arthur a. shurcliff

8/6/2019 Arthur a. Shurcliff

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ElizabethHopeCushng

The Wok of"Our wn

Hands:The Evolution of the rthur A. Surcliffs'

ummer Residence at Ipswich

No other residence the landscape architect and his family better exressed the

uni 'Jtness" and beauy in handmade objects so central to the Shurcl

l-and to the Arts and Cras movement.

s o surprsg ha whe he

Egsh Ars ad Crafs move

me leap he Alaic laded

rs i Boso, Massachuses

Preesig rados of respec

109 handcrafted objects, preserving theehods usedoproduce hem, and safeardnghe hsorica pas n whch heyourished made ths major NewEnglandeopolis a naural soppingplace. Suchtedences were renforced by weltravled Bosonians' kowledge of hasmalbunense, Engshani-ndusralplafor areurn o hepurtyofmedieva

design, Customs, and handcras-first.tlaedbyar crc John Ruskn andatr and even more pevasvely by

William Morrs ad his coaboraig

ariss, archiecs, ad wers Prome

Boso aive Chares Eio Noro spe

ime wh Rusk abroad hey coued

each oher as feog freds I was

Noro who was srumea i brigghe arisc ees of he Egsh Ars ad

Crafs moveme across he sea o Boso

whe he reured 1873 o assume hs

pos as he rs professor of e ars a

Harvard Uiversiy1

I par he growg Bosoia ad

aioa eres presevig he hsor

ca pas was a xeophobc respose o hemassve mmgrao egg e

midieeeh ceu ad brgg

housads of Europea workers o meeT ----- lme New gd Ft 2 Pg


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the relentle emn fr inutrl lbr

in the Unite Stte It the rt time

ince the ipcement n ecimtin f

the ntive pputin tht ecennt f

the erliet hite ettler fce uch

rpi inux f pepe rmticly ier

ent frm themelve

At thi rnitinl pint in the cu

turl life f the cuntry Americn pric

urly Ne Engner felt keeny the

ping f n eentilly rurl gricuturl

ntin in it helng ruh tr inu

triliztin Tht trnfrmtin brught

ith it urbn cring reult f

immigrtin n ppultin hift n the

beginnig f rmtic reuctin f rur

lncpe citie creene ut f cn

tr n pre cr the ln It

ntur tht n ethetic mvement her

kening bck t impler n tenibly

purer time u ppe t pepe th

n cute ene tht ife they h knn

it lipping The cmbintin f

reching ntlgicly fr n ieize pt

n glriing the hnme ie f e

cmpicte y intertwine n min

gle in the Ne Engln verin f the

t n Crft mvement interce it

th eement f the ceting cuturl impertive the cnil revivl

Art n Crft tk rm h n

the Americn cntinent t the en f the

nineteenth century beginning ith it

rt exhibitin in 897 t Cpley Hll in

Btn n reinfrce by the etbih

ment tht me yer f the Scie f A

n Crft Btn The ciety ught tprmte rtitic rk in l brnche f

hnicrft" ccring t it rt prei

ent Chrle Eit Nrtn n the mem

berhip incue pinter ne neele

crfter jeelry mker bkbiner

tine gl mker ilvermith ptter

metlrker crer n fui

ture mker

ng the rn t the phi

phy f the At n Crft mvement

Btnin Arthur A Shurcliff (870-

1957; g 1). B Arhur Ahe Shurle

(he chnge hi nme in 1930 in rer he

rte t cnfm t the ncient peing

f the fmily nme t 9 et Cer

Street he the n f lving n

evte prent Srh Ann Keegn

Shule n Ahe Miltn Shurtef n

inventr n mnufcturer fne urgicl

intrument The Shurteff hme

le th literture rt n muic; ech

f the ve chiren encurge t

purue cultivte ife incuing pr

fun repect fr hitr bth fmii

n ntin Ahel Shurteff tught l

the chiren rking in the furh

r rkhp f the fmily hme k

hi n Athur hne fr the ret f hi

life Vriu kin f hnrk ere f

tere the pring being encurge t

fbricte fr themeve mny f their

ily nee pibleAbve ll, hever the Shurte

intile eep n biing ectin fr

the ntur r in their chilen They

pent ummer in rur cmmunitie ur

runing Btn incluing eleey

n enuringy fr Athur Shurcli

very (n Belmnt here they rent

e the l Rie frm ite f thevery Ok (g 2) hee brign

tree me fmu rt in the pety

Jme Rue Lel ter becme ne

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- ,.].;I t/,. e.+ .:

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Fig 2. A sketch the Wverly Oaks by Ahur Shurclfin the autumn 1890, when he was

twenty years old. Private collection

landscape architect and land preservation

st Charles Eiot's rst successful attempts

to presee land for his newy forme

Metropolitan Panning Commission

(89), a governmenta orgnization he

augmented in 1893 by creating the private

Trustees of ubc Reservations he sitebecame so signicant to Shurcli that

hroughout his ife he mae annua pil

grimages to it incuing a trip during

which he proposed to his future ife in

the lower branches of one of the oaks.

