the Connecticut Landscape Architect - CTASLA

the Connecticut Landscape Architect
A publication of The Connecticut Chapter of
the American Society of Landscape Architects
Summer 1999

the Connecticut
Landscape Architect
The Connecticut Landscape Architect
is published by the Connecticut Chapter
of the American Society of Landscape
Architects.
Editor
Sarah W. Middeleer
Evans Associates Environmental
Consulting, Inc.
88 Bradley Road
Woodbridge, CT 06525
Phone: (203) 397-3737
Fax: (203) 397-0118
Email: smiddeleer@snet.net
Editorial Board
Channing Harris
Sarah Middeleer
Norma Williams
Graphic Design and Advertising
Jeffrey H. Mills
J.M. Communications
Coventry, CT 06238
Phone: (860) 742-7234
Fax: (860) 742-7349
To contact CTASLA:
Voice mail: (800) 878-1474
Email: ctasla@mags.net
Web site: http://people.mags.net/ctasla
Cover: Eastern view of the New
Haven Green, 1851 (engraving by
John Warner Barber)
p.3
From the Editor
Looking back 100 years, landscape architects have much to be proud of.
Our profession has grown steadily in strength and stature and now appears
to be heading into its next century with unprecedented momentum and
success. As we examine our history, we might also ask ourselves what we
want to accomplish both individually and collectively in the future. It is an
exciting time for us all.
A recent goal for the Executive Board has been to develop a new
graphic design for The Connecticut Landscape Architect, which we introduce
with this issue. Kerry Tufts, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, worked on this
project with us, fielding numerous requests from committee members who
often had conflicting views. Somehow she created a design that not only met
with unanimous approval but with excitement as well. We hope our readers
will agree that our new look favorably represents Connecticut landscape
architects and reflects not only the accomplishments of the profession but our
continuing efforts to meet the demands of the future.
The winners of the 1998 CTASLA Design Awards are spokespeople for
the present state of our profession in Connecticut; in this issue we have
photographs and descriptions of their winning projects. Congratulations to all
of you, and thank you for sharing your work with us. I hope that seeing the
winning projects will inspire many others to enter the contest this year —
particularly if you have not done so before.
Many members have been busy preparing for our chapter’s participation
in the national centennial celebration. Kudos to Sarah McCracken and
Norma Williams for their diligent work as centennial committee chairs; they
have put in many, many hours on behalf of these efforts. In this issue we
present these centennial projects: five sites chosen to be honored with
medallions, and the “One Hundred Parks, One Hundred Years” site, Old
North Cemetery.
Our next issue, featuring “One Hundred Years of Landscape Architecture
in Connecticut,” promises to be fascinating and information-packed; for our
state has a rich history in landscape architecture. We will also present
highlights of the ASLA annual convention from September 11-16 in Boston.
Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer.
SARAH W. MIDDELEER
p.6
p.10
INSIDE
CTASLA Design Awards
The 1998 Winning Projects
3
ASLA Centennial Medallions
Five Connecticut Sites Honored by CTASLA
6
CTASLA Names Old North Cemetery A Centennial Park
Chapter Spearheads Efforts to Restore This Historic Graveyard
10
2

CTASLA Design Awards
The 1998 Winning Projects
By Sarah W. Middeleer, Associate ASLA
The 1998 Design Award winners
were announced at the Connecticut
chapter’s annual meeting in
December. Although we listed the winners
in our last issue, here we present
brief descriptions of their projects, as
well as a few of the graphics that accompanied
each entry.
■ Category 1: Landscape
Architectural Design – Built
Work/Residential
Honor Award: Peter Miniutti, Assistant
Professor of Landscape Architecture,
University of Connecticut
Project: Cantin Residence
The site for this project is an older
housing subdivision on the western
end of Hartford. For the front of the
house, the client desired a stronger
presence in the neighborhood, with
unique but restrained aesthetic qualities,
and added privacy. He also
wanted visitors to be more inclined to
enter through the front door. For the
rear yard, he wanted “something different,
fun, and somewhat shocking.”
The resulting design has several
unusual elements. In the front, for example,
the brick wall contains a regular
pattern of apertures and ends in a
spiral curve. Complementing the grid
pattern in the wall is a lawn area inside
it with small
square stones
set into the
grass (illus. 1).
The new driveway
cuts a bold
swath across the
front yard (apparently
without
causing any of
the existing mature
trees to be
removed), allowing guests to be
dropped off at the front door (illus. 2).
Yet the design’s biggest bang is
reserved for the back yard, where a
custom-made corten steel fountain
forms the centerpiece to a space that
contains a birch grove planted on a
grid, a deck, and a gazebo. The fountain
is described in the project statement:
“In plan view, the steel plates
are organized in a spiral pattern. In
elevation, however, the spiral configuration
is subservient to the jarring array
of bent and warped metal plates.”
This design, Miniutti states, is meant
“…to provoke an image of discontinuity
and breakage,” in the vein of architectural
fragments often employed
in picturesque English gardens of the
1700s.
Miniutti has been at UConn for
five years as a tenure-track assistant
professor, having taught as an adjunct
instructor for two years prior to attaining
his current position.
He has a B.S. in landscape
architecture from
the University of Massachusetts
and a MLA from
Harvard. Before coming
to UConn he worked at
SWA Group, Johnson
and Richter, and Sasaki
Associates.
Merit Award: Wesley Stout
Associates, New Canaan
Project: Private Residence in
Fairfield County
The existing house on this site was
renovated in a French Provençal style,
and Wesley Stout Associates handled
the site planning and landscape design.
The project description states,
“The solution was to discard the
American tradition of front, rear and
two side yards in order to maximize
the impact, extent, and qualities of this
square two-acre site with a high central
ridge. Thus, while siting the residence
on the mount, the front door was set to
the north (side yard), which created
an opportunity to stretch the arrival
sequence.” From the entry foyer there
is an axial view across the lawn and
perimeter gardens to the south. A
cross-axis leads to a swimming pool
(continued next page)
CANTIN RESIDENCE: Illus. 1 (left): Brick wall and
complementing stonework in the front yard.
Illus. 2 (above): Plan view.
3

