To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary the PPH Museum will host programs that center the experiences of five people who labored at the Forty Acres farmstead, and all of whose stories embody the complex relations between American Independence and servitude. One tells of John Morison, a British prisoner of war, skilled ornamental gardener and one of the 267 soldiers in the 71st regiment of Highlanders captured in Boston Harbor in 1776. After his capture, he was indentured at Forty Acres. Morison made the decision to remain working at Forty Acres for the rest of his life. There he created an ornamental English-style garden to supplement Elizabeth Phelps’s kitchen garden. This historic and unique garden was documented in contemporaneous letters and diaries, and maintained through the 1950s, when it was the subject of a celebratory four page spread in Better Homes and Gardens.
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum is now seeking corporate support to restore the North Garden.
The remains of the Garden comprise a 1 acre plot to the north of the historic house, bounded by mature ash, dogwood, Porter apples trees, and a majestic butternut. To the west it overlooks the Foundation’s farmland which borders the Connecticut river. To the east, it is protected from the road by a stand of old black locust trees and a fern swale. During the period of interpretation, 1770-1817, the Garden was divided into quadrants by a cruciform path with a central rose bed. The quadrant beds were used for a variety of plants: flowers, fruits and vegetables. At the north end of the garden lives a butternut tree dating to the mid or late 18th century, likely an original occupant of John Morison’s garden design. As part of the 250th commemorations, PPH intends to restore this garden, and place a commemorative bench and plaque dedicated to John Morison in the north arbor. The PPH Foundation has received significant support for this project in planning grants from the NEH and IMLS. We are now fundraising to implement these plans, in the amount of $25,000. The Museum has already established an endowed garden fund that, while not sufficient to restore the garden, will support its maintenance.The restoration of the Garden is rooted in detailed historic research. Landscape Architect Peter Wells, serves on the PPH Board and has committed to serving as an expert consultant for this project. Landscape Designer Marta McDowell, who has advised on garden design for the Emily Dickinson Museum and at the New York Botanical Gardens, is an NEH funded consultant on this project. The garden design will attend not only to historical accuracy, but also to climate resilience and garden maintenance. Non-fruiting and native plantings will be prioritized over higher maintenance options to ensure the longevity and accessibility of the garden.
The Museum recently completed implementation of a pollinator plan funded by the USDA, that has rid the site of invasive species. Site preparation began Sept 2024. Garden design work will continue through March 2025. Seasonally appropriate phased garden plantings are planned for April 2025 – May 2026. Once the restoration is complete, the Garden will provide local audiences and visiting tourists a free, accessible, outdoor space for picnics, contemplation, community gatherings and improved access to 15 m of nature trails. The Garden will be open to the public year round, dawn to dusk. It will also be used as a location for future PPH programming, and is expected to substantially increase the museum’s capacity to host large audiences. Corporate support for this project will allow PPH to make significant contributions to Massachusetts Rev250 programming. Sponsors will engage diverse audiences with little-known aspects of the nation’s founding, and the restoration of the North Garden will produce an attraction that will bloom and grow for years to come.
