Gardens Near and Far episode 9 – Dumbarton Oaks was designed in the 1920s by Beatrix Farrand, who pioneered landscape gardening in the USA. It comprises four hectares of gardens and eleven hectares of grounds and woodland, set in a wealthy neighbourhood on the heights of Washington DC.
The estate was purchased in 1920 by the diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred. The Blisses wanted to create a haven of green in the heart of the city. The hillside gardens are laid out in terraces, following the lie of the land. In the 1940s, Ruth Havey, one of Beatrix Farrand’s pupils, redesigned parts of the gardens, giving them a more baroque feel. The gardens now belong to Harvard University and are open to the public.
Gardens Near and Far episode 9 – Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection supports research and learning internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships and internships, meetings, and exhibitions. Located in residential Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks welcomes researchers at all career stages who come to study its books, objects, images, and documents.
It opens its doors to the public to visit its historic garden, designed by Beatrix Farrand; its museum, with world-class collections of art; and its Music Room, for lectures and concerts. The institute disseminates knowledge through its publications and online resources. Innovative programming has introduced students of all ages to the museum, garden, and collections.
Dumbarton Oaks is a Harvard University research institute, library, museum, and garden located in Washington, DC. The institution is the legacy of Robert and Mildred Bliss, collectors of art and patrons of learning in the humanities. The museum houses world-class collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, two areas of interest to the Blisses.
A third revolves around the historic garden, which Mildred Bliss created in close collaboration with renowned landscape designer Beatrix Farrand. Since 1940, when the Blisses gifted the estate and collections to Harvard University, Dumbarton Oaks has supported research in Byzantine Studies. Later it embraced Pre-Columbian and Garden and Landscape Studies. The support takes the form of fellowships and other awards, scholarly conferences, publications, and digital initiatives. In recent years, Dumbarton Oaks has also developed educational programs focusing on its collections and garden.