Shurc grew up spending every

unscheduled moment exploring the vast

countrysie surrounding Bostons urban

ore on foot an by bicyce He canoed

d kayake on the harles ver in eses he esignedan constructehimself

camping a he moved aong the ver

verywhere he went he carried a sketch

book and paints to record his observations

and the mutitude of thngs that caught his

interest as he went along nothr lifelong

habit His affection for and spiritua con

nection to the naural world were deep

roote and intense; from eary days he waskeeny aware o the rapid dee of he

rura landscapes and farmscapes that

encirced the ciy

Because the gfted and inventive

youth was preordained to enter the famiy

business of Coman and Shurte after

graduating from Engish High School in

1889 Shurclff enrolle in a ve-year

course in mechanica engneerng at te

Massacuss Insttute o Tecnoog y

894 however his min had changed

quite radicaly "Heavens! the tweny

Od Ti N E V P 45


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fouyeaod woe hs joua afe

sg he ms a Lawece, assachu

sets, wh hs cass "m a mechaca

egee? m o do such awfu wok?

How abou he ees? How abou he sk?

hae fogotte hem a (g 3)

sead he bcyced sagh o he

Omsed oces Booke, assachu

sets; ude he gudace of hs ewy

adoped meo, Chaes Eo, Shuc

eeuay spe to moe yeas a Ha

ad Uest He appeced hmsef

mmedaey a he Omsed, Omsed ad

Eo m ode ea a aspecs of

he pofesso befoe he se up hs ow

pacce 1904 Dug hs tag

hee he aded Fedeck Law Omsed J

seg up he s fouyea adscape

achecue schoo he couy a

Haad Ues, whee he augh u

he demads of hs wok foced hm oesg 1906.h he spa of hs og

ad poduce caee he seed as cosu

a o he Sae Hghway Commsso

he eopoa Dsc Commsso,

ad he Boso Paks Depame ad

maaed a seady pacce of ow

pag fo Boso ad moe ha

tesx of he suoudg commues He heped se ad desg paed

commues ad woked o hudeds of

pae esaes

928 Shucff was chose Chef

Ladscape chec fo Joh D Rocke

fee J's esoao of he sma own of

amsbug, Vga, ad emaed

ha capac u 194 hs seesyea was he ages sge commsso

of hs poc caee; he was poud of hs

assocao wh Cooa Wamsbug

ad of he myad foms of adscape

desg he dd hee The sks equed of

hm dew o boh hs pofessoa back

goud egeeg ad adscape

achecue ad hs aocaoa ees

meca hso, hadcaf ad he a

shg way of fe he had own ad

obseed fo yeas was he pefec sy

hess of hs sks ad eess

Log befoe he bega hs wok a

amsbug, whe s wokg fo he

Omsed bohes, Shuc fe he eed

fo a ua eea h hs 1905 maage

o agae Home Nchos of Boso

ad Cosh, New Hampshe, ad he

aa of he s chd 1906 ha

mpuse ook o a moe uge qua

(g 4) "Naua agae Shuc

woe ae he memos, a adscape

achec equed a summe home he

cou wh commug dsace fomBoso d so poed o be

happeed ha agae Shuc

a ousadg ache ad cack es

paye, was he pefec pae wh whom

Shuc mgh embak upo such a ms

so Besdes he deep commme o

poca ad soca coces, she was a

feog deoee of woodwokg Lkehe husbad, s Shuc fe a kee

dese o pode a heahy ad uug

amosphee fo he househo, whch

eeuay sweed o sx chde, mads, a

cook ad a hadyma e he egage

me he o mmedaey bega pag

fo ad deamg of a cou eea

They edeaoed, Shucff woe hs oua, o "d some spo of ad ou o

ow ad pu up (agey wh ou own

hads) a e house upo 6

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Fig. 3. An ardent amateur photographe Shurclposedfr a seportrait in his bedroom at 9Wt

Cedar Street Like many MI scholars the time, he waa day student. Private collection


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Fig. Margaret Homer ichols Shurcla tennis champion (bre a heart ailment Jrced her toretire) and an avid arche plies her bow in thi 4potrait. Private collection

P 8 FlVit -i w ad


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He sarted hs search west of Bostonin the towns of Sudbur Weston, andConcord, the last a favorite destinatonbecause of the fact that his Transcendental

heroes, Emerson and Thoreau, lved anddied there. It s clear, however, that nothin sruck hs fanc for he wrote wstfuy to his wife, "ow I do lon for a pace n the coutry near Boston for you and meand our dear itte boy.7

The countr had aways been com pellin for Shurcif not only because of the exensve ramblins of hs youth but because the Shurteff famiy spent a por tion of every autumn in the hiteMountains of New ampshre ter avst to the shore south of Boston in 1890he ended hs journal entry with anephatic "G M CUNRY N PLC

F T S SH."