and pavilion west of the lawn, while a
tennis court is terraced into the slope
below (see site plan, illus. 3). An existing
wetland was preserved and the
setback enhanced with mitigation
plantings.
A striking feature of this project is
the crushed-stone French drains and
limestone slabs around the base of the
house. These details eliminated the
need for downspouts and gutters,
as well as typical
foundation plantings,
and they enhance
the Continental
flavor of the architecture
(illus. 4).
Traditional materials
and styles
were also employed
elsewhere:
lengthy stretches of
fieldstone walls delineate
the classical
composition and
are punctuated with
wrought iron gates.
Paths are stabilized
gravel, and gutters
are cobbled. The
house was finished in
true stucco.
The planting plan is simple and
elegant as well. The plants “…were
chosen to match the objectives of
simplicity, color and reasonable maintenance
within the coastal setting
(illus. 5).”
Project Manager on this job was
Bruce G. Eckerson, ASLA. The house
was designed by Austin Patterson
Disston Architects.
L. Wesley Stout, ASLA, AICP,
founded the firm in 1992. They have
commercial, institutional, and residential
projects throughout the metropolitan
New York region and the nation.
Stout has a B.S. in landscape architecture
from the College of Engineering
at Ohio State University and a MBA
from the University of Connecticut. He
is currently serving on the national
ASLA Task Force for professional public
relations, and also teaches site
LEGEND:
1 - Arrival Court; 2 - Residence; 3 - Tapis Vert;
4 - Pool Pavillion; 5 - Pool; 6 - Tennis Court
planning and design to architects preparing
for their licensing exam.
In 1997, Wesley Stout Associates
won a CTASLA merit award for their
Master Plan for Thomas Place, in
Rowayton.
Illus. 6: Cooksville Housing Subdivision Master Plan
Lower
area with
housing
within
woods.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESIDENCE (clockwise from
lower left): Illus. 4: Plan view. Illus. 5: Crushedstone
French drains. Illus. 6: Exterior view
showing stone walls, walkways, and plantings.
Merit Award: Peter Miniutti, Storrs
Project: Cooksville Housing Subdivision
Miniutti was hired for this project by
a developer who had recently purchased
a 95-acre farm in Somers,
from which he planned to create a
residential subdivision.
The client asked Miniutti “…to
develop alternative attitudes to the
typical suburb subdivisions,” which
resulted in a master plan “…that deemphasized
the role of the automobile
and in its place focused the community
on common open space.” (illus. 6) The
project statement elaborates on this
philosophy, explaining that many of
Village area at old homestead site with
internal views to village common.
Upper
hillside with
views to
north. Old
field growth
cleared.
4

the original features were retained,
including hedgerows of native
shrubs, mature sugar maples, cart
paths, stone walls, and pastures.
(illus. 7) New roads followed existing
pathways “…or were sited to
reduce the amount of disturbance
to existing conditions.” (illus. 8)
Miniutti’s first step was to identify
and analyze the natural resources,
which included a spring,
stream, and numerous level areas
with excellent soil. Second, he
identified the “salient cultural
features…indicative of the New
England farming experience.”
Finally, Miniutti applied these findings
to a site plan that retained as many
of these features as possible while
meeting the program requirements.
He also provided input on mass grading
and on the character of the new
architecture.
Municipal and Public Space
Merit Award: Johnson Land Design,
Collinsville
Project: Farmington Canal Greenway
Dean Johnson, FASLA, was landscape
architectural consultant for this
collaborative project, with Fuss &
O’Neill, Inc. as engineering consultant.
COOKSVILLE HOUSING SUBDIVISION:
Illus. 7 (right): Many natural
features were preserved in planning
the Cooksville Housing Subdivision.
Illus. 8 (above): New roads used
existing pathways and treelines.
The client was the Town of Hamden,
but funding came from the federal
Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act, (ISTEA). The project site
is a 2.7-mile segment in Hamden of a
historic canal line, originally in use
1828-48. The Farmington Canal is
listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, and its historic character
soon became a driving force in the
project’s conception. In the entry statement,
Johnson writes, “As interesting
information was uncovered from many
sources, it became the goal of the
landscape architect to try and incorporate
the history in the signage and in
the creation of information plaques.
Displaying this historic information has
proved to be one of the most
successful parts of the trail.” In
fact, the trail’s popularity has
been so strong that the Connecticut
DOT has given high
priority to funding the remainder
of the Farmington Canal
Trail, which extends from New
Haven to the Massachusetts
FARMINGTON CANAL GREENWAY: Illus. 9 (left): One of the goals
of the Farmington Canal Greenway project was to preserve as
many of the original bridges, aqueducts and canal locks as
possible. Illus. 10 (above): Controversial at first, the greenway
has become a source of pride for area residents.
border (a section in Cheshire was
completed in 1997).
The approach to forming a recreation
corridor from the abandoned
canal involved using or at least saving
as many of the existing bridges, aqueducts,
and canal locks as possible
(illus. 9). Overgrown vegetation was
cleared out to help reveal the remnant
canal, which still contains water.
Where new bridges were necessary,
their design retained the use of metal
trusses. Graphic design of signs and
interpretive panels were based on
historic documents and photos, although
they were constructed of modern materials
that are virtually indestructible
and have extremely low maintenance
requirements. These signs and plaques
have been so well received that other
towns developing sections of the trail
have adopted their style as well.
One fortunate (and, for some,
unexpected) outcome has been a complete
lack of vandalism to the new and
restored structures, including signage.
Johnson states, “What began as a
very controversial and divisive project
for the neighborhood has been completely
reversed” to the point where it
has become a unifying element in the
community and a source of “town
pride” (illus. 10).
Dean Johnson has a MLA from the
University of Michigan and won the
Prix de Rome in 1964. He has been
partner in several Connecticut firms
(continued on page 12)
5

