landscapes featuring an ocean view, park-like grounds, and tree islands. The origin of the property's name is attributed to Buffalo Bill Cody. While visiting the property he was asked to suggest a name for a place with such views. His reply was, Lilliothea, "a place with a view from a hill."  Olmsted Brothers' completed its first plans for grading, driveways, and walls in October 1898 and for plantings in March 1899.  In 1903, a "Terrace Garden" was added halfway between the house and the stable.  The garden was 5,600 square feet, half of which was dedicated to vegetables and half of which was a flower garden to be viewed from the west terrace.  The garden boasted 67 species of perennials. In 1913, the Olmsted Brothers designed a new service drive and formal gardens located southwest of the house. A final planting plan for the entire site was issued on January 3, 1915. The original landscape used few native plants. The later landscape was designed during a period of international plant exploration and the Olmsted office took full advantage of new plant introductions that were hardy in New England. When the current owners purchased the property in 2010, they hired Laura Gibson to document the existing landscape.  At the same time, they began an in-depth investigation of the house and a two-year restoration of the facade.  The house foundation plantings of Yews and Rhododendrons had grown so large that they had to be removed although some were able to be transplanted. In 2014, a small potager garden was added close to the house to grow vegetables, herbs, and a few flowers for cutting. Gibson designed the garden to echo the octagonal rooms.   The French Chateau style house, completed in 1914, was designed by R. H. Wambolt of Bigelow & Wadsworth. Construction of this house was expedited by using foundation and frame of the former 1899 Victorian era Shingle style house. Its original exterior was transformed with a brick and limestone facade, and additions of octagonal corner rooms. Persons associated with the garden's design: Olmsted Brothers (landscape architects, 1898-1930), R. H. Wambolt of Bigelow & Wadsworth (architects, 1912-1915), Lawrence Lowell Reeve (architect/site planner, 1944-2000), Laura Gibson (landscape architect, 2012-), and Peter Pennoyer (architect, 2015-2018).

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