n smaler etters, however, he appended: "But I would like someof the shore sandwched n By the nextear the balance had distncty reverseditsel "hat s it that a mountain lacks,

and the sea possesses, I have not dscovered, he wrote from the mountans ofew ampshre, "but whatever t is, it s

somethin that means a ood dea I amtired of the ake, because it is a palty imtation of the sea9 Later he added, "I think that the mountains simply expressandeur and strenth-n contrast to theexpression of inntude and etern n

the seaO

ne of the earlest projects ofShurc's prvate practice was the sitinad lan out of the ardens andwndindre a resdence apprmar

iles north of Boston at Ipswch, assausett, then a reativey undiscovered

town near the ocean The project wasundertaken in 1903 for one of the Shurleff famly doctors, Frances B arrnon,

the Harrntons havn joined the second

smal wave of seasona resdents, mosty Boston doctors and ther famlies, who built summer homes aon the upper endof a sparsey inhabited, rutted cay anecaled Arla Road The unpaved byway

was the soe land access route to the manicent beach and sand dunes of astleNeck, whch stretch aon the entlycurn shoreine of Ipswich. Unlike the

weathy, hihy structured "God oastsummer colonies on Boston's NorthShore, Ipswch residents resisted com

partmentalizin Accordn to NorthShore historian Joseph Garand, the

town "has aways been a place unto itse

rearded by hardly a sou, natve or other wise, as havin anythin to do with theNorth Shore. Frances Grimes, residentof the summer colony at ornish, NewHampshre, where araret Shurc's famiy ived, once wrote of its residents,"Unconventional they were, but also n a way formal, wth a chosen formality12

The same aura peaded the Ipswch communit, a sort of relaxaton within thecleary dened boundares of currentmores ne eary Arla Road resident,rs oseph L Goodae, described oin to a ades uncheon n nearby amitonsoon after her arrval on the street

"Durin a ul in the conversation one ofthe ladies asked he uests whether any of them knew anythin of a place caledIswch an m spcay t

kown as ra Road, inhabited byqueer peope whose chidren ow up

Ol


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barefoot and wear bloomers."'13

That characterizaton suited the

intrepid band who rst setted there just

ne It was a stawat lfe on rgia Road,

the clannish community choosing to cre

ate its on verson of what Garand caled

the simpe saltater fam lfe.4 There

was no electricty, gas or town water for

the early residents, and the general

Ipswich probem of mosquitoes and

midges was magned by the annual Juy/

August nvasion of virulent geenhead

ies whose favorte breeding grounds

were the vey marshes below the drumins

upon which the city fok had setted

hank God for the greenheads, one

resdent s quoted to have said, for their

unreenting presence kept the pace from

becomng popuar as a summer resot.

Among the inhabitants there was a

rich socal ife, checked only by the natur

a understanding among them of the dis

tinct counterbaancng merts of soltude

and privac In addition to numerous

sporting events, a-nclusive group activi

tes abounded most of them termnating

as Shurclff once wrote, in aughter and

ice cream16 %gia Road is a cub,

Shurcliffs son Wiam, wrote ater,

inspired by landscape, held together by

frendship and prosperng without

dues.7 The community paced large

emphass on creatng a wholesome and

joyu atmosphere for aduts to reenergie

themseves,but most importantly for chil

dren to gow and thrive in

During an early site vsit in 194

Dr. Harrington ponted across the

marshes (the entre area beng unfettered

by sightobstructng trees at that time) to a

competely bare dumn don the roa

and suggested that his andscape architect

mght wish to buy it and construct a su

mer home for hmsel Its caed Ski

Mlk Hil because ts such poor pasur

land; y ou could probaby buy it cheap

the doctor suggested8 Shurclhesitated

he was not married at that tme,and he

did not see the need for such a arge tract

of and. In addition the sxthousand

dolar price seemed too large for hs slen

der carefuy tended pocketbook

He contnued his quest westard of

the city, but the psch drumln lngere

in his mnd ter a vist to the Harring

tons n August of196 Shurclff ote hs

ife that Dr. Harngton stil wants us to

ocate at Ipsch and I got the feaver sic]

again, but on mature thought sti thn

that the fare, dsance (R, and dsancefrom the staton) is too great for poor fok

lke us However I do wish to gory we

had a place of our own9 His reserations

were subseuenty overcome fter

much deberation Margaret Shurcli

rote we decided .. that rgila Road,

Ipswich was the pace for .0 They

asked Shurcls friend from chidhood

Bll Robbns now a doctor n Boston, f

he woud care to purchase the propet

ontly and dvde it nto wo lots. Dr

Robbins and his wife readily ageed and

the next step was to separate the and nto

equa parces

Skim Milk Hi commanded a mag

ncent vew of the Ipswich marshes

perced only by the Caste Neck Rver

whch wound its way through the exen

sive wetands,and by a few smalrounded

isands punctuating the narrow estua

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ny one half of he popery, howeve, aoded a panorama of he manenCasle ek sand dunes appomaelyo miles disan; herefoe Shurliff

drew p a pan alown fo one plo oinde he norheasern haf of he hil

wih is speror vew and he oher on hesouhwesern hal wih more and(indin an enomos ravel pi a he

base of he hil aon ia Road) asompensaon fo he lak of visa A hirdsma pee fronn he road was se

asde as a haed A on was ossed, DRobbns won he noherly poion whis vew and he deeds were sined on hespo "Durin hs enie subsequen lfe,Shuiffs son, Sdney, aer wroe, "my

faher woud neve sae or even hn, aso wheher or no he o he sie he really

wanedRobbins phased he exra hayed fo his pare dd no have one andin hose days a owin family ofen keps own ow o provide mlk eah of hese osekn famies podued sx hden hree boys and hree rs of appromaey he same aes, feed for a

