Meadowbrook -- Roselea

Roselea is on a 3-acre property in Pennsylvania. The house, originally known as the Lukens Shoemaker House, dates to the 1700s. In 1964, then-owners Mr. and Mrs. Isadore Scott undertook a major renovation, hiring architect John Bower to transform the existing Greek Revival structure into a smaller, Federal-style Pennsylvania farmhouse. That same year, landscape architect Frederick Peck designed the surrounding garden layout. His plan introduced bluestone walkways around the house that connect to a lower brick patio and a larger bluestone terrace with a curved sitting wall, three sets of stairs, and a stone ramp. Two staircases lead to an upper bluestone path behind the cutting garden. At the turn of the 20th century, the property was purchased from the Lukens Shoemaker family by Samuel and Rose Lit of Lit Brothers department stores for use as a summer house. They added extensive gardens and a lake and renamed the property, "Roselea." By 1916, the Lits had sold the property, and by the 1920s it had been subdivided, with 3 acres remaining with the house. The current owners have worked to maintain the original garden design while adapting it for long-term use. Deer fencing has been added around the rear patios, and planting strategies continue to evolve in response to mature trees and aggressive spreading plants. The garden is used for outdoor living and entertaining. The curved sitting wall, inset with seasonal flowers, was the site of their daughter's wedding reception. Original materials such as brick and bluestone, along with some of the 1964 plantings, remain integral to the landscape. The 1964 design continues to define the garden's character. Persons associated with the garden's design: Frederick Peck (landscape architect, 1964); John Bower (architect, 1964); Samuel and Rose Lit (former owner, 1903-1916); Isadore and Joan Scott (former owner, 1964-1985); John and Agnes Mulroney (former owner, 1985-2005); John and Lucy Strackhouse (owner, 2005- ).