By Sarah W. McCracken, ASLA
ASLA Centennial Medallions
Five Connecticut Sites Honored by CTASLA
The year is 1899. Eleven landscape
architects gathered in
New York City to form a professional
organization they would call
the American Society of Landscape
Architects. They were committed to
developing an organization that would
represent landscape architectural professionals,
encourage the development
of new theories and practices in the
field, and plan for the education of
future generations of landscape architects.
The founders included not only
apprentices of Frederick Law Olmsted
and Calvert Vaux, but civil engineers
and a residential design specialist,
establishing the idea of a profession
that reached out to a wide range of
practitioners and related professionals.
Fast forward to 1999. The American
Society of Landscape Architects is
still representing landscape architects;
encouraging new theories and practices;
educating members, students,
and the public; and reaching out to
related professionals. Having grown
to a membership of over 12,000 from
the original eleven founders, ASLA has
planned a series of activities and
events to celebrate its 100 years of
growth and all that landscape architects
have contributed to American
life. State chapters are participating in
the centennial celebration with the
“Medallion” and “100 Parks” programs.
ASLA
CELEBRATING
100 YEARS
country will be honored with these
plaques.
The Executive Board of the Connecticut
chapter selected five sites from
nearly 30 nominations to be so honored,
as excellent examples of Connecticut
public landscapes designed
or influenced by landscape architects.
Not only are these places well known,
but they have also contributed significantly
to the quality of life in their communities
and to the history of landscape
architecture in Connecticut. Our
goal is to increase public awareness
of these landscapes and thereby enhance
public understanding about the
profession of landscape architecture. It
is our hope that this effort will also
encourage public support for similar
projects in the 21st century.
■ NEW HAVEN GREEN
City Founders
In 1638, the founders of New
Haven established one of the first city
plans in America. The nine squares
with the central square reserved as
open space are still the focal point of
New Haven. With its beautiful trees
and with three historic churches equidistantly
spaced along its central axis,
the Green is undoubtedly the city’s
greatest single asset. It is the principal
Medallion Program
Each chapter has selected for national
recognition several well-loved
landscapes evoking local history and
culture. The medallions, which are
bronze plaques, will be presented and
displayed at each site to explain its
contribution to the American landscape
and how landscape architects designed
or influenced it. Hundreds of
outstanding landscapes across the
New Haven Green, Plan of Proposed Improvements, prepared by Parisky Associates and Quennell Rothschild
Associates, from New Haven Green – A Restoration Plan, published circa 1985.
6