ow was no smal onsdeaion In subseen years Shrli no only bouh hahaed bu wen on o prhase severa ras of marshands and a smal isand in fron of hs house Uimaely he oedneay 16 ares of/and In 1935 he purhased a ra of upland and marsh nex o he Robbins pae wh his wo sons

resiin he deed "n suh a way ha noone, no even mysel an ever buid ahose or ohe srure on he and hso preven suh sruures from enroahin on he ovelness of he meadow and

sapes, he oene he oriinal po had been

subdivided Robbins souh he experiseof hei mua hildhood fiend he

Boson ahe Rober Belows whodesined a moded Swiss hae for heRobbnses haf of he hl he Shis,on he oher hand bean an advenue n bidin ha onined in van formshrouhou mos of he es of her lvesIn doin so hey fuled he ommimen hey had made he seond week of herenaemen when hey deided o "pu up(laely wih our own hands a ilehouse in he ounsde

he dweln hey onsrued wassed fain souheas n old ewEnand ehnique o oenrae hewamin ees of he sn bu adoped in

his ase o mamze he view of hemarshes he yeas passed he sue wen from a aw "shak sandin on a bare hop o an neraed par of heandsape, esn he hil ye nesed inos surrond and embodyn he famsead idea Shuri arried lose o hishea ( 5) ver he deades he house

and ronds wee in a onsan sae ofevolon as he Shlis made add

ons, added obuldns and enlosedae aeas for use as adens, ohards

and lans hey s surounded hesespaes ih wooden fenes and ae whshnleapped was of aia boulders

and sone whih served o un and har

monize he manmade and naa elemens of he ounds

Whin his haven he o wood workers and some family membersdesned aed and bu al he neo

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PLAN v.

/

.

I

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U

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IjL SUMrER

I VGL

_ _

g 5. lan shows he earlies confuraion he "shack a Iswich, a year afer he rojec wasbegun Dwing by Abail Cambell-King based on a lan drawn by Sarah Parsons Shurcl

Privae collecion Plan drawn by Sarah arson Shurcland ublished in Huse Beautfu Courey Huse Beautful

panelng funtue and accutements f the huse. In dng s they expessedthe cmmtment t the ts and aftsdea and dented n the daly ves"wth the patent begnnngs that ae the fundatn f expessve lfe as cntem pay sculpt Adeade Spu hasexpessed t3 Shucff had jned theScety f Ats and afts Bstn n 190

and thee yeas late explaned what ahandcafted atce meant t h n an

atce fHandicraf the ganzatns

mnthly junal n de t be wthy he wte the bect must cmbne a usefu pupse wth "a magca ppety fbngng t u mnds happly the pesn

alt f the [make]. When ths unn sacheved the atce s "n a cass th a vng gansm whch s beautfu t behd and whch s at the same tme stuc

tuay t t pusue a physcal estencehs st f pduct Shuclff cncludedcnsttutes "a ne f cnnectn whchhds us upn the ne hand t te wagn

and n the the t the sta4 Hee es the essence f ths unque summedwelng f althugh the Shucls ved

authentcaly wheeve they weethat

qualt manfested tsef st clealy nthe Ipswch envnent they ceatedagaet Shuclff eembeed that

hu and I dew endless pans f the

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sast an hapst hous w ft wou

b pata fo ou fai h sxby tntyfoufootwi stutu wassgn sh sai "aft th st of

shas in th south25 topp by a ashing oof an shath n ounty pin

pan ns an ough on th xto ti wnt by ths aw boaing oatin ins oi an xpos to sun an

wath sha to a "ak sh aost

bak oo aong to aught SaahShuiin a 929 at sh wot about

th pa fo ouse Beautul Two bik hinys w nopoat n o toaooat th stovs us fo hatng an ooking th th ai of hnsight Inow az t wou hav bn uh hap in th ong un an w ou

hav bn o ofotab f w ha

nug in ag quats an btt uipnt at th stat agat Shu iff at ot In tpia fuga fashionhowv thy not s Shuff aboat upon th onozingkosn aps an ans s foightng an fo ooking thy us aon stov "whih oasionay bath

h thn n thik bak soot an was aways a ta Anoth onoy was ouhot wat suppy Ths onsst of a sao ap un a winsuat bo nv ha nough wat an t wasnv hot26

Th onnoy Boths ontaosfo naby Bvy as but th

igina stutu fo on thousan oas bgnnng ung th thaw of 908h th goun was soft nough to sth ont ps Shuiha ast n thasnt of th fays Boston ho In

th spng fo an xa on hun anfty oas onnoy Boths onstut a obinaton ow sh an

apnty shop. That su a itt

sn su hous appa ovooking th ashs (g 5)

Th was no gttng aoun thn fo a wat sou an on was soonisov at th bas of th h hissu was how to bng that suppy to th

top h hgh o aston nis us by nghbos w unsups

ngy anatha to Shuiff's asthtisnsbitis Donstatng phapswhat his wf a "his gna avsionto ong anyhing th onvntona way27Shuiff pu out an 896 skth h haawn of th ightnthntuy nion antukt an fashion a sa

niton fo hs own htop o tohun an ft oas onnoy Boths onstut hs ofashion vson athough th p notnu th th gas o th sais (g 6).Shuff st about akng th pattns fo th nt st of gang an vntuayovsaw its nstaation agat Shu

sw th anvas sas n hs autobogaphy Shuff stat with obvous satsfa tion that th suppi thi wat foov thty yas s Shuf whos otost oftn f to tning t ot sssanguny about th xpin "In thoy th was a gat suss It was pi tusqu an it pup wat nto ou

tank at th top of th hous Yt sha "o y pont of vw it sk o of a sponsbty than a of thhn up togth28

