The Bald Cypress Allée

When the majority of the garden was completed in the years after 1916, Marian Coffin went back to the drawing board for a final, large-scale extension to the south side of the garden. While the flagstone, evergreen, pool and flower terraces all stood parallel to the mansion’s front, the Bald Cypress Allée was nestled in a more secluded area that was once only lawn. 

The Bald Cypress Allée is made up of twelve evenly spaced Bald Cypress trees, six on each side, lining the walk down to the Tea House. Coffin’s design originally capped the cypresses at fifteen feet to achieve a formal appearance, however over the years they have grown much higher, giving the allée a more private, enclosed feel.

Installed with the original construction of the Bald Cypress Allée, the four season statues line the walk and transform the allée into a passage of time. Depicting four women, each of the statues represent one of the four seasons. With an armful of rose blossoms, Spring greets new life and faces her neigbor, Summer, who carries a bunch of grapes. Fall carries braids of wheat in her arms, the bounty of the harvest, and Winter holds the warmth of flame in her hand.

The statues were ordered by the Sharp family in 1928 from A. Olivotti & Co., an arts and antiques dealer with shops in New York, Florence, and Venice. They likely originated in Padova, Italy, about twenty miles southeast of Venice. According to Marian Coffin, there they once graced a “pleasure house” on the Brenta river.

More information and photos to come!

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is famous for producing woody “knees,” particularly in wet or periodically flooded soils. Marian Coffin planted these trees at the bottom of the slope, where water naturally drains from the lawn above, providing the moisture this species prefers.

This area was historically—and is ideally—maintained as turf. Today, however, the enormous tree canopy creates much deeper shade, while the extensive roots and knees make establishing and maintaining healthy lawn difficult. The knees can also be a tripping hazard, but we avoid cutting them to protect these historic trees. With limited resources, restoring the turf is not currently a priority, although it may be reconsidered as the garden continues to evolve.