organizing element of downtown New
Haven, and its spaciousness is the
perfect counterbalance to the intensive
development that now surrounds it.
The land for the original New Haven
colony was purchased by individuals
known as “The Proprietors,”
who set aside the central square as
common land. In 1806, descendents
of the original proprietors voted to
transfer their rights and interests to a
self-perpetuating committee of five,
which persists to this day.
The square, known then as the
Market Place, was an uneven woodland
plain. As trees were cut for firewood,
it was used for grazing and
military drills and became the site of
numerous public buildings. Growing
prosperity in the mid-18th century consolidated
the Green and its surrounding
streets into the town’s institutional
and functional center. Over time, the
field was graded, drained, fenced,
and cleared of old buildings and
roads, which transformed it into a
public square and civic center.
Unique as a planning effort, three
separate religious congregations coordinated
a design program for their individual
churches placed in a monumental
composition down the center of the
space. During this period the surrounding
streets were also developed, with
retail shops along the southern boundary,
residences to the north, and civic
buildings along the eastern edge of the
Green. With Yale University occupying
the western boundary, the Green’s
strategic position as the psychological,
as well as geographical, center of
town life was firmly established.
Throughout the rest of the 19th
century there were few changes to the
Green. During the twentieth century
there have been several efforts to improve
it, starting with a master plan by
Frederick Law Olmsted in 1910 and a
similar plan in the 1960s by the landscape
architectural firm of Sasaki,
Walker and Demay. Incremental
changes in the 1970s had numerous
negative impacts on the Green. In
1985 the New Haven Green Restoration
Task Force was created, charged
with bringing rapid and comprehensive
improvement of the Green and restoring
it to a useful and beautiful state.
The New Haven Green is unusual
among New England cities, due in
large part to its ownership. It is also
one of the few examples of a typical
city green that still retains much of its
original character and functions as a
public gathering space. In 1971 the
New Haven Green was named to the
National Register of Historic Places.
■ BUSHNELL PARK, Hartford
Jacob J. Weidenmann, landscape
architect
Bushnell Park represents the first
instance in the United States where a
community voted to spend municipal
funds for a public park that did not yet
exist in any form. The original tract,
35 acres along the Little River, consisted
of some of the most unappealing
land in Hartford. The first plan for
the park was a drawing by Horace
Bushnell, pastor of North Church,
which was presented to the Common
Council in 1853 in an effort to persuade
the city to create the park.
7
Above: View of
Bushnell Park
looking east. Left:
Corning Fountain
(painting by James
Massey Rhind).
The newly created park commission
sought a professional designer for this
important task. Jacob Weidenmann’s
plan had a distinct style and pleasing
form, with ground that was smoothly
sculpted and undulating. Paths gracefully
followed land forms and led the
visitors to several focal points including
a pond, fountain and the existing
river. The plan also included informal
clusters of evergreen and deciduous
trees, which screened the sights and
sounds of the city, a striking departure
from the New England square or central
green. Besides helping to define
several large lawns, these plantings
also offered variety and seasonal interest.
A carriage concourse was designed,
as well as a stone terrace from
which visitors could observe street and
railroad activity. A final, notable feature
was the Mall adjacent to Elm
Street. This formal promenade helped
to foster interaction among members
of different social groups, an important
feature to Bushnell.
Over the years, various monuments
have been added to the park, and the
river was routed underground as part
of of flood control project by the Army
Corps of Engineers. The firm of Olmsted
(continued next page)

Seaside Park, Bridgeport
and Olmsted (sons of Frederick Law
Olmsted) was retained to assist the
city in redesigning the park after the
burial of the river, including designs
for two park entries. Bushnell Park has
also benefited from recent work by
landscape architects, including an
analysis of changes to the park from
its inception to the present, guidelines
for development and restoration plans.
Bushnell Park continues to be well
used more than a century after its inception,
with an active programming
schedule. Through the efforts of Jacob
Weidenmann and later landscape
architects, the park has fulfilled the
ideals of its founder by providing a
lively open space within the heart of
Hartford for public education and cultural
and recreational opportunities.
■ SEASIDE PARK, Bridgeport
Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape
architect
Many facts surrounding the development
of Seaside Park in Bridgeport
are unclear, although it is clearly noted
in the city’s historic park commission
records that Frederick Law Olmsted
and Calvert Vaux were the designers.
There is also evidence that the park
commissioner paid for the plans, apparently
out of his own funds. In an
1867 map of the city, the
park plan clearly shows
continuous curvilinear paths
connecting points throughout
the site, providing views
of Long Island Sound, the
shoreline, meadows, and
woods. Clearly separated carriageways
and walkways, a hallmark of
Olmsted park plans, allowed for safe
and relaxing use of the open space.
Early photographs of the park show
how grading and plantings were used
both to accommodate drainage and
reinforce the design concept of curvilinear
paths that provided a wide variety
of sequenced views.
At the turn of the century, over
100,000 people would come to the
park for Fourth of July picnics or to
hear bands play on the green. It is
evident that this plan addressed the
needs of masses of people long before
urban planning recognized the problems
of crowded cities.
In recent years, the park has seen
the development of more athletic fields
at the expense of passive recreation
areas. Hurricanes, time, and vandalism
have taken their toll on the mature
plant materials and built structures.
However, the Friends of Seaside Park
was founded in 1982, dedicated to
promoting the awareness, appreciation
and restoration of the park. Their
continued work, along with a restoration
master plan by landscape archi-
Above: Merritt Parkway in Greenwich, 1939, with trees planted at the road’s edge. Right: Merritt
Parkway today.
8

