Object Details
- General
- Established in 1908, this .75-acre garden has recently been restored to reflect and enhance the site. The house was designed by architects Shepard & Farrar, a prominent early 20th-century Kansas City firm. A carriage path runs along the north side of the house to the detached carriage house. Minimal landscaping was included in the original plan, although there was a rose arbor gracing the front terrace. The recent restoration has resulted in a lush garden that is a continuing work in progress. This garden is unique to the lower Midwest because of its extensive use of southern plant material set in an urban microclimate. Found in an historic neighborhood with large, century-old oaks, the garden offers many themes and collections. Included are a formal front terrace organized by a boxwood hedge, with a large variety of azaleas and rhododendron. The New Orleans-style courtyard is accented by a magnolia collection. The owner has extended the dogwood and azalea plantings well beyond the garden gates towards the large parkways in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood. Throughout the property, the owner continues trial experiments with new plant materials. The back and side portions of the property feature a water garden, along with a bamboo and palm collection, ferns, a grotto, and a dry river bed. Varieties of large pines are accented by a dwarf conifer collection. The backyard woodland garden has a lived-in feel, despite its newness.
- Persons and firms associated with the garden include: George A. Gurley (former owner, 1908-?); Robert Crist (former owner, 1982-1992); and Shepard & Farrar (architects, 1908).
- Former owner
- Gurley, George A.
- Crist, Robert
- Architect
- Shepard & Farrar
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- Belleview Garden (Kansas City, Missouri)
- United States of America -- Missouri -- Kansas City
- Topic
- Gardens -- Missouri -- Kansas City
- Former owner
- Gurley, George A.
- Crist, Robert
- Architect
- Shepard & Farrar
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Missouri
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File MO073
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America 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 Marty Ross, "Garden Design," Lady's Gallery, Vol. 2, No. 6 (June-July 1995), pp. 57-60. Garden has been featured in Marty Ross, "Kansas City Southern," Kansas City Star, June 2, 2000. Garden has been featured in John Wornall House Museum Tour of Gardens booklet, June 2000.
- Scope and Contents
- The folder includes a worksheet, two versions of a site plan, a plant list, photocopies of articles about the house and garden, and related correspondence.
- 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.
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210181515-1
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