Baus th nti hi was vo of

di N gd FVt 2 Pg 53


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ig 6 e windmill deigned Arthur Shurclthe plans were drawn om an 86 sketch oftheeighteenth-centu mill on Nantucket Island Private collection

Pg 5 Fitr 000 d-i w gd


14/27

foliage the Shurcliffs embarked immedi

ately upon a tree-planting campaign. Over

the years many hundreds of trees were

planted all around the propert rst in an

eort to mask the hill from the streetbelow and then to create both a windbreak

and a setting for the house Specimen fruit

trees were added within the garden walls,

and lowring shrbsspecially Shur

cli's favorite, lilacabounded One of

the outcomes was the realization of an

lmstedian tradition: when the enormous groups of trees lining the driveway

reached maturit, motorists did not drive

up a bare hill to confront the house and

fens but instead moved up a dark conifer

ous and deciduous column to the crest of

the hill where, directly ahead, they met a

breakaing view of the open marshes and

river. A view of the house, situated at thehighest point, appeared only as one began

to angle left to reach the top of the drum

lin. The wellknon English ts and

Crafts garden designer Gertrude Jell

called such a lanscape "the nearest thing

to a roadpoem that anyhing of the ind

can show. It is full of a sympathetic

ystery that inclines the mind to open

e in reainess to receve an impres

sion that may e presented. The trees

eet overhead; the light coming throughis dim and green Wat will the nex

reach disclose?29

By 909 splitrail fences were being

installed to create the series of enclosedgarden areas (g7) The Shurcliffs added

a wooden piazza, later replaced b a per

gola ith a bluestone patio below. Shurcliwas rmly committed to the reuse offound objects and discarded architectural

elements in his private life, particularly

throughout the years of uilding at

Ipswich. The new pergola posts were old,

octagonal, wooden water pipes dug up in a

Beacon Hill neighors backard whenthe Boston suway system was being

excavated. A at marle sla with thepoints of the compass incised into it (one

of many devices installed to measure the

sun) formerly marking the piazza steps

was now incorporated into the stone

paving of the pergola oor Grapes weretrained around the post and up over the

top (g 8).

Shurcliff created most of the garden

ornament that appeared around the

grounds. Sometimes it took a utilitarian, if

somewhat fanciful, for such as a bird

house using an old wagon wheel for its

frame or the summerhouse weatheranedepicting a ship under full sail Concrete,

touted ye Caman as earl as 909 as

the only t ornamental material for

American gardens, rst made its appear

ance at Ipswich in 190 when Shurci

formulated o large pots and o ird

aths for his gardens (g 9)

the demands of his professional

practice grew s esure momens recee

exponentiall In aune 93 joual entr

he recorded wearily, "I tued in before

the sunlight had faded away and Margaret

read to me How to Live on Twenfour

Hours a Da'30 A few das later he added,

The country is ne, the air cool and clear,the children well and therefore to bed at

8:30 to rest a little from the strenuous life

(too urgent and overdriven) of the past

Spring1 These pressing demands

seemed to increase Shurcliff's reliance


15/27

F 7 ont ar t rst srs spitrai n was instad. In t bakgrond s t wind

mi tat sppid a t famiy watr for tir yars; in t rgrond ar tr t sx idrn,

Sidny iam and Jak in ont many dvis ratd by Srfor aing is miy

abot Privat otion

F 8 T ast faad t os wit i prgoa pos mad rd od woodn watr pips

savagd from Boston Privat otion

P 56 a 2 dTi N ad


16/27

Fg. 9. the nces evolved over the years so did the decorative elements including the concrete

pots deigned and executed by Arthur ShurclH second child and rst daughte Sarah Parsons

Shurclgces one them about 3 Private collection

upon hs Ipswch retreat as a pace of

respte and renewal and to focus s mnd

on the preciousness of hs home and fam

y lfe Mter one patcuarly tng day hs

journa enty reads, "I found another apple

blossom-haf ts petals bon away by thewndand took t to Boston wth me to

look at upon my desk To Ipsch agan at

sx cock to see green eds te rver and

myargaret Sdne Sarah, Wllam, Jac

and Elzabet-better than appe bos

soms; lke apple blossoms and ne

appes32 (g 10. Hs son Wam wote

n 1952 In sprng e took cldren on

countless lle was to admre te apple

ossoms, pckng out te most beautu

trees most fragant bossoms fting us

deep nto the tree folage Neary aways

on return ome e handed other a

sma bouquet or possbly a eath

he psich house was to be not only a

sanctuay for adults but aso an open pay

ground and unrestrcted atmosphere for

cdren where te famly coud grow andthrve n a heathy county environment

and were tey could brng ter frends to

share n the pleasure of recreaton and

spirted fun

argaret and Atur Surclff fos

tered an apprecaton of handcraft n all of

ter chdren by teacng them carpenty

and encouragng them to produce for

themselves ter daly needs and desres

e urc1 top constany bused

with actvty, ncluding woodworng

casses for neighborood cldren Te

l i l F V P 7


17/27

g 0 Shurlderived enormous plesure rom providing helthy nd hppy environment or

h hildren to ply in Here he joins his own nd nehborhood hildren t dy's end in Ipswih