President’s Message
tects, will keep this important part of
the city’s legacy in the public eye and
help return it to its original splendor. I thank you all for the opportunity to serve as president and am especially
excited to be in office during the year of the ASLA Centennial. The
■ MERRITT PARKWAY, Fairfield
and New Haven Counties
Weld Thayer Chase, landscape
architect
Chapter is very well positioned as our profession moves into its second
century, due to the work of many members. I hope that we can build on these
accomplishments, and I see highlights for the next year to be the following:
Centennial Celebrations
Both the 100 Parks and Medallion programs initiated by ASLA are
The Merritt Parkway is one of the
wonderful opportunities for us to celebrate the past and future of landscape
earliest successful limited-access regional
highways in the country. The
architecture and to demonstrate the role of landscape architects in Connecticut.
As can be seen in this issue, we are actively planning events throughout
opening of the 38-mile parkway on
the state and will continue to keep you informed of our plans. Many members
have already volunteered, and we invite you all to get involved.
June 29, 1938 was greeted with enthusiastic
popular approval. Although
Updating the Public on Licensure Changes
it had been conceived as a solution to
Now that we have succeeded in changing the legislation expanding the
traffic congestion, it was designed for
definition of a landscape architect, we need to get the word out to the
pleasurable driving. Due to the fact
public, especially to municipal officials and policy makers. The Executive
that the route of the parkway was to
Board is developing a brochure explaining this legislation for distribution to
be at right angles to the ridges and
every town in the state.
rivers of Connecticut, its profile was
intentionally designed to be hilly,
Continuing Education Units
rather than flat, which would have
The new requirement for CEUs is going to have a big impact on all of us,
required massive cuts and fills. Its design
was thus intended to keep speedtions
in our profession. The Chapter is hoping to organize meetings for
with many benefits beyond the main intent to keep us informed of innovaing
to a minimum while enhancing the credit, but more importantly, it will provide a conduit of information about
aesthetic experience of the motorist. offerings within our area.
If the landscape seemed to play a
secondary role to the engineering and
bridges, it was because the goal of
the landscape architect, Thayer Chase,
was to make it look as though the
road had always been there. Chase
insisted on using only native species,
many transplanted from the road-building
process itself, and on responding
to the other existing features. The design
team also placed a high priority
on conservation, helping to preserve
the parkway’s appearance for future
motorists.
For the first 20 years, changes to
the parkway were minimal. However,
by the mid-1960s landscape maintenance
procedures had become more
mechanized, with the result that
plantings deteriorated in appearance.
Communications: Publications and Web Site
The Chapter is expanding our web site to include information about CEU
offerings and information about the centennial programs. Our site currently
gets “hits” from all over the country and abroad, and we want it to have
timely information.
We are also developing a “new face” for our publications, including this
one, and updating or developing new informational brochures that can be
distributed to the public as a result of calls to our 800 number or at statewide
conferences or trade shows involving landscape architects.
Chapter Programs
Besides offering some programs for credit, we will continue to offer
informal programs such as the holiday party. Planning for the second annual
Golf Outing is well under way.
This is a remarkable profession, with wide-ranging interests and specialties.
I believe that the Chapter should represent all of its members and should
clearly and actively promote all of our interests to the public.
I wish I had the time to contact each of you, but I welcome and encourage
your comments, suggestions, or criticisms.
NORMA E. WILLIAMS
The old wood beam guard rails were
replaced with the sort used on interstate
highways and, during the 1970s,
new high-speed interchanges deviated
from the highway’s historic character.
The pleasurable experience of driving
on the parkway had gradually become
like using any high-speed utilitarian
highway.
Concerned citizens and design
professionals moved to have the Merritt
Parkway named to the National Register
of Historic Places, which occurred
in April 1991. In 1993, the parkway
was designated a state Scenic Highway.
These designations helped to
protect the parkway and led to the
development of the 1994 Merritt Parkway
Master Landscape Plan, by landscape
architects, which guides the
(continued page 11)
9

CTASLA Names Old North Cemetery
A Centennial Park
Chapter Spearheads Efforts to Restore This Historic Graveyard
By Norma E. Williams, ASLA
Acemetery is perhaps a strange
place in which to celebrate
life, but helping to turn the
Old North Cemetery into a positive
place for the local community and the
state is the Connecticut chapter’s focus
for the ASLA’s centennial campaign
called “100 Parks, 100 Years.” This
national program includes diverse
efforts by many state chapters in celebration
of the ASLA centennial.
Old North Cemetery was located
in one of Hartford’s most fashionable
sections in the early 19th century but,
as the fortunes of Hartford’s north end
shifted, it became an eyesore marked
by litter and vandalism. Home to the
grave of Frederick Law Olmsted, a
Hartford native known as the father of
American landscape architecture, the
irony of the cemetery’s current condition
was keenly felt by the chapter and
by others in the community.
Early in his career, Olmsted designed
a cemetery in California that
he described as “a place of our common
grief, our common hopes and our
common faith; a place wherein we
may see and feel our sympathy with
one another.” The same can be said
of Old North Cemetery, for it represents
a cross-section of 19th-century
Hartford society. Containing the graves
of Jewish and Italian immigrants, Civil
War soldiers, and prominent residents
such as Horace Bushnell, the cemetery
represents many significant themes in
the state’s history. It is also part of
Connecticut’s “Freedom Trail,” as it
contains the graves of six men who
served in the state’s all-black Twenty-
Ninth Regiment during the Civil War.
Old North Cemetery was established
before the period of “rural”
cemeteries, intended to be pastoral
refuges, with open lawns and curving
roads. Its simple design consists mostly
of brownstone or granite monuments
laid out in a grid pattern. However, the
cemetery offers a tranquil retreat with
many mature trees and long prospects.
With Sand Elementary School across
the street, Spring Grove Cemetery
directly north, and the Isham-Terry
House of the Antiquarian and Landmarks
Society a few blocks to the south,
the cemetery is located in the midst of
an area rich in history and culture.
To celebrate the centennial, chapter
members are spearheading an
effort to revitalize Old North Cemetery
and to help it gain new recognition.
Last year the chapter initiated the process
of getting the cemetery listed on
the National Register of Historic Places,
which was accomplished with assistance
from the Connecticut Historical
Commission.
An interpretive sign, designed by
Dean Johnson, FASLA, will be given to
the city by CTASLA and will be located
at the entrance to the cemetery. Besides
information on the cemetery’s
Old North Cemetery, Hartford.
history and cultural significance, the
sign will incorporate the plaques for
the Freedom Trail and National Register
of Historic Places. A ceremony is
planned for September.
In order to ensure the long-term
advocacy and support necessary to
maintain the cemetery, CTASLA is also
seeking to establish a group of “friends,”
consisting of state and local organizations
and individuals. With this goal in
mind, the chapter is developing a brochure
to broaden public understanding
about the cemetery and to encourage
involvement in such a group.
Revitalizing Old North Cemetery
will take the efforts of many people,
which is in keeping with Olmsted’s
belief in creating public spaces open
to all, to provide relief from the
stresses of everyday life and to foster
a sense of community. As our gift to
the state in honor of the ASLA centennial,
the Connecticut chapter looks
forward to helping Old North Cemetery
once again play a significant
role in the cultural life of Hartford and
the state.
10

