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8/6/2019 Arthur a. Shurcliff
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ol; '"
Au Suc at Iw n a a mmnt axatn fm bu ona li.Pvat tn
lVt 2 dm
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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.+ .:
,:I
t .)
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
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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
v '
\
:
./
U
r
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
8/6/2019 Arthur a. Shurcliff
19/27
._ 19." 0
ORE
o Qo
8/6/2019 Arthur a. Shurcliff
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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. . -
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
8/6/2019 Arthur a. Shurcliff
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.