Garden History and Design
Ruth Swetland Eppig
The Fine Arts Garden was opened and dedicated on July 3, 1928 celebrating all of the planning, philanthropy, plantings and sculpture. This was the culmination of the efforts of the Garden Club of Cleveland to create a fitting park in front of the new neoclassical façade of the Cleveland Museum of Art on property that had been donated by Jeptha Wade- now called Wade Park.
Jeptha’s granddaughter, Ellen Wade Chinn (Wadie), lived in her later years at the top of Wade Park Manor and could view the Garden every day from her apartment’s windows. She would also regularly walk down to the Garden to follow the paths around the lagoon, noting areas that needed work such as watering, replanting or trimming. All gardens need constant upkeep or quickly succumb to entropy. This work was my job as Chairman of the Fine Arts Garden Commission, a position I held in the 1990-2000s. The Commission was dedicated to the ongoing maintenance and restoration of the Garden and funded by a modest endowment held at the CMA. The land remains the property of the City of Cleveland. Wadie’s first call to me went this way: “Ruth, something should be done about the goose droppings on the Garden’s paths.” Our lagoon had been invaded by Canada Geese summer and winter as had every other lake in our region. This call began a long relationship as I immediately asked her to join our Fine Arts Garden Commission Advisory Board to make sure we remained accountable for her family’s gifts.
Previously, in 1977, Knight and Stolar Landscape Architects were commissioned to update the original Olmsted Brothers plan to help direct the maintenance of the Garden 50 years later. This plan gave direction for pruning heights, elimination of weak plants and releveling of pavers. The plan now included the parking areas in front of the new additions designed by Van Dyke and then Marcel Breuer. Knight and Stolar is a direct descendant of Olmsted training and influence here in Cleveland.
It is important to note that Charles L. Knight, Judith Knight McMillan’s father, was raised and trained in Boston, MA. After graduating from Harvard School of Design and marrying Rusty, he was recruited to Cleveland, OH by A.D. Taylor who had trained in the Olmsted firm himself. The influence of Olmsted landscape ideals in the Midwest is no coincidence. I will talk about some of Taylor’s gardens in Cleveland in other articles, but want to point out that one of AD Taylor’s commissions was for Lakeview Cemetery in the middle of the depression. “Pete” Knight designed the wrought iron gates with Rose Iron Works for the cemetery design. He became a principle in his own firm of Knight and Stolar which is still in existence today. He also designed the wrought iron gates at the Daisy Hill residence of David and Mary Ann Swetland, my parents.
Ruth and David Swetland on the iron gates
In 2000, 75 years after the Garden opening, a number of events coincided to create a need for major restoration of the lagoon paths, terraces and plantings. The park had been enjoyed by all visitors to the Wade Park area and formed the archetypal view of the CMA across the lagoon. As I mentioned in my previous article, the Fine Arts Garden is the most recognizable and important landscape in University Circle because of its location, layout, design and beauty of the spring blooming flowering trees. But over the years serious infrastructure problems were recognized: plantings had morphed as death and replacements had changed the original plan. The landscape crew from the City had long abandoned care for the garden whose personnel had been moved to the City golf courses. The Museum landscape crew took up the slack but lacked the necessary skills and the funds for major restoration. The sandstone pavers for the paths had been cracked by police cars cruising the interior of the garden. UCI police requested that the under plantings be removed so that there were sight lines into the garden to reduce crime. The north steps and terrace were slumping on their gravel foundation. The south steps and spindles were disintegrating, and the stone facing of the Museum terraces themselves were coming loose.
I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Beveridge, author and Series Editor of the Frederick Law Olmsted Papers, when he came to Cleveland to lecture. He loved our garden and sent me a copy of the original Fine Arts Garden Plans from his archives.
I had been approaching Holden Parks Trust, then chaired by Eliot Paine ( Linda Paine’s husband), for funds and guidance. Eliot suggested that he would support a new master plan by Behnke and Associates for the Fine Arts Garden. Benke Landscape Architects created that plan under the direction of the Fine Arts Garden Commission where I served as Chairman. This execution of the plan became a $3.5 million plan carried out in 3 phases and was funded in great part by the Second Foundation, individual contributors and the Holden Parks Trust. I was quoted in the UCI Summer 2001 newsletter as saying, ”Our goal is to restore the true spirit of the original Olmsted Brothers’ design, while addressing the modern security, accessibility and maintenance needs of the garden. We hope the Fine Arts Garden will be inviting, attractive and accessible to all.”
Behnke’s plan stated the improvement strategies as follows: Make it vital, improve security, improve aesthetic quality, and restore infrastructure.
At the same time the Museum was engaged in a $12.4 million plan to restore the 1916 building facade which allowed us to partner with the restoration architects of the Museum. Utilizing the expertise already on site for the museum’s work, they assisted us in the rebuilding and repairing of the garden’s stone steps and balustrades. Properly graded paths for wheelchair and stroller access were laid. New plantings and repairs of the irrigation system were accomplished. The terrace, balustrades and steps at the south end of the garden were almost exclusively repaired by Kotecki Family Memorials. Much to the chagrin of his son currently running the company, the elder Mr. Kotecki took his best craftsmen to work on the restoration, donating much of his time and expense. I had huge admiration for his commitment. The final phase of that plan was the design and implementation of the Sexton lighting plan. Lighting was essential for encouraging increased use by students at night crossing to the West Quad. Cleveland Public Power generously donated poles and lumieres, installed two transformers, pulled electric cable and sent unmetered power to the poles.
Concurrently the Sculpture Center raised funds and restored all of the sculpture in the Fine Arts Garden.
This work was a critical project for the community, directly affecting CMA, CWRU and Severance Hall. It became the hub for the Rockefeller Park project and restoration. It was our generation’s turn to regenerate the work of past philanthropists. Seventy-five years of history and community attachment to their park created the catalyst.