Privte colletion

cncal wa nxcaly lnkd o

ac omonn o o wo

og o a maal n o

nvonmn, and Scl

mad an a ldn w

od, y dmonaon and og

mlaon o o n o t and

Ca movmn ad con o nco

oa no own l In c

da mbld o o Nw Yok

and Iwc at ly Dow

(187922), wo Jaannd

woodc cd mly nn

n and Ca movmn ac

a cld o know aty wn , o

ca , o lov , and wn gow

wll no ola gl Dow wo

In laon o ln o a o

may la laon o lv o ac

o; a cv olo amon

may alo v n o ng34

o and xto ac gw

and cangd a nd vald

gonng oold ncad ldng a

nw wng on man od o o

n 193, and w b o x and

la cld a nal mao addon wa

qd Focal, a ac

wa cnd, aacd o now

co o o

mo a o comond

cam nlod o a vgal gadn, a

Pag 8 FalV 000 Tim Nw ngad


18/27

sm od, d owe gdes, e

uffs eed oudoo ooms, mpo

ompoes of e moveme Tese

spes pemed oe o move uy

fom e eo of e ouse o e exe

o d povded w so Dvd

eed s " mpo so

spe ouum of eeee fom

e o of e ouse oug e g

de d ou o e dspe, s

se o e sweepg vew of e mses

spedg o e oo (g) 35 Tey

moved d sfed budgs o povde oud d gde ooms d d d

ed ps s ese ges ook pe

y 97 e ppedsoew budg

mpg d begu s wy of ompe

g e eosed fomos uff so

oved Iopoed o s ew d

eo w sysem wee foge fo

me fg, ueed ee o

e ompex dew oe fom g o

dess o e g of e e ou

yd, d soe owe (g )

spo fo e eosed ou

yd fomo eveuy emeged

o e deveopg psw pope be

foud us youfu wdegs

e ouysde d e ps e ook

o u gd, pe e dmed d

ooked o s esoo wok "Te

ufdg memoy of gd s of fms

d oges, e woe 9 e fo Landsape Arhteture "mees

gmpses of wewsed ouses, u

dooyds, ods, eds d medows

em xed e memoy36 He

desbed de e Fm Rowsey,

Debyse, d psed w e emed

e Usped d oowsue fom

Fg s vew shows a sma poon the sweepng vta marshand vsbe from the hur

prper hurater added the tny hape n order to ame that vew Prvate oeton

Od Nw gld Ft 000 Pg


19/27

._ 19." 0

ORE

o Qo


20/27

ow well te ouse now snugged nto te

andsape Lus pantngs, spiling ove

owe eds and off pegoas comined

wit te enfoding wal system to podue

a totay enompassng atmospee (gs.

1315) Suciff spent yeas onvetngte litte ouse on top of te ae ad

dumlin of Sim Mk H nto a intega

pat te andsape and omnng tis

amagamation t s on pesona ve

son of ts and Cafts unt e ouse

gadualy eame one wt te landscape,

its seteed gadens unng it t te

sunpenetated, ndswept ltop into

wi it nested n 27 e added a tiny

cape to te gounds, meant e aways

sad fo quiet contemplation Hs eldest

son Sdney, te only cd wo foowed

s fates pofesson eeved it was

ult pimaiy to enfame te vew fom

te ouse" In a 980 ntevew e stated,

lmy family set a ig value on te vew

of te mases and my fate dd evey

ting e oud to enane te vaous vews in tat dection ncludng alus

tades in te foegound, te apel and

te pantng of pine tees on te dstant

slands" (see g.).

Al te we te Sus wee

deveopng te eeio spaces, te

ndoos was evovng as well Te nteo

of te ouseda, ool and onsistng

entey, n fom and ontent, of natua

elements made y andenfoced even

moe deepy te smple study aestetic

of te Ats and Cafts movement (g 16).

ig photogaph the back the houe oe image that iutated Saah Pao

Shucl' Jue1929 ate House Beautfu Magaze I t he dcib the evouto the

Shucumme idece out House eautiful.

dTi Nw d FIVt 000 P


21/27

Fig 4 Srh Shurcldecrbed he peol bul o hde he ph whch led om he one

ge by he u-round o he doord Coure House Beauful

The Shurclffs ogeher followed heir

own inerreaon of hs ideal. The reveled in he ngenui of heir handwork,

ursued he Emersonian ideal of looking

o one's on land for creave nsiraon,

and reled uon nave maerals o ro

duce her desgns rom he neror skn

o he enire conens of he house, he

sough o roduce wh her own hands

as man of her dail needs as ossible olve he ar ha s lfe

Slowl he walls changed from

exosed sudding o aneled and crafed

saces, he lving room aneling a combi

naon of dscarded egheenhcenu

ew doors from King's Chael, Boson

whch became he relace surrounds

and anelng Shurcliff hmself execued.Begnnng in 1923 Shurclff desgned and

cared a series of wooden door laches

and door handles for varous rooms n he

house Some were smle and funconal;ohers dslaed he more whimscal sde

of hs naure, ncluding dolhn and

whale laches.