Centennial Medallions, cont’d
Connecticut Department of Transportation
in design and maintenance standards
and practices.
■ HARKNESS STATE PARK,
Waterford
Franklin Brett and George D.
Hall; Beatrix Jones Farrand,
landscape architects
Eolia, the summer home of Mr.
and Mrs. Edward Harkness on a
promontory southwest of New London,
was named after the island home of
King Aeolus, keeper of the winds.
This was a fitting name, for the wind
influenced the design of both the
house and garden. It is an excellent
example of “country palace” residential
design prevalent at the beginning
of this century.
Mid-Year Trustee’s Report
Landscape architects Brett
and Hall drew up plans for the
garden, which were architectural
and axial near the house but included
curved, irregularly-planted
shrub borders where the formal
garden met the wider landscape.
Central to their plan was a broad
grass terrace along the south side
of the house, providing a view to
Long Island Sound from the house
and the courtyard. Broad steps ran
from the courtyard down to the lawn.
The west garden formed a long rectangle
with the end nearest the water
curved in a semi-circle and a stone
pergola at the opposite end. Steps
and gentle terracing adapted the garden
to changes in grade.
When the Brett and Hall firm was
no longer available, the Harknesses
turned to Beatrix Farrand, one
of the original founders of
Harkness State Park, Waterford.
As ASLA marks its 100th year as a professional organization the words
that our national leaders echo are “excitement, opportunity,” and “a critical
time in the profession’s history.” (These words are often spoken in reference
to landscape architecture, and throughout my experience in the field it seems
that I’ve heard them constantly.) Yet despite the familiar tone, they seem to
ring true more than ever now, even in Connecticut. Our region is full of new
projects and initiatives at all scales — urban, suburban and rural — that
promise to advance our profession’s stature into the next century. Why, just
next door in Rhode Island, Landscape Architect Bob Weygand is running for
U.S. Senate.
As we savor the present, please remember that ASLA started out 100 years
ago as a small group of volunteers with a passion for the profession. That
spirit of volunteerism and participation is what sustains us still. Celebrate it.
WHITNEY A. TALCOTT
the ASLA. Although she accepted the
formal layout of Brett and Hall’s West
Garden, Farrand incorporated a sinuous
planting style in which groupings
of plants flow into one another seamlessly.
Another important difference
was in Farrand’s more subtle use of
color.
Upon the death of Mrs. Harkness
in 1950, the entire property was left
to the state of Connecticut. The house,
grounds, greenhouses, and gardens
deteriorated for several decades before
a restoration movement gained
momentum in the 1990s. Renovations
are intended to restore the mansion
and grounds to their condition in the
early 1930s.
The artistry of the original designs
is still evident in the Harkness gardens,
especially since their restoration. The
subtle gradations of texture; carefully
designed contrasts between light and
dark; the thoughtful planning of space,
distances, and progression through the
garden; the fragrances and color successions
— all these principles guiding
the landscape architects are evident in
the Harkness gardens. Their tranquillity
and composition are a pleasure to
experience again and again.
The gardens and park are now
open year round and are a popular
spot for picnics and family gatherings.
Additionally, the mansion is available
to the public for private functions, including
weddings, meetings, and
seminars. The Summer Music Series
attracts artists from around the world
each year to perform in the open air
within view of Long Island Sound.
11

