Nestled atop the scenic bluffs overlooking the Hudson River, Untermyer Park and Gardens stand as a testament to the creativity of its designer, Samuel Untermyer. Through his passion and collaboration with a prominent architect, Untermyer’s estate would become the finest example of Persian horticulture and landscape design in the Western Hemisphere.
The historic gardens initially hosted the Greystone, a grand mansion built in 1865 by industrial hat manufacturer, John T. Waring. Despite Waring’s affection for the property, financial difficulties led him to sell the house and 33-acre parklands to Samuel J. Tilden in 1879. Tilden shared Waring’s love of horticulture and constructed 13 greenhouses on the property; growing various decorative plants, fruits, and vegetables. Samuel J. Tilden cared for and enjoyed the property until his passing on August 4, 1886.
Untermyer Paves Way to Grandeur
In 1899, Untermyer purchased Greystone and its surrounding estate. The lawyer and civic leader ushered in a new era of the gardens, bringing fresh eyes and a modern flair. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia before the U.S. Civil War, he relocated to New York City to attend Columbia University and the City College of New York. After achieving his degree in 1878, Untermyer began practicing as a corporate lawyer and advocating for Progressive Era reforms.
As his career transitioned into politics and philanthropy, Untermyer’s focus shifted toward his estate and developing the parklands into a display of his horticultural expertise. Untermyer had a fascination with plants, a passion instilled in him from an early age by his mother.
Samuel Untermyer was also rather competitive. As such, he wanted a formal garden that would rival and surpass the grounds of other members of New York’s wealthy society, including John D. Rockefeller. As his fortune grew, Untermyer expanded his estate, with the greatest expansion occurring in 1916 when it reached 150 acres.
Bosworth’s Bold Design
That same year, Untermyer appointed William Welles Bosworth to oversee his elaborate garden project. Trained in the Beaux-Arts style and revered for his talent in traditional landscape architecture, Bosworth envisioned a bold design with ancient Greek and Indo-Persian influences. Focused on blending the opulence of classical structures with the natural beauty of Yonkers, he was initially unsure of how to incorporate Untermyer’s need for multiple greenhouses into the garden’s overall design.
The greenhouses were ultimately designed to act as a gateway into the other areas of the estate. They would then lead to a cohesive arrangement of gardens that honored the natural surroundings. At that time, the Untermyer Gardens were made up of six main sections.
- The Temple of Love
- The Rose Garden
- The Vegetable Gardens
- The Vista
- The Color Gardens
- The Walled Gardens
Spanning three acres, the Walled Garden featured battlement walls, octagonal towers, and ivory-colored stucco. Its front entrance was guarded by a relief sculpture of Artemis, the Greek goddess of nature and hunting.
National Acclaim and Financial Strain
Through Bosworth’s attention to detail and creative use of natural landscape features, the gardens evoked a sense of wonder and transcendent beauty. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Untermyer Gardens were recognized nationally for horticultural excellence and the public was welcomed to enjoy the splendid scenery. With sixty greenhouses, the site attracted thousands of visitors weekly and served as a training center for apprentice gardeners. It also attracted artists and entertainers, including Isadora Duncan, who performed her modern dances barefoot on the mosaic floor of the garden’s Temple of the Sky colonnade.
When Untermyer died in 1940, his estate attempted to bequeath the gardens to the United States, New York state, and Yonkers, but each one refused due to the staggering costs to tend and maintain the gardens. Without funds to upkeep the grounds, the garden faced potential closure until efforts from conservationists and civic leaders led to the preservation of 16 acres of land which was gifted to the City of Yonkers in 1946. In 1974, the Untermyer Park and Gardens was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. By 1990, an additional 27 acres of the original estate were purchased, to create 43 acres of parklands.
Today, the Untermyer Park and Gardens is a free public park in Yonkers. Under the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy established by Stephen F. Byrns in 2011, efforts are underway to restore the gardens and structures to their original glory, creating a tranquil escape for future generations of locals and visitors to enjoy.
