ANDREW JACKSON DOWNING: ARBITER OF AMERICAN TASTE, 1815-1852

383 Pages·2016·18.98 MB·English

by  TATUM

Andrew Jackson Downing
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A N D R E W J A C K S O N D O W N I N G
Arbiter of American Taste
1815 - 1852
By
George Bishop Tatum
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A DISSERTATION
Presented to the
Faculty of Princeton University
in Candidacy for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy
Recommended for Acceptance hy the
Department of
Art and Archaeology
September 19^9.
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A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
The paucity of published material which relates directly
to the career of A. J. Downing places the author of any study
cra.ch as this under especially heavy obligation to institutions
and individuals. I regret only that for lack of space I cannot
attempt to thank publicly all those who have taken the time and
trouble to reply to my importunate letters, even though they were
unable to answer ray questions or grant my requests. Also in the
interest of brevity, credit for the use of photographs is given
in the list of Illustrations.
Certainly this study could not have been made without
the willing assistance of the staffs of many museums, historical
societies, and libraries, notably: the National Archives, the
Library of Congress, the State Library of New York, the Boston
Public Library, the New York Public Library, the New-York
Historical Society, the Metropolitan Museum, the Library of
the Institute of Pine Arts of New York University, Princeton
University Library, the Avery Architectural Library of Columbia
University, and the Library of the New York Botanical Garden. -
Among the individuals connected with those institutions to whom
I am especially indebted should be mentioned: Miss Janet Byrne
of the Metropolitan Museum for her patient assistance in my
study of the A. J. Davis Collection; Mr. Clay Lancaster, Ware
Librarian at Columbia University, for assisting me to make the
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most of the architectural riches of the Avery Library and for many
helpful biographical suggestions; Miss Elizabeth Fitton, Marquand
librarian, and Mr, Malcolm Young, Reference Librarian, both of
Princeton, for their untiring efforts in locating scarce volumes;
Miss Dorothy 0. Barck, Librarian of the New York Historical Society
for helpful suggestions; and Miss Elizabeth Hall, Librarian of the
New York Botanical Garden, for her co-operation and assistance.
Permission to visit the New Jersey State Hospital at
Trenton, and access to the historical records of that institution,
X owe to the kindness of Mr. Donald B. Rice, Business Manager.
At Utica State Hospital my investigation of the grounds and
search of the records was greatly facilitated by the assistance
and co-operation of Dr. Arthur W. Pense, Acting Director,
Dr. 0. J. McKendree, and Miss Anna K. Lee, Secretary. Mr. Francis
Alley, long himself a student of Downing as well as a professional
landscape gardener, has given me many valuable suggestions and
much helpful information, as well as acted as my guide on a
number of trips to Newburgh and the surrounding country, an area
which he knew well from boyhood and I scarcely at all. On my
visits to Newburgh in search of original material for this study
I also received valuable assistance from a number of persons in
that city, and especially from Miss Sarah Corwin, Librarian of
the Newburgh Free Library; Miss Mildred Deyo, Superintendent of
Washington’s Headquarters and Museum; Mr. Calvin D. Myers of the
Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands; the Rev.
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Elwood Corning, Historian of Newburgh; and Dr. Wesley Wait, a nephew
of Charles Downing. In the vicinity of Poughkeepsie my studies were
furthered hy the generous aid of Miss Elizabeth Meade, landscape
architect; Mrs. John Pitzpatrick, present owner of Springside; and
Mrs. Amy Ver Nooy, Librarian of the Adriance Memorial Library of
Poughkeepsie and Secretary of the Dutchess County Historical
Society. I am especially indebted to Miss Dorothy Plum, Bibliographer
of the Vassar College Library, for her assistance in securing photo­
graphs of the drawings by Downing now in the archives of Vassar
College.
To those persons in private life who so kindly assisted me
in a variety of ways I am especially grateful: to Mr. Gilbert Tucker,
grandson of Luther Tucker, publisher of The Horticulturist a for
information concerning Downing and his grandfather; to Mrs. Elsworth V
Holden, for information concerning the Head House in New Castle,
Delaware; to Messrs. Herbert 0. Brigham, Librarian of the Nevjport
Historical Society, and William King Covell, also of Newport, for
their assistance with the identification of the Parish residence;
to Mr. Bayard Verplanck for information concerning the diaiy of
James Brown; to Dr. Anthony Garvan for acting as my guide during my
visits to Blithewood and Montgomery Place and for permitting me to
examine and quote from the letters from Downing to Alexander Davis
now in his possession; to Mrs. J. E. Spingarn for information concern­
ing the whereabouts of her late husband’s notes; to Miss Carolyn Pitts
for assistance with the proof reading of this manuscript; and to
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Richard Schermerhora, Jr., pioneer student of Downing, for helpful
suggestions.
And finally, I am most deeply indebted to Wayne Andrews, Curator
of Manuscripts at the New-York Historical Society and noted photographer
of American architectural subjects, for many references, a number of
illustrations, and especially for his generous sharing of his own broad
knowledge of American architecture and culture; to Professor Donald
Egbert for his encouragement, many helpful suggestions, and for his
willingness to take time from his own work to criticize the earlier
parts of my manuscript; and to my wife for tireless, efficient, and
unselfish assistance in many ways and at every stage in the prepara­
tion of this study.
G. B. T.
Philadelphia
September 1, 19*19,
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ANDREW JACKSON DOMING
Arbiter of American Taste
1815-1852
PART I
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C O N T E N T S
Part I
Introduction 3
Chronological Table 14
I. Prophet with Honor 15
II. Biographical Notes 39
III. landscape Gardener 91
IV. Rural Architect 147
V. Epilogue 198
Part II
Notes 211
Check List of Documents and Drawings 292
Bibliography 322
List of Illustrations ' 338
Illustrations 345
Abstract 371
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INTBODUCTION
A century ago a review of a new 'book entitled Country Houses
appeared in the Home Journal of Messrs. Willis and Morris and con­
tained, by way of introduction, the indisputable observation that
fortunate indeed is the "man who, on entering the world, finds the
place manifestly designed for him by Providence; and .thrice happy is
he who, in his day and generation, is recognized as the person for
whom the vacant niche is waiting.
The fortunate author who:** work had prompted this laudatory
review was a young man of only thirty-five named Andrew Jackson
Downing, the youthful writer and landscape gardener of Newburgh,
New York, whose career forms the subject of this study. However,
in spite of the contemporary popularity indicated by the review
mentioned above, the name of Downing cannot be said to be well known
to most Americans. Yet on the basis of this, and many similar
notices like it, the fact is easily established that in the period
prior to the Civil War thousands of Americans accepted Downing’s
precepts in landscaping their grounds and decorating their homes—
sufficient reason, surely, for the investigation of Downing’s career
by all who find intrinsic pleasure in the study of history or who
seek to understand the sources and evolution of modern American
society. But if it is true, as some have claimed, that "Downing
made over the face of rural America in his own day," why has
he been forgotten by the majority of his countrymen and why has
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