CTASLA Design Awards, cont’d
and in 1992 established Johnson Land
Design. He has served as president of
CTASLA and as vice president of ASLA,
and in 1971 founded The Connecticut
Landscape Architect with Richard Dee.
Recently Johnson has assisted the
chapter in its efforts to increase public
awareness of Old North Cemetery in
Hartford.
Merit Award: Selbert Design Associates,
Fairfield
Project: Branford Town Center
Revitalization
This project dealt with the physical
revitalization of a decaying town center
and the resolution of numerous
circulation and parking problems
(illus. 11). Selbert Design Associates
served as consultant to the Town Center
Revitalization Committee and the
Town Center Revitalization Review
Board, developing a master plan for
the future growth of the town center
BRANFORD TOWN CENTER
REVITALIZATION: Illus. 11
(near right): “Before” view of
Branford streetscape. Illus.
12 (above): Master Plan for
Branford Town Center
Revitalization. Illus. 13 (far
right): Improved streetscape.
(illus. 12). As described in the project
statement, “the goal was to eventually
transform the Center into an active
and commercially viable district that
would integrate commerce, housing,
offices, vehicular and pedestrian circulation,
parking, and open space.”
The first phase involved rectifying
traffic, parking, and safety problems.
Local property owners contributed
vacant land behind the Main Street
commercial buildings for a new municipal
parking lot, and existing parking
areas were reorganized. A “comprehensive
streetscape system” was
designed, which utilized distinct and
consistent materials, colors, paving
materials, furnishings, plantings, and
signage. Landscaped plazas and sitting
areas were included, and utility
lines were relocated underground. The
constructed Phase I site improvements
include concrete paver sidewalks,
handicapped ramps and roadway
crosswalks with colorful paving patterns,
new granite curbs
and bollards, and
woody plantings providing
year-round interest
(illus. 13). As described
in the statement, “Today,
the Town Center is a
vibrant, thriving, and
lively district and tourist
destination…in a safe,
comfortable, appealing, and visually
unified setting.”
Arthur Selbert has a BS in landscape
architecture from the Rhode
Island School of Design and an MLA
from the University of Pennsylvania.
His main office is in Fairfield, with an
adjunct office in Cambridge, Mass.
Selbert Design Associates does primarily
municipal projects; the firm won a
CTASLA merit award in 1997 for
Roodner Court Public Housing, in
South Norwalk.
Corporate/Industrial
Merit Award: Diversified Technology
Consultants, North Haven
Project: Groton Plant Master Plan
Implementation
The project statement submitted by
DTC chronicles the history of this site,
owned by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, as
well as the 10 years of work by the
design team in renovating the plant
and in planning for the future.
The infrastructure dates to World
War I, when a Victory shipyard for
concrete-hulled Liberty Ships occupied
the site. Between the wars it was a fish
processing plant, and in World War II,
it was used by the U.S. Navy for a
submarine yard. In 1946 the plant
was purchased by Pfizer, which converted
the site to production of proprietary
chemicals and food additives.
Although the plant grew steadily,
the aging infrastructure was becoming
progressively less adequate for modern
manufacturing. Meanwhile, Pfizer
had shifted focus from chemicals to
pharmaceuticals, which required a
more exacting manufacturing process.
Rather than abandon the site in
favor of “offshore greenfield facilities”
(open areas of noncontaminated land
earmarked for future development),
Pfizer opted to reconstruct the existing
facilities. To accomplish this feat, they
hired Centerbrook Architects and DTC
(for civil engineering and landscape
architecture). Thomas R. Tavella,
group manager of landscape architec-
12

GROTON PLANT MASTER
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION:
Illus. 14 (near left): Site
plan of Groton industrial
plant/campus as proposed for
the year 2004. Illus. 15 (far
left): Streetscape details.
Illus. 16 (bottom): Bold
plantings complement the site
plan and architecture.
Photos © Jeff Goldberg/Esto
ture and planning at DTC, was project
manager and the landscape architect
of record.
The team’s plan calls for a 12-
year, phased urban design strategy
that acknowledges the site’s role in a
populous urban district (illus. 14). By
treating the site as an urban design
problem (as opposed to an industrial
complex), the design team was able to
improve physical connections between
the plant and the city, improve safety
for residential neighbors, enhance the
plant’s appearance both from outside
and inside its boundaries, and ease
circulation problems throughout. The
resulting plan organized the plant in
terms of an urban grid, complete with
streetscape details like shade trees and
attractive lamps (illus. 15); reduced
the density of structures by two-thirds;
and removed much existing pavement
in favor of lawn and other landscaped
areas. Views were opened through the
site to the water, and landscape buffers
were established between residential
neighbors and the plant. Whereas the
old plant consisted of a patchwork
quilt of buildings in different colors and
materials, the new plant is unified by
consistent colors (warm beige for rectilinear
buildings and white for circular
structures) and materials, as well as a
simple, bold planting plan (illus. 16).
Diversified Technology
Consultants
was established
about 20 years ago
by Dr. Murali Atluru,
P.E. Besides the
firm’s headquarters
in North Haven,
branch offices exist
in Virginia Beach and Salt Lake City,
with a combined staff of approximately
110. Services offered by DTC
include planning, engineering, surveying,
landscape architecture, and construction
management.
■ Category II: Landscape
Planning and Analysis
Merit Award: Peter Miniutti, Storrs
Project: Preston City – Village in Crisis
13
Preston City is a village within the
town of Preston in rural southeastern
Connecticut. In recent years vehicular
traffic has increased substantially
due to the presence of Mohegan
and Foxwoods casinos nearby, and
a town subcommittee, assisted by
the town planner (Joseph
Lombardo), retained Miniutti to
develop strategies for managing
growth. A major program element
was a pedestrian-oriented
retail area in the village, but
Miniutti suggested that they
also consider the creation of
greenways in order to guarantee
the preservation of open
space.
The process was twofold: first,
analysis, to identify natural and cultural
resources; and, second, recommendations
as to how to preserve and
expand these resources, conveyed by
illustrative examples. According to the
project statement, these materials will
be used in revising the town’s Plan of
Development and to reformulate zoning
regulations.
The analysis booklet is comprised
of a series of color maps showing traffic
patterns, current land use, historic
structures, water resources, soil types,
existing and proposed open space
(illus. 17), and proposed zones for
development or preservation.
The design booklet contains several
kinds of drawings to illustrate proposed
improvements. Diagrams with
notes explain major concepts, and
vignettes show existing and proposed
views (illus. 18). Cross-sections show
Illus. 17: Open
space plan for
Preston City study.
(continued next page)