The Shurcls crafed almos all of

he furnure wihn he house, marked

wih he makers' inials and he daes he

eces were made hough Margare

Shurclffs desgns became surd buaracive, she oe n her memors ha n

her earl sngle das all m caen

models were desgned for use and srengh

onl rhur Shule on he oher hand

couldn desgn a oohbush holder wh

ou nishng i o wih a delicae mould

ng [c] or a foosool, wih a slgh slan

o he legs. More han anhng else I worked o lease hm. The charm and

ineres added b he nuence of rhur

P 2 t 2 d-Tm N


22/27

wr undnia and raizd my own

rudnss I was onn o rman a

rany hard workr This I woud hav

rmand if hur had no my sppd

in som yars for w vn so muh asspok of a futur oghr"

Th old nursry ukd a h for

mr ak of h hous was ransformd

ino fron nran afr a door was u

o h nosd ourard on h north

sid of h hous Hr Shurlff showd

hs sns of humor for running along h

op of h los wa in his room is a fass of arvd woodn oos" h s

rprsnng Argilla Road injoks pong

fun a his nighors' fos and inrss

Alcohol in the Homey Jos H" s a nudg

a h onrmd oalr Mrs Frans

Harrngton In qui h opposi vn

Gape and hei J(ue rfrs o Dr

osph Gooda's homrwd wn

mad from his own graps

By far h mos fasinaing room nh Shuriffs' summr hom s h

lrar whh Shurl ald h winr

ihn" proaly aus i was h

room usd for wknding afr h

houshod had dampd o Boson for

h wnr and for hy rurnd whn

shoo was nishd for h yar (g

Wnr days woud nd h famiy shoving pahs oasng skang or waking h

frozn marshs A day's nd Wlam

Shuriff wo h winr kihn ozy

and warm awaid hm wih soup and

ho hoola smmring on h oal

Fg 5 Te ummehue uilt a yea ae the oiginal houe wa contucted It eed a quiet

a o ntin iend Cou Hous Bauifu

O-m Nw gand a 000 Pag 63


23/27

g. 1 e interi0 designed, carved and intaed by rthur and Margaret hurc(ometime

with hep from the chidren and a carpenter rected pecty their ove the simpici natura

wood and their emphasis on sturdy but attractive fuiture aso designed and buit by them is vi

shows their iving and dining area Private coection

bug stve.

The rm s the mplete summ

t f Shuls hdw dels Its

sh w de betwee 1923 d 99

luded stg use rud the rm

the fm f Gee ey He d hsfed, Lgd er, eghb d

ut f As t t Hvd's Fgg

Museum, mde te bs f the

bse upbrds whh hd gpe

lusters red t the tp The furby

fu fmg members beme lums

wth red ptls. Bts d ws seed

s etbltues. It ws t utl 933 thtShulff dded grphlly sg

t d deepy setmetl elemet

t the dert I the ed er f the

bse beeth wl ebltue he

pled red mthe pel epeset

gMrget Shurl feedg the s lt

tle bbes t her feet e fr eh

Shurlff hld (g 1)Arthur Shulff's mmets f

repse sh prpttely t hs

grwg suess s ldspe rhtet.

Ptully frm the tme he beg hs

gret w f gde restt d

eret t Cll Wllmsburg

192 he tveled fequetly d llwed

hmself lttle espte fm hs lbs.Whe he dd te tme ff t ws lmst

vrbly t g t Ipswh ths uld te

Pg 4 te d-m w Eg


24/27

F e liba alo calle the Wnte Kitchen with its etaile caving an st ak lighting

ivate collection

e fom of a few days n e smme

mons, b somemes ws ealy as

le as en mnes n e oseason,

wen e wod ake a an p o Ipswc

and de s bcycle o e ose so a e

cod cac a mpse of a sen sn o

ceck e poess of some new poec e ome n Ipswc and

aae Sclff effolessly p no

pacce e elemens a movaed evey

aspec of e lfe oee, elecn as

dd e bea neny, and peaceflness

wc ey wee abe o ceae and man

an eeIn e fyyea evoon of e

ose and onds, Sc o soals and coespondence, paned a

mdmensona poa o a peson wo

aceved sasfacon and spa enewal

fom e ceave pocess, a pocess m

wc e was nmaely nvolved no ony

as acec and desne b also as en

nee, capene, woodwoke mason,

mealwoke, oca consan,

and appecave cen bove a s son

Wllam conclded, "e ed o ceae a

feeln of comfoable ndesandn-an

endn and own fondnessfo

one's sondns

Fo s andson Cales Hopkn

son Sclf an acec, waecolo

pane, and andscape acec n s own

, e pswc ose s e pefec

eecon of s andfae anscen

denal dealsm A anscendenasmse and pobably e coses po

sopcay o s andfaes vson of

e naa wod, Cales Sclff

depcs e ose and onds as A

i Nw g aVit 000 Pag 65


25/27

Surls persna vsn a nd see

ng" tat evnes te partpatn wt

te unverse (were ne ses al sel and

emes part te unversea re

gus, leng urne Arteture and

landsape arteture . may e a rerd

ts seeng and unn wt te sms,

were all tngs are nvested n meanng"

r Cares Sur ts nrms tat

te arteture and andsape . seem a

penultmate exampe ts seeng and

relgus urne Nte te ntnual rp

png apart and redng t aeve te

rgtness te wle & ts parts as an

rgan entt respndng t al te natura

res (g. 19.

