United States of America, Pennsylvania, Chester County, West Chester
Square House (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
Also known as Auxillary House, the residential structure on this garden site dates to 1836 and was originally used as a boarding school. Little remains of the garden, which is surrounded by a 12-foot wall built in the early 20th century to ensure privacy. During the ownership of Ann Price Hemphill in the 1920s and 1930s landscape architect Gilbert McIlvaine created a design that incorporated old trees, a marble fountain, and the use of Victorian ironwork. Another unusual decorative feature is ornamentation said to come from cemeteries that could not be maintained during the Great Depression and subsequently sold to Mrs. Hemphill. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the West Chester Boarding School for Boys.
Persons associated with the garden include: Gilbert McIlvaine (landscape architect, 1920s-1930s); Ann Price Hemphill (former owner, 1920s-1930s); and Dr. Everett Barr (former owner, 1940s-1950s).
The folders include worksheets and additional information about the garden.