Illus. 18: Existing conditions and proposed treatment for Preston City streetscape.
proposed streetscapes with dimensioned
setbacks, walkways, planting
strips, and roads; and plans and isometric
drawings exhibit the effect of
proposed zoning regulations (illus. 19).
■ Category III: Landscape
Architectural Communications
Merit Award: Johnson Land Design,
Collinsville
Project: Design Guidelines for the
Town of Litchfield
The town of Litchfield is located in
northwestern Connecticut, in an area
known as the Litchfield Hills. Although
Litchfield boasts mature trees, attractive
open areas, and historic architecture,
its commercial districts were developed
without heed to the style of
older town areas.
The project statement describes
how Johnson helped determine the
job’s scope: “As the project developed,
the landscape architect felt that
the Guidelines should be more than
just specific suggestions for specific
problems; they should set greater
goals by trying to preserve the overall
feeling that is uniquely Litchfield.” In
addition, Johnson determined that the
guidelines should not only address
private property but also should apply
to the extensive municipal and state
properties within the town boundaries.
Both of these conclusions were agreed
to by the advisory committee.
Examples of improvements recommended
by Johnson for the commercial
zones are: planting more shade
trees; avoiding the orientation of buildings
away from the street; downsizing
signage; and screening parking lots.
He also recommends avoiding flatroofed
buildings, as they are inconsistent
with the historic styles in the town
center, and moving parking areas to
the rear or side of buildings rather
than allowing them in front. If they
must remain in front, he suggests lowering
their grade in relation to the
road. Relocating utility lines underground
is also recommended.
For residential lots, Johnson advises
avoiding shrubbery to screen
front yards, as the historic precedent
in Litchfield and
Bantam involves
a simpler planting
of lawn and
shade trees. To
help convey different textures
of various shade trees, Johnson
provides simple line drawings
(illus. 20).
Discussing architectural
guidelines, Johnson writes, “The
guidelines are not intended to
encourage only buildings
which replicate a specific historical
style, but rather to encourage
buildings…that enrich
and complement the area’s character.”
He urges new development to be in
scale with older buildings and to make
renovations and additions conform
with original character. He also points
out what not to do: “Avoid, for example,
putting a roof line on the front
elevation only, adding dormers to a
low pitched roof, or having Palladian
windows on a Colonial façade.”
With respect to site components
such as benches, trash receptacles,
fences, etc., Johnson recommends traditional
detailing and materials (illus.
21). But he also suggests taking advantage
of new products or techniques
when they do not clash with the overall
feeling of historic Litchfield. He
suggests unifying the signage throughout;
yet, “The graphic guidelines
should not be so restrictive that there is
no room allowed for creativity or individualism.
At the same time, signs
which are inappropriate due to style,
size, color, quantity, etc., should be
controlled.”
DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE TOWN OF LITCHFIELD: Illus. 20 (right): Line drawings
convey the effect of various plantings. Illus. 21: Fencing detail.
14

CTASLA Chapter Awards
At its December holiday meeting each year, CTASLA recognizes not only its
Design Awards winners, but also those members whose outstanding volunteer
efforts sustain chapter programs and services.
The Yarwood Award is given each year to an individual who has unselfishly
given their time and dedication to the chapter. This year the Yarwood Award
went to Keith Simpson (top right, receiving his award from Tom Tavella) for
the many years he dedicated to the executive
board, including serving as President in
1992, and trustee, until 1997.
Karen Shopis (left) received a
service award for serving as vice
president for three years. Karen
coordinated many chapter meetings
and events, as well as the
first annual chapter golf outing.
Thomas Tavella (left) received a service award for his chapter presidency,
1997-1998. He has also administered the annual CTASLA
Design Awards program since its inception.
15

Thayer Chase
Donates Magazine
Collection to UConn
By Rob Clapper, President-Elect
A
t the 90th Birthday Jubilee for W.
Thayer Chase last spring, Chase
expressed his desire to find a home
for his collection of Landscape Architecture
magazines. (To have some appreciation
of his collection, the current
issue is Volume 89 and Thayer’s collection
starts at Volume 15.) Negotiations
were soon initiated with UConn
for the transfer, and the chapter executive
board voted to buy a locking
glass-front bookcase to contain the
collection.
In January the case was delivered
to the new Landscape Architecture
design lab. A plaque (now affixed
to the case) was presented by Chase
to John Alexopoulos, program director,
at the accreditation celebration in
March. Below is the plaque’s text:
CORNUCOPIA FEST ‘99
T
he University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
holds its fifth annual Cornucopia Fest on Sunday, September 26, from
10:00 am to 3:00 pm, on the green at the intersection of Route 195 and
North Eagleville Road in Storrs. Take a hayride…bring your ailing plants to be
diagnosed by the Plant Doctor…see Amy, the first cloned calf in the country…
take a guided wildlife walk in UConn’s own forest…ask the Vet why your pet
does that strange thing…see the tomato plants that went into space with John
Glenn…visit the LERIS lab and see how Connecticut looks from space…bring a
soil sample and get a free pH test…learn how to fertilize your lawn correctly…
see a police K-9 demonstration… visit a Virtual Classroom…talk to our faculty
and learn about our “Education With A View”…come to an auction to benefit
the College…come to the official opening of the new Dairy Bar for an ice
cream cone! Admission is FREE and EVERYONE is invited!
THIS COLLECTION OF LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINES WAS
DONATED BY W. THAYER CHASE IN
HONOR OF THE 1998 ACCREDITATION
OF THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
CONNECTICUT, STORRS.
CASE DONATED BY CTASLA.
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