e psw me was Sursseter and reuge t stands as a trute t

Fg 18 detai a cmn

in the nter Kitchen a

mther eican edin her ix

babi, cared by Shrcin

in rrence t hi w

and chidren Cey R

Harri, htrahe

te le e and Margaret Sul ut

tgeter r ter wn satsatn and as a

sae and appy arr r ter am

Ave al, t remans nt nly a asnatng

reetn Surs nventve genus

and s alty t reate a armng and

gly ndvdualst envrnment ut as

tange evdene s wn unusual,

mpex, and mutdmensna nterrlandsape. ' *

Eizabeth He Chin i a andcae

hitrian and a candidate fr the PhD

in the American andN nand

Stdi Prm at Btn Unieri

Her diertatin tic a critica bi

hy Athr A Sh

Pg 66 FVt 000 d-m Nw gld


26/27

. . -

arg

Turn rond

\CveePasge/

.Wlnd Mil

o n.V PREE DY

Fg 9 e compound a it appear today drawin by biail Campbell-Kin baed on a plan

drawn by Sarah Paron ShurclPrivate collection

NOS

1 The intense socialist elements ofthe English

and Crafts movement were never inte-

gated into the American version.

2. Socie ofArs and Crafs, Boston, Papers,

197194 Archives o Amercan Art

Smithsonian Instituton Washington, D.C

3 Ahur Shurcl (then Shute)

Jouas vo. I M 5 8; prvate

collection.

4. He remained in he Omsted oce even

after the untimey death of Charles Eliot

at age 37 one year ater Shurclijoined

the .

. Margaret Homer Shurcli Ly y

(Taipei: Literature House td. , 96) 7

6 Shurcli (then Shutle) Couship

Joual Feb. 9 9 private colection.

7 Shurc (then Shurle) to Margaret H.

r J 0 pit oo

Shurci then Shutle) Journals vo. I,

Sept 6 19 24 pivate collecion

lm New gad W Pag 7


27/27

9. Ibid vol Sept 9 36 privte

colecion.

Ibid. vol , Sept. 2 9 4

. Joseph E. Garland Boston's Gold Coat: Te

Norh Shore, 19199 (Boston: Little

Brown and Co 9 7.2. Frances Gmes "Reminiscences in

A Circle Friends: A Colonie Coih

and Dublin (Keene N.H University

At Galeries and Keene Sate Colege

9 67.

3 William A Shurcli "A Casual Histo of

the Upper Pat oAglla Road Ipswich

Mass since 97" (Typescript Apr 92 22 private collection

4 Garland Botons Gold Coast, 9.

Sidney Nichos Shurcli Upon the Road

Ailla (n.p.: by the author 9 9.

6 . A Shurc (hen Shule "Ipswich og

Aug 3, 93 private collection.

7. W A Shurcli "Casual Histo 47

. bid 74-7.9. A Shurci (then Shurle) to Magret

Hoer Shurcli (then Shurtle Aug 6

96; pivate collection

2 M Shurcli Lively Days, 7.

2 . S Shurclif Upon the Road Ailla, 2.

22. thur Shurcli Autobiography jArhur A.

Shurcl!f 797 (Cambridge Mass.

thur Aahel ShurcliII and Sarah

ShurciIngenger 9 3 .

23. Adelaide Sroul "he Egg and Fie

odworkin March 9.

24 A. Shurci (hen Shule "Derences in

Presents Handr, Februay 94 237.

2. M. Shurcli Lively Day, 7.

26. Ibid.

27. Ibid. 4

2. bid .

29. Gerrude Jekyll Home and Garden (ondon

ongmans Green and Co 9 49.

3 A. Shurcli (then Shule "og June 9

9 3 3 . Ibidune 3 93 .

32. Ibd.une 2 93 6.

33 WA Shurci to the author Mar 99

34. Quoted in Frederick C Moat Athur

Wel Dow (Washngon DC. Smithsonian

Instiution Press 977 6263.

3 Moatt Athur Wel Dow, 37

36. A Shurcli (then Shutle EnglishFarm Group Lancape Architecture, April

9 2

37. Shurcli "English Fam Group 23.

3. A Shurci (then Shutle "The Grounds

o an English Vilager' Cottage Te

Crman, Apri 93 9.

39. Melanie L Smo nteview Wth Sidney

Shurci 9" (Watetown MassHubbard Educational ut 992 4

Sim "Inteiew.

4 . and Crafts reformer William Price sub

titled his periodical Te Arma "the at that

is ife.

42 . M. Shurcli Lively Days, 47

43 W A Shurci memorandum to the author

Jan 9 99444. Charles H Shurci What are the Major

nuences on Whiey (both architecture

and landscape) memorandum to the

author Dec. 992 Whitey is one of

the many naes gven to he pope over

the years.

arthur a. shurcliff

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